It's time to run down some of my favorite records from 2023. As with most years, I discovered a lot of new (to me) music throughout the year. Due to taking a deep dive into the CTI Records catalog (which also included the Kudu and Salvation spinoff labels) while working on the AotW series, I had way more new music to play. To top it off, there have been many recent vinyl reissues that knocked previous versions out of the park. Those will be mentioned in a follow-up article tomorrow.
For 2023 music releases, this year I honestly can't say I came across much that captured my attention, the lone exception being Peter Gabriel's i/o, his first proper studio album since Up back in 2002. Where the 2002 album was dense and darker in mood, i/o is still dense but is more positive and uplifting, a reflection on mortality, rebirth, and how our input and output (I/O) makes us part the world around us ("stuff coming out, stuff going in, I'm just a part of everything"). As with his other albums, there is no mistaking this for anyone but Peter Gabriel. That he unfolded the album on successive full moons in 2023 by releasing a single on those days (and companion "dark side" mixes on each new moon), helped ease us into the entire project, his first since 21 years ago.
For runners-up, I have a few that caught my attention.
I don't keep track of the number of plays on the vinyl side (other than "jeez, I play this thing a lot!"), but my Roon Player shows me what I've listened to the most on the digital side. I can't say the top plays surprise me all that much, but it's interesting to see it all put into numbers. And of vinyl titles, as I said, I've reach for some records more often than others, and I will mention just a couple of the notable ones below. (The second article will cover other vinyl reissues in depth.)
My top listen this year has been Idris Muhammad's Power of Soul, his debut on the Kudu label. His other albums, both before and after, are more rooted in soul--Black Rhythm Revolution is a tasty combination of instrumental soul and jazz fusion, and an honorable mention in my list. But Power of Soul would have been more at home on the CTI label as it is an easygoing melodic record that will please even many non-jazz aficionados. For me, it has become a "comfort food" title. Despite being a "drum record," all we really hear of Muhammad is his rock solid groove backing every song. Grover Washington Jr. is featured throughout, and Bob James does a fine arranging job, not dipping into schmaltz as he has done on other recordings. It's easy to see how this was considered a soul jazz classic in its day.
A runner-up for the number of listens is Johnny "Hammond" Smith's Gambler's Life. Unlike other albums where Hammond plays the B3 organ, he shifts to electric keyboards here, primarily the Rhodes stage piano that was in fashion back then. This is on the short-lived CTI sister label Salvation, which primarily featured albums that Taylor did not produce. Instead, production was handled by Larry and Ponce Mizell, well known for fusion, funk and soul production, who also contributed compositions and performances to the project. It's a busy, chaotic album, but in a good way--there is a lot to digest all at once, but it is a soul/funk workout that happens to include some jazz soloing throughout. It ranks as my second most listened to album this year.
Detroit-based trumpeter Donald Byrd's Electric Byrd album caught my ear back in September, and I played a CD rip of this title sporadically on and off up until I bought the vinyl at Third Man Records just prior to Thanksgiving. I've been playing it often through December. It's heavily influenced by Miles Davis in his Bitches Brew mode with its explorations into different sounds, yet is more coherent and melodic. "Xibaba" actually recalls a little of the first incarnation of Return to Forever thanks to Airto Moreira composing and playing on the track. It's one of those records where you hear something new unfold with each playing.
Blue Note made a deal with Third Man Records to release a number of titles in the "313" series (that being the area code for Detroit). Electric Byrd was manufactured down in the Cass Corridor at Third Man's pressing plant. Blue Note president Don Was is also from the area, hence the tie-in; his group Was (Not Was) was a local sensation back in the early 1980s. My copy of Electric Byrd is the black/yellow "eclipse" pressing (Third Man's official colors), limited to 313 copies; the other eclipse variation features the official Blue Note blue and white.
While I had a great vinyl haul during one of many visits to Colorado this year, my best find had to be a suitably nice copy of Horace Silver's The Stylings of Silver, on a 70s-era reissue pressing. It was the second album of his that I explored after his landmark classic Song for my Father, and anyone who has sought out jazz especially on the Blue Note label knows how pricey these have become. Thankfully this one was well under $30, and is in much better condition than the VG+ rating it was given by the seller. I've played the heck out of it.
Finally, I can't let this yearly overlook pass without mentioning Steely Dan's Aja UHQR reissue from Analogue Productions. Released as two 45-RPM records on a special vinyl formulation at 200 grams, many are hailing it as the best sounding version of Aja ever released. When the record was first mastered, Bernie Grundman had made an EQed tape copy that he used for the original ABC pressings of the record, and he reused that for the UHQR version as the original master tape can no longer be found (and I suspect it was missing before Universal let their warehouse go up in flames).
In a recent interview, Bernie mentions that since this tape copy was in excellent condition, he feels the improvements in electronics and his mastering chain made an improvement over the original ABC "AB-1006" pressing that many of us have sought out. For my part, I have enjoyed revisiting this classic. My epiphany after listening to the final two tracks is that I realized I wasn't listening to the sound quality, I was wrapped up in the music, like I am any time I listen to this record. Unless a version of this album is truly awful sounding (either poor mastering, or noisy worn-out vinyl), I can enjoy it no matter what. I plan on getting into the finer points of the UHQR reissues at a later time, but I also look forward to the SACD version that is due in the next couple of months, which was also mastered by Bernie.
Part 2 will cover some vinyl reissue series which were impressive--not all of them were new releases this year, but they were of sufficient high quality that they deserve a separate mention.
