A Year in Albums: 2018
By: Jake Zaslav
Tags: Improvisation, Jazz, Music, 2018, Year In Review

In 2017 I began listening to a new album of jazz or improvised music every day. The goal of this project was to immerse myself in the music that I had spent so much time studying and playing. Now in its second year, my “album-a-day” has become a vital part of my daily schedule: a way to hear new music, explore different sounds, and support the musicians around me. Below is my list of albums and performances for 2018. Not only is it a record of all the incredible music I have consumed, but also a sort-of diary of my year. Whether it was listening to Ep 1 by Ola Szmidt while walking on Sawyer Avenue on a beautiful fall day, receiving a recommendation for Citi Movement by Wynton Marsalis from my ER nurse, or seeing Takht al-Nagham perform live in the basement of the Scandanavia House, each of these albums has a story attached to them.

1/1: A South Asian Suite-Arun Ghosh

1/2: Ascension-Harriet Tubman

1/3: Cowboy BeBop (Original Soundtrack)-Seatbelt

1/4: Circuit Rider-Ron Miles

1/5: Same as You-Polar Bear

1/6: The G-Session-Luigi Masciari

1/7: Mating Call-Tadd Dameron

1/8: Morphogenesis-Stevens Coleman

1/9: The Path Up-Jordan Cariou Trio

1/10: Sketches of Spain-Miles Davis

1/11: Benny Goodman: King of Swing-Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra*

1/12: Nubya’s 5ive-Nubya Garcia

1/13: Aspirations-Theon Cross

1/14: An Intimate Piano Session-Duke Ellington

1/15: Rare Recordings of the Twenties vol 4 Louis Armstrong-Louis Armstrong

1/16: See You at the Fair-Ben Webster

1/17: Nihil Novi-Marcus Strickland

1/18: Just Plain Talkin’-Tadd Dameron

1/19: The Second-Derrick Hodge

1/20: Cherokee-Johnny Griffin

1/21: Fly or Die-Jaimie Branch

1/22: Live at The Beehive [Record 1]-Clifford Brown and Max Roach

1/23: Live at The Beehive [Record 2]-Clifford Brown and Max Roach

1/24: Hi Voltage-Hank Mobley

1/25: In C-Terry Riley and members of the SUNY Buffalo Creative Music

1/26: Double Portion-Edmar Castaneda

1/27: Big Band Cole-Nat King Cole

1/28: The Real McCoy-McCoy Tyner

1/29: Ahwar-Nadah El Shazly

1/30: La Saboteuse-Yazz Ahmed

1/31: Irreversible Entanglements-Irreversible Entanglements

2/1: No Filter-James Brandon Lewis Trio

2/2: Astral Progressions-Josef Leimberg

2/3: Modern Lore-Julian Lage

2/4: Beauty and Mystery-Lewis Porter

2/5: Finding my Way Home-Yazz Ahmed

2/6: The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio-Lester Young and the Oscar Peterson Trio

