John Kelman's Best Releases of 2014

By JOHN KELMAN
December 17, 2014
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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

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)