Albums of the Year – 2014

Posted on December 24, 2014
Tagged 
So another year and another 1500 albums considered for review (and that’s just the ones we actually added to the list!). Taking a quick look back: this year Julian, Matthew, Chris, Ed, Antonio, Stefan, Josh, and Hugo joined the review team and we recently welcomed Eyal and Alfonso – you’ll be seeing more of them soon. 2014 also saw Martin Schray bringing the Free Jazz Blog to the air on SWR2, public radio in southern Germany. His next show is on the 9th of January (stay tuned for more info on that!). Finally, thanks to all of you, we’re seeing upwards of 75,000 page views a month and have a growing subscriber base … all we can (and should) say is thank you everyone and keep listening!

And now here it is … our hotly anticipated top ten list of albums of the year, tallied and calculated from the collective’s personal top 10 album choices (listed below):

The Free Jazz Collective Top-10 albums of 2014

  1. Steve Lehman Octet – Mise en Abîme 
  2. Akira Sakata, Johan Berthling, Paal Nilssen-Love – Arashi
  3. Jemeel Moondoc – The Zookeeper’s House
  4. Angles 9 – Injuries
  5. Audio One – An International Report
  6. Farmers By Nature – Love and Ghosts
  7. Ken Vandermark/Paal Nilssen-Love Duo – Lightning Over Water
  8. Marc Ribot Trio – Live at the Village Vanguard
  9. Wadada Leo Smith – The Great Lakes Suites
  10. Jeremiah Cymerman – Pale Horse / Lotte Anker & Jakob Riis – Squid Police



Happy holidays to everyone and we look forward to hearing your top choices of the year!

Stef Gijssels:

  1. Daunik Lazro & Joëlle Léandre – Hasparren
  2. Lotte Anker & Jakob Riis – Squid Police
  3. Jeremiah Cymerman – Pale Horse
  4. East-West Collective – Humeurs
  5. Ernst Reijseger – Crystal Palace
  6. Hugues Vincent & Yasumune Morishige – Fragment
  7. Luis Vicente, Pinheiro, Faustino & Franco – Clocks & Clouds 
  8. Skogen – Despairs Had Governed Me Too Long 
  9. Mikolaj Trzaska, Devin Hoff & Michael Zerang – Sleepless In Chicago 
  10. Magda Mayas, Damon Smith & Tony Buck – Spill Plus

Paul Acquaro:

  1. Marc Ribot Trio – Live at the Village Vanguard
  2. Nels Cline & Julian Lage – Room
  3. Mary Halvorson, Michael Formanek, Tomas Fujiwara-  Thumbscrew
  4. Ingrid Laubrock & Tom Rainey – And Other Desert Towns
  5. Raoul Bjorkenheim – eCsTaSy
  6. Max Johnson – The Invisible Trio
  7. Ken Vandermark / Paal Nilssen-Love – Lightning over Water 
  8. Ross Hammond – Humanity Suite
  9. Ideal Bread – Beating the Teens: The Songs of Steve Lacy
  10. Ana Weber – Simple

Tom Burris:

  1. Jemeel Moondoc – The Zookeeper’s House
  2. Steve Lehman Octet – Mise En Abime
  3. Dave Rempis / Tim Daisy Duo – Second Spring
  4. Matthew Shipp Trio – Root of Things
  5. Wadada Leo Smith – The Great Lakes Suites
  6. Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble – Intergalactic Beings
  7. John Hebert Trio – Floodstage
  8. Colin Webster & Mark Holub – Viscera
  9. Akira Sakata / Johan Berthling / Paal Nilssen-Love – Arashi
  10. William Hooker & Liudas Mockunas – Live at Vilnius Jazz Festival


Josh Campell:

  1. Tyshawn Sorey – Alloy
  2. Roscoe Mitchell/Craig Taborn/Kikanju Baku – Conversations II
  3. Ivo Perelman – The Other Edge
  4. Bobby Bradford – Silver Cornet
  5. Jemeel Moondoc – The Zookeepers House
  6. Roscoe Mitchell/Craig Taborn/Kikanju Baku – Conversations I
  7. Darius Jones/Matthew Shipp – Darkseid Recital
  8. Wadada Leo Smith – Great Lakes Suite
  9. Matthew Shipp – Been To Many Places
  10. Nate Wooley/Hugo Antunes/Chris Corsano – Malus