2/7: Wisdom of Elders-Shabaka and the Ancestors

2/8: Abstract Playground-I Hold the Lion’s Paw

2/9: Spiritual Unity-Albert Ayler Trio

2/10: More Power!-Dexter Gordon

2/11: Hawkins! Eldrige! Hodges!-Coleman Hawkins

2/12: It’s Hard-The Bad Plus

2/13: #knowingishalfthebattle-Orrin Evans

2/14: Soul Station-Hank Mobley

2/15: Today and Tomorrow-McCoy Tyner

2/16: Blues and Roots-Charles Mingus

2/17: Citi Movement [Disc 1]-Wynton Marsalis Septet

2/18: Citi Movement [Disc 2]-Wynton Marsalis Septet

2/19: Alfie-Sonny Rollins

2/20: The Cool World-Dizzy Gillespie

2/21: We Out Here-Various Artists

2/22: Vessel In Orbit-Whit Dickey

2/23: Havé a little Faith-Bill Frisell

2/24: Music from Siesta-Miles Davis

2/25: Thembi-Pharoah Sanders

2/26: The Collection-Bessie Smith

2/27: Ma Rainey-Ma Rainey

2/28: Ma Chaut Man and a Superman Hat-Alex Sipiagin

3/1: Come Away with Me-Norah Jones

3/2: Witchi-Tai-To-Jan Garbarek

3/3: Out to Lunch-Eric Dolphy

3/4: Complete Communion-Don Cherry

3/5: Steamin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet-Miles Davis

3/6: Piano Moods-Erroll Garner

3/7: Live in Tel Aviv-Yemen Blues

3/8: Little Susie-Ray Bryant Trio

3/9: The Believer-John Coltrane

3/10: Well, I Should Have…-Jon Benjamin Jazz Daredevil

3/11: Modern Art-Art Farmer

3/12: Village of the Pharaohs-Pharaoh Sanders

3/13: Creative Orchestra Music 1976-Anthony Braxton

3/14: Our Man in Paris-Dexter Gordon

3/15: A Circle Has No Beginning-Sameer Gupta

3/16: Apti-Indo-Pak Coalition

3/17: Folk Blues of Blind Lemon Jefferson-Blind Lemon Jefferson

3/18: Sarah Vaughan in Hifi-Sarah Vaughan

3/19: v2.0-GoGo Penguin

3/20: Chris Thile & Brad Meldhau-Chris Thile and Brad Meldhau

3/21: Proof Positive-JJ Thompson

3/22: Bags and Trane-John Coltrane

3/23: Extensions-McCoy Tyner

3/24: Garland of Red-Red Garland

3/25: Cross my Palm with Silver-Avishai Cohen

3/26: Everybody Digs Bill Evans-Bill Evans

3/27: Witches and Devils-Albert Ayler

3/28: Death to the Planet-The Comet is Coming

3/29: On Flute-Tenderloinious

3/30: The Other Side of the Sun-Sun Ra

3/31: Hoodoo Blues-Roots Magic

4/1: Ptah the El Daoud-Alice Coltrane

4/2: Lost Tapes: Early Chet-Chet Baker

4/3: A Letter of Soul-Ensemble Sinawi

4/4: Maës-Maës

4/5: New York, Fall 1974-Anthony Braxton

4/6: Where is Brooklyn-Don Cherry

4/7: What’s New-Sonny Rollins

4/8: Chorus-Eberhart Weber

4/9: Copper-Romain Pillon

4/10: Stardust The Music of Hoagie Carmichael-Bill Charlap

4/11: Journey to the Mountain of Forever [Disc 1]-Binker and Moses

4/12: Journey to the Mountain of Forever [Disc 2]-Binker and Moses

4/13: Fanfare-GoGo Penguin

4/14: Lush Life-John Coltrane

4/15: Miles-Miles Davis

4/16: Nérija-Nérija

4/17: 37 minutes and 48 Seconds-Sonny Stitt

4/18: The Musing of Miles-Miles Davis

4/19: The Bird and the Bee9-Sampa the Great

4/20: Shadow Work-Mammal Hands

4/21: Live-Terrance Blanchard and the E-Collective

4/22: Music IS-Bill Frisell

4/23: Rise and Rise Again-Shake Stew

4/24: Antiphon-Alfa Mist

4/25: Blues People-Logan Richardson

4/26: The Great American Songbook-Louis Armstrong

4/27: Kudu-Anteloper

4/28: Jazz time Paris-Gigi Grace and Clifford Brown

4/29: Volume 3-Lee Morgan

4/30: Fun Machine-Lake Street Dive

5/1: Code Girl [Disc 1]-Mary Halvorson

5/2: Code Girl [Disc 2]-Mary Halvorson

5/3: A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vangaurd [Disc 1]-Ambrose Akinmusire

5/4: A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vangaurd [Disc 2]-Ambrose Akinmusire

5/5: Tommy-Klein

5/6: Gomo Remandiriri-Mbira Dze Nharira

5/7: Kids on the Slope Original Soundtrack-Yoko Kanno

5/8: Madar-Jan Garbarek

5/9: III-Walter Smith III

5/10: The Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint-Ambrose Akinmusire

