This was an amazing year with a number of innovative and revolutionary releases that made it very difficult to choose. I spent many days narrowing the best records of 2014 down to fifteen: Josh Sinton’s Ideal Bread – Beating the Teens (Cuneiform) Travis Laplante’s Battle Trance – Palace of Wind (NNA Tapes) Rodrigo Amado Motion
Interview with Matthew Shipp via email, March 14-20, 2014 For a Japanese translation, see here. Cisco Bradley: What new direction does Root of Things (Relative Pitch, released March 2014) represent for your trio with Michael Bisio and Whit Dickey? Matthew Shipp: I don’t know if new direction is the right term—maybe more intense integration is
Ted Brown & Kirk Knuffke – Pound Cake (Steeplechase, 2012) Fay Victor Ensemble – Absinthe & Vermouth (Greene Avenue Music, 2013) William Hooker – Black Mask (Knitting Factory Records, 2002) Carl Maguire – Floriculture (Challenge Records, 2005) Peter Evans Quartet – self-titled (Firehouse 12, 2007) William Parker & ICI Ensemble – Winter Sun Crying (NEOS
William Hooker Engine Records (CD) Recorded at Roulette, Brooklyn, Feb 20, 2013; mixed and mastered by Steven Walcott; letterpress design by Anjali Grant Personnel: William Hooker (drums) David Soldier (violin, banjo, guitar) Roy Campbell (trumpet, pocket trumpet, flute) Track List: Reflector of the Truth Bike Lane Snowflakes Seat of Green Slippers For Leroy…1 Rainwater For
Playlist for the past week: William Hooker – The Firmament Fury (Silkheart, 1989) Transit (J. Arnal, S. Misterka, R. Radding, N. Wooley) – self-titled (Clean Feed, 2005) William Hooker – Tibet (Ummo, 1996) William Hooker – Hard Time (Squealer, 2001) Bojan Vuletic (Recomposing Art: performed by N. Wooley & Mivos Quartet) – Atemwende (Ignoring Gravity,
Hag – Moist Areas (Eh? Records, 2012) Ingrid Laubrock & Liam Noble – Let’s Call This … (Babel Label, 2006) Peter Evans Quartet – Live in Lisbon (Clean Feed, 2010) William Hooker Quartet – Lifeline (Silkheart, 1988) William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra – Raincoat in the River, vol. 1: ICA Concert