Troy Dostert:
  1. Steve Lehman Octet, Mise en Abîme
  2. Marty Ehrlich Large Ensemble – Trumpet in the Morning 
  3. Franco D’Andrea Sextet – Monk and the Time Machine 
  4. Kris Davis Trio – Waiting for You to Grow
  5. Ivo Perelman – The Other Edge 
  6. Ken Vandermark/Paal Nilssen-Love Duo – Lightning Over Water
  7. Peter Van Huffel – Boom Crane
  8. Angles 9 – Injuries
  9. Max Johnson – Invisible Trio
  10. Audio One – An International Report 


Julian Eidenberger:

  1. Akira Sakata, Johan Berthling, Paal Nilssen-Love – Arashi 
  2. Kyle Bruckmann’s Wrack – … Awaits Silent Tristero’s Empire
  3. Steve Lehman Octet – Mise en Abîme
  4. Anthony Braxton, Tom Rainey, Tomas Fujiwara – Trio New Haven 2013
  5. Audio One – An International Report
  6. Many Arms with Colin Fisher – Suspended Definition
  7. Lean Left – Live at Area Sismica
  8. Joe Morris Quartet – Balance 
  9. Yoni Kretzmer, Pascal Niggenkemper, Weasel Walter – Protest Music
  10. Wadada Leo Smith, Jamie Saft, Joe Morris, Balázs Pándi – Red Hill


Colin Green:

  1. Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio & Peter Evans – The Freedom Principle 
  2. Konstruct & Joe McPhee – Babylon
  3. Paul Flaherty & Chris Corsano – Low Cost Space Flights
  4. Fail Better – Zero Sum
  5. Mats Gustafsson NU Ensemble – Hidros 6 – Knockin’
  6. Barry Guy New Orchestra – Mad Dogs on the Loose
  7. Ken Vandermark – Nine Ways to Read a Bridge
  8. Peter Brotzmann, Jason Adasaiwicz, John Edwards, Steve Noble – Mental Shakes
  9. Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit – Etra Ale
  10. Farmers by Nature – Love and Ghosts

Matthew Grigg:

  1. Pharoah & the Underground – Spiral Mercury/Primative Jupiter
  2. Audio One – An International Report/The Midwest School
  3. Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble – Xenogenesis II: Intergalactic Beings
  4. Nate Wooley, Hugo Antunes, Chris Corsano – Malus
  5. Thurston Moore, Gabriel Ferrandini, Pedro Sousa – Live at ZDB
  6. Peter Evans Quintet – Destination:Void
  7. Broetzmann, Adasiewicz, Edwards, Noble – Mental Shake
  8. Roscoe Mitchell/Mike Reed – In Pursuit of Magic
  9. Jason Ajemain, Tony Malaby, Rob Mazurek, Chad Taylor – A Way A Land of Life
  10. Marc Ribot Trio – Live at the Village Vanguard

Chris Haines:

  1. Joe Morris Quartet – Balance
  2. Sei Miguel – Salvation Modes
  3. Eric Revis – In Memory of Things Yet Seen
  4. Jakob Thorkild Trio – Art Sleaze
  5. Tisziji Munoz – Star Worlds
  6. Ken Aldcroft – Threads 10/09/11
  7. Marc Ribot – Live at the Village Vanguard
  8. Andymusic – Heavydance
  9. Tomas Fujiwara Trio – Variable Bets
  10. Tellef Ogrim & Anders Berg – November


Joe Higham:

  1. Alexander Hawkins Ensemble – Step Wide, Step Deep 
  2. Marc Ducret – Tower-Bridge
  3. Oblik – Order Disorder
  4. N.E.W – Motion
  5. Cory Wright Outfit – Apples + Oranges
  6. Olie Brice Quintet – Immune to Clockwork
  7. Tim Daisy – October Music (Vol 1) 7 Compositions For Duet
  8. Antunes, Wooley and Corsano – Malus
  9. Alexandra Grimal and Giovanni Dominico – Chergui