5/11: Embraceable You-Chet Baker

5/12: Portrait In Jazz-Bill Evans

5/13: Rising Grace-Wolfgang Muthspiel

5/14: Chris Dave and the Drumheadz-Chris Dave and the Drumheadz

5/15: Awase-Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin

5/16: The Dorothy Wallace Suite-Ran Blake and Kresten Osgood

5/17: Stan Getz in Stockholm-Stan Getz

5/18: Mingus Dynasty-Charles Mingus

5/19: Debut Rarities Vol 4-Charles Mingus

5/20: The Best of Bessie Smith-Bessie Smith

5/21: Sextant-Herbie Hancock

5/22: Ella and Louis Again-Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

5/23: The Source-Ali Farka Touré

5/24: Talking Mbira-Stella Chiweshe

5/25: Into the Silence-Avishai Cohen

5/26: IV-BadBadNotGood

5/27: The Return-Kamaal Williams

5/28: Mukashi-Abdullah Ibrahim

5/29: The Importance of Self-Belief-McKinley Dixon

5/30: Ben Webster and Associates-Ben Webster

5/31: Meditation Tapes-Marquis Hill

6/1: Down Home Style-Jack McDuff

6/2: Quench the Thirsty-Takht al-Nagham and Wajde Ayub*

6/3: Entre Cuerdas-Edmar Castaneda

6/4: Quiet Kenny-Kenny Dorham

6/5: Hudson-Hudson

6/6: Black Moon-Yazmin Lacey

6/7: In Movement-Jack Dejohnette

6/8: Misty-Sarah Vaughn

6/9: The Fabulous Fats Navarro Vol 2- Fats Navarro

6/10: Happysad-Kiefer

6/11: The Charles Mingus Quintet + Max Roach-Charles Mingus and Max Roach

6/12: Amore per tutti-Tredici Bacci

6/13: The Kid and the Brute-Ben Webster and Illinois Jacquet

6/14: Plays Solo Piano-Ran Blake

6/15: Here and Now-Sandro Dominelli

6/16: The Self-Richard Spaven

6/17: RVA All Day-No BS Brass

6/18: Coltrane Rules: Tao of a Music Warrior-Gary Bartz

6/19: Real Deal-David Murray & Milford Graves

6/20: Kulu Se Mama-John Coltrane

6/21: Puerta Del Sue-Bio Ritmo

6/22: Tredici Bacci Live in Concert*

6/23: Deluxe-The Crooked Trio

6/24: Joomanji-Manj

6/25: Heaven and Earth [Disc 1]-Kamasi Washington

6/26: Heaven and Earth [Disc 2]-Kamasi Washington

6/27: JunJun [Disc 1]-Shye Ben Tzur

6/28: William Parker Live in Concert*

6/29: JunJun [Disc 2]-Shye Ben Tzur

6/30: Somewhere InBetween Outtakes and Remixes-Braxton Cook

7/1: Grand Slam-Tomohiro Mori

7/2: Xordox Live in Concert*

7/3: Worktime-Sonny Rollins

7/4: Crisis-Amir ElSaffar

7/5: Dalida-Ibrahim Maalouf

7/6: Inana-Amir ElSaffar

7/7: Echolocations: Canyon-Andrew Bird

7/8: Gladwell-Julian Lage Group

7/9: Seraphic Light-Daniel Carter, William Parker, and Matthew Shipp

7/10: Thirteen Kisses-Tredici Bacci

7/11: Best Coast Jazz-Clifford Brown

7/12: Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, JJ Johnson-Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, JJ Johnson

7/13: Milford Graves Full Mantis*

7/14: More Study in Brown-Clifford brown

7/15: Kneedelous-Kneebody & Daedelous

7/16: Kleinod-Jan Roth

7/17: Music for the Films of Buster Keaton-Bill Frisell

7/18: The Painted Lady Suite-Michael Leonhart Orchestra

7/19: The Shakedown-Tenderlonious

7/20: Fire Brand-DB3

7/21: Tomorrow is the Question!-Ornette Coleman

7/22: The Art of Dying-Jason Ajemian

7/23: Social Music-Jon Batiste and Stay Human

7/24: To Pimp a Butterfly-Kendrick Lamar

7/25: The Late Show EP-Jon Batiste and Stay Human

7/26: L.O.W.-Jan Roth

7/27: United We Swing-Wynton Marsalis

7/28: Prototype-Reginald Chapman

7/29: Music for Saxophone and Bass Guitar-Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes

7/30: Love for Sale-Chet Baker

7/31: Children of the Light-Danilo Perez & Brian Blade

8/1: Preverbal-Matthew Stevens

8/2: Have we met?-Augie Haas

8/3: New Ground-Iris Ornig

8/4: Where we Come From-Makaya McCraven

8/5: Willow Weep for Me-Wes Montgomery

8/6: Africa-Ephat Mujuru

8/7: At Wally’s Volume 1-Jason Palmer

8/8: Fats Navarro Memorial Album-Fats Navarro

8/9: Booker Little-Booker Little

8/10: Ley Lines-Emma-Jean Thackray

8/11: Your Queen is a Reptile-Sons of Kemet

8/12: After hours at the London House-Sara Vaughn

8/13: Heptagon-Ivo Perelman

8/14: Duende-Avishai Cohen

8/15: Piano Sutras-Matthew Shipp

8/16: Electric Fruit-Mary Halvorson

8/18: Ethnic Stew and Brew-Roy Campbell Pyramid Trio

8/19: Trail of Tears-Jacques Coursil

8/20: The Blue Mountain’s Sun Drummer-Jason Palmer

8/21: At Wally’s Volume 2-Jason Palmer

8/22: Highly Rare-Makaya McCraven

8/23: Bass Horn-Blue Mitchell

8/24: Clameurs-Jacques Coursil

8/25: Live-Huntertones

8/26: Dreams and Daggers [Disc 1]-Cecile McLorin Salvant

8/27: Dreams and Daggers [Disc 2]-Cecile McLorin Salvant

8/28: Astronautilus-Get the Blessing

8/29: Way Ahead-Jacques Coursil Unit

8/30: Big Heart Machine-Big Heart Machine

8/31: Pretty Saro Live in Concert*

9/1: Dreamer-Joel Lyssarides

9/2: Preachin’-Gene Ammons

9/3: Staying in the Watch-Sonny Simmons

9/4: CI Opening Night Performance*

9/5: Hannibal in Antibes-Marvin Hannibal Peterson

9/6: Identité en Crescendo-Roce

9/7: I’m All for You-Joe Lovano

9/8: Lake Street Dive-Lake Street Dive

9/9: Places-Jan Garbarek

9/10: Energy Dreams-Rejoicer

9/11: Wisdom In Time-Wadada Leo Smith

9/12: Wende-Ran Blake

9/13: Firth, Fred/Wishart, Stevie/Kihlstedt, Carla-Fred Firth, Stevie Wishart and Carla Kihlstedt

9/14: Romaria-Andy Sheppard Quartet

9/15: Absolute Zero-Moses Boyd

9/16: I Can’t Be Satisfied: Early American Women Blues Singers (Vol 1 Country)-Various Artists

9/17: I Can’t Be Satisfied: Early American Women Blues Singers (Vol 2 Town)-Various Artists

9/18: 0181–00110100 01010100

9/19: John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman-John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

9/20: Afro-Dizzy Gillespie

9/21: Moment-Marcus Tenney Quartet

9/22: A HumDrum Star-Gogo Penguin

9/23: Unforgettable-Nat King Cole

9/24: When Harry Met Sally-Harry Connick, Jr.

9/25: An Evening with Billie Holiday-Billie Holiday

9/26: XXV-New Cool Collective

9/27: The Köln Concert [Disc 1]-Keith Jarret

9/28: Hollywood Africans-Jon Batiste

9/29: Love is Here to Stay-Tony Bennett & Diana Krall

9/30: Musica De America-Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan

10/1: Bill Dixon and Archie Shepp-Archie Shepp & Bill Dixon

10/2: Lucky Chops Live in Concert*

10/3: Shiroi-Mansur Brown

10/4: Ill Considered-Ill Considered

10/5: Charlie Parker with Strings-Charlie Parker

10/6: Ep 1-Ola Szmidt

10/7: Know what I mean-Cannonball Adderley

10/8: By a Little Light [Disc 1]-Matt Ulery

10/9: By a Little Light [Disc 2]-Matt Ulery

10/10: Blow-Donny McCaslin

10/11: The Modern Sound of Betty Carter-Betty Carter

10/12: Moonlight in Vermont-Betty Carter

10/13: Peggy’s Blue Skylight-Charles Mingus

10/14: Camden Sessions-Butcher Brown

10/15: Eternal Rhythm-Don Cherry

10/16: Unit Structures-Cecil Taylor

10/17: Here and Now-Don Cherry

10/18: Displaced Diasporas-Moses Boyd

10/19: Composition No 95 for 2 Pianos-Anthony Braxton

10/20: The New Breed-Jeff Parker

10/21: Free Your Mind-Amnesty

10/22: At Town Hall-Nina Simone

10/23: Haye Kambakht Too Ne/Unki Aankhon Ankhon Se Masti-Aziz Mian Qawwal & Others

