Albums you like from 2023

[fire]

Restored
by Patricia Clark
released today March 31, 2023
an ok album nothing special

[fire]

Oh When: Now
by Owen Kennedy
released April 6, 2023
listening now, the first two track are nice, a pleasant album overall

[Psy-Fi]

Sun Ra & Arkestra - Hendersonia: Sun Ra Performs Fletcher Henderson (2023)

Sun Ra was never reticent about honoring his musical heroes. These icons included Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, George Gershwin, Fats Waller, songwriters such as Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, and Irving Berlin, even Walt Disney, whose film music Ra performed jubilantly and often. But no one meant as much to Ra as Fletcher Henderson (1897–1952). With the exception of Ellington, no bandleader's repertoire was honored more in Ra's set lists than the man who invented the jazz big band.

However, Ra's respect for Henderson was not from an historical distance. He worked with Henderson in Chicago in the late 1940s, during the twilight of the great conductor's career. Sonny served as the band's pianist and arranger.

Henderson never achieved the public acclaim (and financial rewards) bestowed on such legends as Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Gershwin; one posthumous anthology of his recordings was titled "A Study in Frustration." Henderson and his arrangers, especially Don Redman and Fletcher's brother Horace, created the jazz big band format in the 1920s, but had limited commercial success. Other bandleaders, such as Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Artie Shaw achieved much greater success with the Henderson formula in the so-called Swing Era of the 1930s.

The recordings in this set span fifteen years, from 1976 to 1991. Most have not been previously issued commercially. Some have been circulating among Ra collectors for decades; in such cases, we have upgraded the audio from original tapes where available. Some tracks are stereo, some mono. Some are beautifully recorded, others less pristine but no less powerful. Some tracks were diligently mixed at the console; others captured ad hoc by staff, fans, or by Ra himself. No surprises here. 

[Psy-Fi]

Rose City Band - Garden Party (2023)

Psychedelic country pop/rock from 'Rose City Band' out of Portland, Oregon. The overall sound is very laid-back and mellow for the most part like the rest of their albums so far. 

[fire]

A new album is out today.
Hopefully I will listen in the morning.
Now going to bed.
Branca Vela
by Budiño
April 2023

[fire]

Branca Vela
by Budiño
released today 28.04.2023
finally an excellent album, listened twice today, it was better than their last album "fulgor" 2019.

[fire]

some albums that I listened but didn't have the time to post them here.
from bandcamp:

Reel World
by The Derry Aires
released April 24, 2023
it was ok, they were quiet good but the album was just ok.

Bisarr
by Bisarr
released April 14, 2023
it was ok a bit boring

Not For Everyone
by Malin Makes Music
released March 3, 2023
it was ok

PH(R)ASE
by Archie Churchill-Moss
released January 13, 2023
this was a very nice album, only listened once

From the River
by Cala
released March 31, 2023
this was ok, too much poppy for my taste, but they have the talent.

Far Hills
by Faoileán
released April 14, 2023
this was ok a bit boring, they have it but not in this.

[Janszoon]

El Michels Affair & Black Thought—Glorious Game
Five months in and I think this is the first 2023 album I've listened to. It's really good.

[SGR]

Tricky / Marta Złakowska—When It's Going Wrong
This is probably the best thing Tricky has released in 10 years or so. This new singer meshes really well with his instrumentals - despite having that seemingly detached and disinterested Billie Eillish vocal style.

[Psy-Fi]

Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Solar Arkestra - Space Is the Place (Music from the Original Soundtrack) (2023)

A celestial journey is just what Sun Ra and his Arkestra have created with Space is the Place. Sun Ra's opus is at its simplest, a trip through outer bound melodies! Planetary bodies, eras in time, crystals, space caravans... Allow yourself to envision or feel a world away!

Featuring an album's worth of previously unissued recordings from the same soundtrack sessions! These newly discovered tracks are heavy on the prose of Sun Ra, as he and June Tyson bestow countless bits of information and inspiration onto the listener.

[Psy-Fi]

The Ironsides - Changing Light (2023)

The Ironsides have arrived. Changing Light is the first full-length effort from this masterful collective of Bay Area musicians. It melds classic psych-soul sounds with sweeping orchestral arrangements – reminiscent of a cinematic soundtrack from a 60s European film.

Inspired by the soundtracks and library music of European composers during the 60's and 70's, the Ironsides set out to create a collection of lush songs that evoke a diverse range of feelings, emotions, and memories.

[jimmy jazz]

Anyone heard the latest Nas album? KD3?

@Toy Revolver @Janszoon @SGR @Jwb

Looks like it's a masterpiece. Going though it now and the rapping is top notch (though it's Nas so that's a given) and the production is incredible imo.

Fair play to him putting something like this out 30 years in. Seems like his last three albums he's been in the best form of his career.

[SGR]

Anyone heard the latest Nas album? KD3?

@Toy Revolver @Janszoon @SGR @Jwb

Looks like it's a masterpiece. Going though it now and the rapping is top notch (though it's Nas so that's a given) and the production is incredible imo.

Fair play to him putting something like this out 30 years in. Seems like his last three albums he's been in the best form of his career.

Yup, it's pretty damn good. Not sure I'd go as far as masterpiece though. The production efforts from Hit-Boy are probably the best he's ever done. In the past, I've derided his beats as a little too one-note and uninspired, but he really put in work for this record. It's nice to see Nas have a late-career renaissance. I think I still prefer Life is Good over the King's Disease trilogy though.

[Toy Revolver]

Anyone heard the latest Nas album? KD3?

@Toy Revolver @Janszoon @SGR @Jwb

Looks like it's a masterpiece. Going though it now and the rapping is top notch (though it's Nas so that's a given) and the production is incredible imo.

Fair play to him putting something like this out 30 years in. Seems like his last three albums he's been in the best form of his career.

i haven't listened to it, no

[Janszoon]

Anyone heard the latest Nas album? KD3?

@Toy Revolver @Janszoon @SGR @Jwb

Looks like it's a masterpiece. Going though it now and the rapping is top notch (though it's Nas so that's a given) and the production is incredible imo.

Fair play to him putting something like this out 30 years in. Seems like his last three albums he's been in the best form of his career.

They had it on in a record store I was in a few months ago and it sounded great! I still need to give it a full listen though.