Ed Pettersen:

  1. Zion 80- Adramelech, The Book of Angels vol. 22 
  2. Martin Kuchen – …And Everything Inside Came Down As Dust
  3. Michael Francis Duch – Tomba Emmanuelle
  4. Frode Gjerstad – Hasselt
  5. Zeitkratzer – Metal Machine Music
  6. Wadada Leo Smith, Joe Morris, Jamie Saft and Balacz Pandi – Red Hill
  7. Thollem/Robair – Music Minus One (For Dennis Palmer)
  8. Joe Morris and Cris Cretella – Storms
  9. Stephan Meidell – Cascades (definitely taking the guitar forward)
  10. Ken Aldcroft – Threads

Antonio Poscic:

  1. Wadada Leo Smith – The Great Lakes Suites
  2. Steve Lehman Octet – Mise en Abîme
  3. DKV Trio – Sound in Motion in Sound
  4. Farmers By Nature – Love and Ghosts
  5. Lotte Anker & Jakob Riis – Squid Police
  6. Jeremiah Cymerman – Pale Horse
  7. Angles 9 – Injuries
  8. Tyshawn Sorey Trio – Alloy
  9. Zion 80 – Adramelech: Book of Angels, Vol. 22
  10. Jemeel Moondoc – The Zookeeper’s House



Martin Schray:

  1. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead
  2. Frank Lowe Quartet – Outloud
  3. L’Étau – Chose Clandestines
  4. Ken Vandermark / Paal Nilssen-Love – Lightning over Water
  5. Ken Vandermark – Nine Ways to Build a Bridge
  6. Skein – self-titled
  7. Ballister – Both Ends
  8. Akira Sakata, Johan Berthling, Paal Nilssen-Love – Arashi
  9. Marshall Allen Presents Sun Ra and his Arkestra: In the Orbit of Ra
  10. William Hooker & Liudas Mockūnas – Live At Vilnius Jazz Festival

Dan Sorrells:

  1. Daunik Lazro, Benjamin Duboc, Didier Lassere – Sens Radiants (Dark Tree)
  2. Wacław Zimpel To Tu Orchestra – Nature Moves (For Tune)
  3. Benjamin Duboc – St. James Infirmary (Improvising Beings)
  4. Zanussi Five – Live in Coimbra (Clean Feed)
  5. Angles 9 – Injuries (Clean Feed)
  6. Max Johnson, Ingrid Laubrock, Mat Maneri, Tomas Fujiwara – The Prisoner (NoBusiness)
  7. Keir Neuringer – Ceremonies Out of the Air (New Atlantis)
  8. Jeremiah Cymerman, Evan Parker, Nate Wooley – World of Objects (5049 Records)
  9. RED Trio & Mattias Ståhl – North and the Red Stream (NoBusiness)
  10. Michael Francis Duch – Tomba Emmanuelle (Sofa)

Hugo Truyens:

  1. De Beren Gieren & Susana Santos Silva  – The Detour Fish 
  2. 1000 + 1 – Butterfly Garden 
  3. East of the Sun –  ICP Orchestra 
  4. Os Meus Shorts –  Os Meus Shorts II
  5. Sylvain Rifflet & Jon Irabagon  – Perpetual Motion (A Celebration of Moondog)
  6. Baloni  –  Belleke   
  7. Ideal Bread  Beating The Teens – Songs Of Steve Lacy 
  8. Franco D’Andrea Sextet – Monk and the Time Machine
  9. Marc Ribot Trio – Live at the Village Vanguard
  10. Sylvie Courvoisier – Mark Feldman Quartet Birdies for Lulu 
Stefan Wood:
  1. The Syrinx Effect
  2. Ethnic Heritage Ensemble – Black is Back
  3. Steve Lehman – Mise En Abime
  4. Akira Sakata – Arashi
  5. Farmers By Nature
  6. OOIOO – Gamelan
  7. The Swans – To Be Kind
  8. Thurston Moore – The Best Day
  9. Rodrigo Amado – Freedom Principle
  10. The Empty Sound – Case Study 1