Best of 2023 | Best albums | Best songs | Irish albums | Best Of Podcasts | Guest lists |
Despite being raised in Vermont, the artist Sam Amidon has a long-standing affinity to Irish folk music alongside his keen interest in American ballads, folk, work songs, and hymns. Amidon offers his own imaginative takes on traditional songs with his voice, fiddle, banjo, and guitar, and his output amounts to seven solo albums on labels such as Bedroom Community and Nonesuch Records.
You should see him live when you can.
See his tour dates at his website.
Sam kindly shared ten of his favourites this year.
Matana Roberts
I Have Long Been Fascinated
Coin Coin Chapter 5: In The Garden is the latest chapter of an evolving series of albums investigating saxophonist / composer / singer / multidisciplinary artist Matana Roberts’ family history, and America’s, and beyond. Each album builds and expands on the previous volumes.
This chapter was recorded live in the studio with a fantastic group of musicians including two of my back-in-the-day bandmates from the band Stars Like Fleas, Ryan Sawyer on drums and Matt Lavelle, on bass clarinet / woodwinds. I am also partial to this and the previous volume of Coin Coin (Chapter 4) because they both include brilliant improvising violinists: Mazz Swift on this iteration, and Hannah Marcus on Chapter 4.
I love the flow of these records, and the powerful ensemble playing (with a lot of room given to the individual musicians’ personalities), balanced with Roberts’ central artistic vision. The ensemble, under Roberts’ conduction and composition, flows effortlessly from avant-garde jazz, to drones, to folkloric elements that are deeply interconnected with the storytelling of the album (such as the reference to Black fife and drum traditions in an early section). I also love the way they integrate spoken word into this music – it feels truly integrated into the flow of the music in a way that feels natural and heightens the listener’s attention to the sound of the voice and the words being carried.
Brighde Chaimbeul
Uguviu (ii)
Brighde Chaimbeul is one of the heaviest musicians in the world today.
Tony Linnane
Kit O’Mahony’s / The Leitrim Jig
Tony Linnane is a legendary and underrated fiddle player from County Clare. I grew up with the classic duo album Noel Hill and Tony Linnane frequently playing on my Discman, and I have always loved his lyrical and crystal-clear playing. He sounds as great as ever on this beautiful new album. I especially love the two tracks featuring my hero Mary Bergin (whose legendary solo album Feadóga Stáin from 1979 hits harder than anything except for the first Wu Tang Clan record) on pennywhistle.
DRAKE
IDGAF
If you’ve heard the new Drake song IDGAF on the radio, and you are an ECM jazz fan, the first minute will be familiar – the trumpet playing is Kenny Wheeler, who is on my song ‘I Wish I Wish’, in his trio with the legendary British singer Norma Winstone and the pianist John Taylor. Their trio is called Azimuth. Here is the original song, in its entirety.
Eyvind Kang and Jessika Kenney
Eclipse
This is a long-running duo between the legendary viola player Kang and singer Kenney. They play in intense unison, a microtonal shared musical language built on their respective studies of various musical traditions including experimental composition and improvisation, Persian music and other forms. I first attended a concert of this music about 16 years ago and they’ve only strengthened their musical connection over time. It’s some of the deepest music you’ll ever hear.
Keith Murphy
Un Canadien errant
Keith Murphy is a folk singer and guitarist / mandolinist / pianist from my home town of Brattleboro, Vermont. Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, he takes inspiration from singers such as Paul Brady and Andy Irvine, but brings that influence to the music of the Eastern seaboard including French Canadian, Newfoundland and Vermont songs. We played for many years together in the contradance band Popcorn Behavior and he is one of my favourite musicians – check out this beautiful arrangement of a French Canadian folksong.
Chief Adjuah
Xodokan Iko
This is a rendition of the New Orleans song ‘Iko Iko’ by Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, from his album of music connecting New Orleans and West African musical and ritual traditions. It’s such a powerful record and I love the sound and rhythm of this song, I usually have to go back and listen to it three or four times in a row at least.
Meshell Ndegeocello
Perceptions (feat. Jason Moran)
Meshell Ndegeocello is truly a musician’s musician. Her musicianship is so total – a virtuoso on electric bass whose albums are centered around her gorgeous voice and songwriting, and her collaborations with other great musicians. At this point she has so many classic albums – some of my other favourites are Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape and Devil’s Halo. This album gives a lot of space to the musicians she’s gathered her around her, and I love this brief but beautiful duet with one of my favourite pianists, Jason Moran.
Ruth Garbus
Healthy Gamer
Ruth Garbus is an underground legend of Brattleboro, Vermont. She’s on another wavelength. Her music speaks for itself. Check it out.
Norman Willmore
Hell Among The Yearlings / Goaway Bird
I’m cheating for my tenth choice because this came out in 2021. But I heard it for the first time this summer. Norman Willmore is an alto saxophonist from Shetland Islands who has made what is pretty much my dream album – a record of folk fiddle tunes, but played by a pianoless jazz quartet in the style of Ornette Coleman’s first ensemble, and featuring a fiery connection with the trumpet player Christos Stylianides. It’s blazing !!!
See all Guestlist of 2023 choices
Best of 2023 | Best albums | Best songs | Irish albums | Best Of Podcasts | Guest lists |
