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John Kelman's Best Releases of 2014
2014 was another challenging year, with a personal health matter that began in early summer (thankfully finally diagnosed, non-life threatening and now being treated, though still waiting for signs of improvement) slowing down both travel and the usual breakneck writing in a significant way. Since the rule of this list is that any titles on it must have been reviewed, there are many releases that deserved consideration but are exempt because there was insufficient time to review them.
So, bearing that in mind, here are just a few of the top recorded events in jazz and beyond for 2014 (and in no particular order):
Jazz New Releases
Jazz Reissues and Historical Releases
Progressive/Fusion/Funk New Releases
Progressive/Fusion/Funk Reissues
New Discoveries (incl. new groups)
Beyond: Is It Jazz? Is It not? Does it really matter? New Releases
Beyond: Is It Jazz? Is It not? Does it really matter? Reissues
So, bearing that in mind, here are just a few of the top recorded events in jazz and beyond for 2014 (and in no particular order):
Jazz New Releases
 Stefano Bollani Joy In Spite Of Everything (ECM) |  Pat Metheny Kin (Nonesuch) |  Brian Blade Landmarks (Blue Note) |
 Christine Jensen Habitat (Justin Time) |  Norma Winstone Dance Without Answer (ECM) |  Marius Neset Lion (ACT) |
 Robin Eubanks KLassik RocK Vol. 1 (Artistshare) |  Tord Gustavsen Extended Circle (ECM) |  David Binney Anacapa (Criss Cross) |
 Arild Andersen Mira (ECM) |  Saxophone Summit Visitation (Artistshare) |  Mike Pope Cold Truth Warm Heart (19/8) |
 Steve Khan Subtext (Tone Center) |  Keith Jarrett/Charlie Haden Last Dance (ECM) |  Tom Guarna Rush (BJU) |
Jazz Reissues and Historical Releases
 Jon Hassell City: Works of Fiction (All Saints) |  Keith Jarrett Hamburg '72 (ECM) |  Miles Davis Miles at Fillmore (Legacy) |
 Miroslav Vitous Miroslav Vitous Group (ECM) |  Jaco Pastorius Modern American Music (Omnivore) |  Ralph Towner/John Abercrombie Five Years Later (ECM) |
Progressive/Fusion/Funk New Releases
 John McLaughlin Boston Record (Abstract Logix) |  sPacemoNkey The Karman Line (Hubro) |  Sonar Static Motion (Cuneiform) |
 Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen Enfant Terrible (Rune Grammofon) |  InterStatic Arise (RareNoiseRecords) |  Tim Bowness Abandoned Dancehall Dreams (Inside Out) |
Progressive/Fusion/Funk Reissues
 King Crimson Starless (Panegyric) |  Led Zeppelin 2014 Remasters (Atlantic) |  Yes The Yes Album (Panegyric) |
New Discoveries (incl. new groups)
 Jon Cowherd Mercy (ArtistShare) |  Brad Mehldau/Mark Guiliana Mehliana: Taming the Dragon (Nonesuch) |  Claudio Fasoli London Tube (Abeat) |
 Medeski, Martin & Wood/Nels Cline Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 2 (Woodstock Sessions) |  David Virelles Mbókò (ECM) |  Wolfgang Muthspiel Driftwood (ECM) |
Beyond: Is It Jazz? Is It not? Does it really matter? New Releases
 Arve Henriksen The Nature of Connections (Rune Grammofon) |  Erik Honore Heliographs (Hubro) |  Anja Lechner/Francois Couturier Moderato Cantabile (ECM) |
 Susanna and Ensemble NeoN The Forester (Susanna Sonata) |  Nils Petter Molvaer Switch (Okeh) |  Solveig Slettahjell/Various Artists Norwegian Woods (ACT) |
Beyond: Is It Jazz? Is It not? Does it really matter? Reissues
 Manfred Eicher/Various Artists Selected Signs III-VIII (ECM) |  Mike Bloomfield From His Head... (Legacy) |  Paul Simon Complete Albums Collection (Legacy) |
Tags
Best of / Year End
John Kelman
Canada
Ottawa
Stefano Bollani
pat metheny
Brian Blade
Christine Jensen
norma winstone
marius neset
Robin Eubanks
Tord Gustavsen
David Binney
Arild Andersen
Saxophone Summit
Mike Pope
Steve Khan
Keith Jarrett
Charlie Haden
Tom Guarna
Jon Hassell
Miles Davis
Miroslav Vitous
Jaco Pastorius
Ralph Towner
John Abercrombie
john mclaughlin
sPacemoNkey
Sonar
Hedvig Mollestad
Tim Bowness
King Crimson
Led Zeppelin
Yes
Jon Cowherd
brad mehldau
Mark Guiliana
Claudio Fasoli
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Nels Cline
David Virelles
Wolfgang Muthspiel
Arve Henriksen
Erik Honore
Anja Lechner
Francois Couturier
Nils Petter Molvaer
Solveig Slettahjell
Manfred Eicher
Mike Bloomfield
Paul Simon
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