10/24: Free Jazz-Ornette Coleman

10/25: Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun-Ben Lamar Gay

10/26: Lower East Suite Part 3-Onyx Collective

10/27: Freedom Suite-Sonny Rollins

10/28: Mønk-Thelonius Monk

10/29: In What Language-Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd

10/30: Kudu-Anteloper

10/31: Valley of Search-Alan Braufman

11/1: My Favorite Tune-Ryo Fukui

11/2: The Claudia Quintet-John Hollenbeck

11/3: Earfood-Roy Hargrove

11/4: All Ashore-Punch Brothers

11/5: Köln Concert [Disc 2]-Keith Jarret

11/6: Lebroba-Wadada Leo Smith

11/7: Point Of Departure-Andrew Hill

11/8: Why Not?-Marion Brown

11/9: Becoming-Mammal Hands

11/10: Tutankhamen-Art Ensemble of Chicago

11/11: Paradox Dreambox-Peter Gall

11/12: Possible Cube-Chicago Underground Trio

11/13: Pithecanthropus Erectus-Charles Mingus

11/14: Chet Baker in New York-Chet Baker

11/15: Music from the Gugak Center

11/16: Origami Harvest-Ambrose Akinmusire

11/17: The Awakening-Ahmad Jamal Trio

11/18: People of the Sun-Marcus Strickland Twi-Life

11/19: Reed Streams-Terry Riley

11/20: When the Heart Emerges Glistening-Ambrose Akimusire

11/21: Tredici Bacci Live at the Stone November 9,2018-Tredici Bacci

11/22: Zodiac-Mary Lou Williams

11/23: Short Life of Barbara Monk-Ran Blake

11/24: a jazz date with Chris Connor-Chris Connor

11/25: Ten-Jason Moran

11/26: Welcome to this World-MABUTO

11/27: Yo Soy La Tradicion-Miguel Zenon

11/28: The Dream Thief-Shai Maestro

11/29: Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!-Godspeed You! Black Emperor

11/30: Playing Bad and Looking Good Doing It*

12/1: A Day in the Life: Impressions of Pepper-Various Artists

12/2: Exchange-The Juju Exchange

12/3: Lower East Suite Part 2-Onyx Collective

12/4: Wax & Wane-Brandee Younger

12/5: Clameurs-Jacques Coursil

12/6: One-Ray Angry

12/7: Channel The Spirits-The Comet is Coming

12/8: Black Christ of the Andes-Mary Lou Williams

12/9: Universal Beings-Malaya McCraven

12/10: Por in Homme Seul-Pete Beardsworth

12/11: When we are-Nubiya Garcia

12/12: Where are your Branches-Oscar Jerome

12/13: A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Music of Vince Guaraldi

12/14: After the Jam Vol. 1-Marc Carey

12/15: Sifting Stars-Matt Ulery

12/16: Become Alive-Dace Harrington Group

12/17: Luciferian Towers-Godspeed! You Black Emperor

12/18: On the Chicago Scene-Max Roach

12/19: Coin Coin Chapter 1: Gens De Couleur Libres-Matana Roberts

12/20: Away with You-Mary Halverson Octet

12/21: Sélébéyone-Steve Lehman and Sélébéyone

12/22: The Nobuki Takamen Trio-Nobuki Takamen

12/23: Scandal-Joe Lovano

12/24: Conquistador!-Cecil Taylor

12/25: Brooklyn Babylon-Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society

12/26: The Other side of Air-Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret

12/27: 12 Little Spells-Esperanza Spalding

12/28: It’s Shape is your Touch-Wendy Eisenberg

12/29: Random Dances & (A)tonalities-Don Byron and Aruán Ortiz

12/30: Carlos Henriquez Nonet Live in Concert*

12/31: Prelude… To Cora-Ambrose Akinmusire

*Denotes a live performance