Music of 2021

That time of year again, when I look back over the past 12 months from a musical perspective - or what passes for music in my warped imagination!

 

It doesn't need to be said - but I'll say it anyway - that 2021 has been another difficult year for music and musicians, though I have managed to get to a few live events this year, including Hannah Moule & the Moulettes, and a female-fronted (ooh err...) covers band by the name of Led Zeppelina at my local pub, The Greystones, here in Sheffield, and some excellent jazz gigs by Fergus McReadie, George Crowley and Yazz Ahmed, organised by Sheffield Jazz at Crookes Club. The first of these, in July, was my first live music since November 2019. And there was also HRH Prog X, also here in Sheffield, with some excellent sets particularly from Franck Carducci, Arthur Brown, and Colosseum.

Fergus McReadie Trio

Chris Farlowe with Colosseum

I've managed to amass 93 albums released this year, a number boosted by having joined the broadcasting team at Progzilla Radio during the year, presenting a monthly show for 2 hours on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month, sharing some of my musical favourites and discoveries. The show tends to reflect my own preferences, so is dominated by jazz, Progressive rock and Classic Rock.

I've drifted more, over the past few years, towards the jazzier side of the musical spectrum, and this is reflected in the albums I've purchased and acquired during the past 12 months. When it comes to ranking them in any order, this proves, year on year, to be more and more difficult, but there have been some albums that I have returned to more often than others... but more on them to come.

Here's an alphabetic list of 45 albums that have resonated with me over the year:

Lee Abraham     Only Human
Accordo dei Contrari       UR-
Alco Frisbass      Le Mystere du Gue Pucelle
Argos    The Other Life
Big Big Train        Common Ground
Cosmograf          Rattrapante
Graham Costello              Second Lives
Miles Davis         The Lost Concert
Elephant9            Arrival of the New Elders
The Emerald Dawn          To Touch The Sky
Floating Points  Promises
Fractal Mirror    Beyond Borders
Hasse Froberg Musical Companion           We Are The Truth
Frost*   Day and Age
Garden of Live Flowers  Sticky, Sweet and Dirty
Glacier  Isalnd In The Sky
Steve Hackett    Surrender of Silence
Daniel Herskedal              Harbour
John Holden       Circles In Time
Dave Holland      Another Land
Iron Maiden       Senjutsu
Kalman Filter      Moons of Neptune
Gary Kemp          In Solo
Lazuli     Dénudé
Amanda Lehmann           Innocence and Illusion
Lifesigns               Altitude
John McLaughlian            Liberation Time
Fergus McReadie             Cairn
Pat Metheny     Side Eye NYC V1.IV
Mobius Strip       Time Lag
Monarch Trail     Wither Down
Nova Casade      Back From The Brink
Octarine Sky       Close to Nearby
Pasajero Luminoso          Pujol
Chris Potter        Sunrise Reprise
Ske         Insolubilia
Tom Slatter         Escape
Slowly Rolling Camera    Where The Streets Lead
Smalltape            The Hungry Heart
Gerard Smith     Lullabies in an Ancient Tongue
Snowpoet           Wait For Me
Soup      Visions
Three Colours Dark          Love's Lost Property
Trifecta    Fragments
Steven Wilson   The Future Bites

... and if there was to be a Top 5 for the year - in reverse alphabetical order:

Theo Travis - Songs From The Apricot Tree

An evocative and stunning work with Theo where he uses an Armenian Duduk, and ancient double-reed instrument made from a single piece of wood from the apricot tree. Mainly instrumental pieces, he includes a version of David Sylvian's 'Brilliant Trees', sung by the sadly late David Longdon.

Tillison Reingold Tiranti - Allium: Una Storia

A homage to a band whose day never came - a band that Andy Tillison heard in a camp in Italy in the 1970s and whose life was changed as a result - lovingly presented in RPI-style by Andy, Jonas Reingold & Roberto Tiranti.

James Francies - Purest Form

Francies is a young American keyboard playerwho has come to the fore in the jazz world over the past few years, working with Chris Potter and Pat Metheny (both of whose albums on which he appears featuring above). This is his second solo album, and shows a rich and rewarding diversity of style and dynamic throughout.

Rachel Flowers - Bigger on The Inside

Quite simply an outstanding piece of work from a young lady who does not let her blindness hold her back in terms of dexterity and virtuosity. A stunning collection from an amazing and talented multi-instrumentalist who I have no doubt will go from strength to strength in the coming years.

Nick Fletcher - Cycles of Behaviour

I have had the pleasure of seeing Nick play many times of the last few year, both as a member of the John Hackett Band and as a solo performer, chiefly on classical guitar. On this, his first rock solo offering, Nick demonstrates his obvious skill in rock, blues and jazz rock in songs and tunes self-penned and in colaboration with John Hackett. John's brother, Steve, says that "Nick... is probably the best jazz rock guitarist in the country. His fluency is astounding... I consider [him] to be an absolute star.", and I have to say that I agree.

So, that's my take on 2021 musically. But what do you think? What have I missed? Let me know, either here or on Facebook.

Here's to 2022!