#207 All That Jazz
Hey folks!
I hope your 1989 albums research is going well! We’re still a few weeks out from nominations, so still time to dive into a genre and come back and tell us what’s good.
Longtime Best Album Brackets enthusiast Brian Glaser dove into 1989 jazz and he’s found five albums for us to listen to. Here they are, in his own words. I’ve included YouTube links in the title of each.
John Zorn, SPY VS SPY: Like hardcore punk but wish it was played by a free jazz quintet? 2 saxophones, 2 drummers, 1 bass player going super-hard and super-short on Ornette Coleman tunes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_vs_Spy_(album)
Dave Holland Quartet, EXTENSIONS: Guitarist Kevin Eubanks (long before he led Leno's Tonight Show band) adds extra muscle to a band led by bass player Dave Holland, a Brit who anchored some key Miles Davis' key electric recordings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensions_(Dave_Holland_album)
Don Cherry, ART DECO: A free jazz originator (Don Cherry played trumpet in Ornette Coleman's quartet and played on the FREE JAZZ LP) decides to play it more or less right down the middle, but can't help sounding like himself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Deco_(album)
Keith Jarrett Trio, CHANGELESS: Is piano man Keith Jarrett influencing The Necks here, or did The Necks influence Keith, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette to embrace iterative repetition? We'll never know. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeless_(album)
Bill Frisell, BEFORE WE WERE BORN: In this era, guitarist Bill Frisell described his style as "Jim Hall meets Jimi Hendrix," which isn't a bad way to open your ears to this early-ish recording, when he was both jazzier and more avant-rockish than the sound he'd later evolve to. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Before_We_Were_Born
On Bluesky, I intended to, every day, post a 1989 album I’m nominating. Like a lot of things, that’s fallen apart. I managed to get 10 out, but as of this writing I’m 7 behind. Here’s the 10 I posted about with Spotify links, and look for another newsletter this week with the catch-up remainder. Please give these a listen and consider nominating them!
Cats in Boots, KICKED & KLAWED [L.A. Sunset Strip-style hair metal]
Pop Will Eat Itself, THIS IS THE DAY… THIS IS THE HOUR… THIS IS THIS! [UK hiphop/dance/sampledelica with light industrial touches]
Renegade Soundwave, SOUNDCLASH [Dance with light industrial touches; this may be 1990, stay tuned]
Godflesh, STREETCLEANER [Industrial metal]
Chris Isaak, HEART SHAPED WORLD [Rockabilly, Roy Orbison-esque]
Tom Petty, FULL MOON FEVER [tom petty]
The Wonder Stuff, HUP [Alt/power pop]
Repulsion, HORRIFIED (Disc 1 only) [Grindcore, death metal]
Nitzer Ebb, BELIEF [Industrial, electronic body music]
Shelleyan Orphan, CENTURY FLOWER [Chamber pop]
Thanks for reading and listening!
Kent