1) Brad Mehldau, “Your Mother Should Know” / The best songs stand up to varied interpretations, revealing their layers, their dimensions and depths. And the best interpreters know how to make even the most well-loved catalog sound original. What a wealth of riches then to have a generational jazz talent like Brad Mehldau approach the work of the Beatles. These songs (from “I Am the Walrus” to “Golden Slumbers”) ring with life, befitting both the spirit of their creation and their endless relevance.
2) Black Belt Eagle Scout, “The Land, The Water, The Sky” / Katherine Paul’s rare talent comes through in abundant measure on the latest Black Belt Eagle Scout record. Paul creates a sound as atmospheric and all-encompassing as the album’s title might suggest. These songs carry Paul’s connections to her Swinomish roots, adorning her story and the stories beyond her with the beauty they deserve.
3) James Brandon Lewis, “Eye of I” / Already a leading jazz record of 2023, the saxophonist’s new effort is a kaleidoscope, swirling and full of color. Lewis’ tone is supple and resonant; his compositional style is deeply refreshing. This is such a satisfying musical statement.
4) Narrow Head, “Moments of Clarity” / The new record from this Texas outfit has all the heavy clouds and sunburst melodies of great ‘90s rock records with an of-the-moment grasping for something else that is immediately, consistently compelling.
5) Stephen Markley, “Ohio” / I can’t shake Markley’s 2018 novel, which does lyrical heart surgery on small-town America. All of Markley’s characterizations, as well as his tragically romantic descriptions of Midwest landscapes and communal life, prove staggering. But the first chapter is an intro just beneath the level of DeLillo’s “Underworld” and the crescendo into coda is as breathtaking as they come. Talent in service of great pain and glimpses of hope here.