Stuff I liked...

Even more than other stuff I liked.

I enjoyed most of the CDs I bought in 2005 (and skipped writing about the few I didn't enjoy) and I'm not much for best-of-the-year lists anyway. Who's to say, music preference being one of the more personal of things? My own feelings about various disks can change with each listen. But here are 13 (a baker's dozen as the old saying goes, plus I was born on Friday the 13th so I like the number, unlike most people) I liked a lot and still do. Your mileage may vary.

1) Ian Ballamy and Stian Carstensen, "The Little Radio," Sound Recordings. Two guys, a sax and a button accordion make great music with an amazingly big sound.
2) Jamie Baum, "Moving Forward, Standing Still," Omnitone. Sophisticated septet session that reveals a new twist every play.
3) Dawn Clement, "Hush," Conduit Records. Power piano playing with Bad Plus sensibility, classical chops.
4) Henry Grimes, "Henry Grimes Trio Live at the Kerava Jazz Festival," Ayler. Marvelous return by long-lost bassist who played with everybody from Benny Goodman to Albert Ayler before 30-year hiatus.
5) Iswhat?!, "You Figure it Out...," Hyena. Somebody needs to fuse jazz and hip-hop and these guys may be showing the way.
6) Vijay Iyer, "Reimagining," Savoy Jazz. Jazz may have found its next Monk, stunning and complex music.
7) Jonas Kullhammar, "Snake City North," Moserobie Music Production. Swede with Rollins-like kung fu fronts fine big band.
8) Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane, "Thelonius Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall," Blue Note. CD from rediscovered tape in Library of Congress storage like finding a Rembrandt.
9) David Murray, "Waltz Again," Justin Time. Third stream goodness classical music and big band, chamber, free and hard bop jazz fans alike should dig.
10) Sonny Rollins, "Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert," Milestone/Concord. Welcome and heartfelt live recording from master improviser.
11) Woody Shaw, "Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard," Columbia. Live date around the time of his landmark "Rosewood" studio recording adds excellent disk to the too few available from trumpet great.
12) John Tchicai, "Big Chief Dreaming," Soul Note. Proof that jazz continues to advance and that freely improvised jazz can be accessible.
13) Miguel Zenon, "Jibaro," Marsalis Music/Rounder. Super young saxophonist takes a big step in his evolution using rhythms of his Puerto Rican home.

Peace and best wishes for the new year!