New for 2023
For 2023 music releases, this year I honestly can't say I came across much that captured my attention, the lone exception being Peter Gabriel's i/o, his first proper studio album since Up back in 2002. Where the 2002 album was dense and darker in mood, i/o is still dense but is more positive and uplifting, a reflection on mortality, rebirth, and how our input and output (I/O) makes us part the world around us ("stuff coming out, stuff going in, I'm just a part of everything"). As with his other albums, there is no mistaking this for anyone but Peter Gabriel. That he unfolded the album on successive full moons in 2023 by releasing a single on those days (and companion "dark side" mixes on each new moon), helped ease us into the entire project, his first since 21 years ago.For runners-up, I have a few that caught my attention.
- There was some nice ear candy by way of the Raul Malo solo instrumental recording Say Less.
- The multi-continental self-titled rockabilly album by The Barnestormers was also a treat, including popular musicians from Australia (the band's namesake Jimmy Barnes on vocals, Chris Cheney of The Living End on guitar), the USA (drums by Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats) and the UK (Jools Holland on piano).
- Four80East released a new record Gonna Be Alright back in August of this year, with more of the good sounds
Most listened to in 2023
I don't keep track of the number of plays on the vinyl side (other than "jeez, I play this thing a lot!"), but my Roon Player shows me what I've listened to the most on the digital side. I can't say the top plays surprise me all that much, but it's interesting to see it all put into numbers. And of vinyl titles, as I said, I've reach for some records more often than others, and I will mention just a couple of the notable ones below. (The second article will cover other vinyl reissues in depth.)
My top listen this year has been Idris Muhammad's Power of Soul, his debut on the Kudu label. His other albums, both before and after, are more rooted in soul--Black Rhythm Revolution is a tasty combination of instrumental soul and jazz fusion, and an honorable mention in my list. But Power of Soul would have been more at home on the CTI label as it is an easygoing melodic record that will please even many non-jazz aficionados. For me, it has become a "comfort food" title. Despite being a "drum record," all we really hear of Muhammad is his rock solid groove backing every song. Grover Washington Jr. is featured throughout, and Bob James does a fine arranging job, not dipping into schmaltz as he has done on other recordings. It's easy to see how this was considered a soul jazz classic in its day.A runner-up for the number of listens is Johnny "Hammond" Smith's Gambler's Life. Unlike other albums where Hammond plays the B3 organ, he shifts to electric keyboards here, primarily the Rhodes stage piano that was in fashion back then. This is on the short-lived CTI sister label Salvation, which primarily featured albums that Taylor did not produce. Instead, production was handled by Larry and Ponce Mizell, well known for fusion, funk and soul production, who also contributed compositions and performances to the project. It's a busy, chaotic album, but in a good way--there is a lot to digest all at once, but it is a soul/funk workout that happens to include some jazz soloing throughout. It ranks as my second most listened to album this year.
Detroit-based trumpeter Donald Byrd's Electric Byrd album caught my ear back in September, and I played a CD rip of this title sporadically on and off up until I bought the vinyl at Third Man Records just prior to Thanksgiving. I've been playing it often through December. It's heavily influenced by Miles Davis in his Bitches Brew mode with its explorations into different sounds, yet is more coherent and melodic. "Xibaba" actually recalls a little of the first incarnation of Return to Forever thanks to Airto Moreira composing and playing on the track. It's one of those records where you hear something new unfold with each playing.
Blue Note made a deal with Third Man Records to release a number of titles in the "313" series (that being the area code for Detroit). Electric Byrd was manufactured down in the Cass Corridor at Third Man's pressing plant. Blue Note president Don Was is also from the area, hence the tie-in; his group Was (Not Was) was a local sensation back in the early 1980s. My copy of Electric Byrd is the black/yellow "eclipse" pressing (Third Man's official colors), limited to 313 copies; the other eclipse variation features the official Blue Note blue and white.
While I had a great vinyl haul during one of many visits to Colorado this year, my best find had to be a suitably nice copy of Horace Silver's The Stylings of Silver, on a 70s-era reissue pressing. It was the second album of his that I explored after his landmark classic Song for my Father, and anyone who has sought out jazz especially on the Blue Note label knows how pricey these have become. Thankfully this one was well under $30, and is in much better condition than the VG+ rating it was given by the seller. I've played the heck out of it.Finally, I can't let this yearly overlook pass without mentioning Steely Dan's Aja UHQR reissue from Analogue Productions. Released as two 45-RPM records on a special vinyl formulation at 200 grams, many are hailing it as the best sounding version of Aja ever released. When the record was first mastered, Bernie Grundman had made an EQed tape copy that he used for the original ABC pressings of the record, and he reused that for the UHQR version as the original master tape can no longer be found (and I suspect it was missing before Universal let their warehouse go up in flames).
In a recent interview, Bernie mentions that since this tape copy was in excellent condition, he feels the improvements in electronics and his mastering chain made an improvement over the original ABC "AB-1006" pressing that many of us have sought out. For my part, I have enjoyed revisiting this classic. My epiphany after listening to the final two tracks is that I realized I wasn't listening to the sound quality, I was wrapped up in the music, like I am any time I listen to this record. Unless a version of this album is truly awful sounding (either poor mastering, or noisy worn-out vinyl), I can enjoy it no matter what. I plan on getting into the finer points of the UHQR reissues at a later time, but I also look forward to the SACD version that is due in the next couple of months, which was also mastered by Bernie.
Part 2 will cover some vinyl reissue series which were impressive--not all of them were new releases this year, but they were of sufficient high quality that they deserve a separate mention.
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