What did you listen to most in 2007?

[AndrewHill]

New discoveries that got a lot of listening time in 2007:

Cooper-Moore. He had a string of really strong releases and 2007 was the year where I spent a lot of time digging his music. Seeing Triptych Myth live a few months back was definitely a highlight.

Right on! Me too. For me, the best discovery of 2007. I've been really enjoying his Hopscotch records, especially the solo disks and his collaborations with William Parker/In Order to Survive.

[MagicAlex61]

I know that most have you have probably covered this ground before now but 2007 was the year for me to discover David Murray.

Highlights:

We Is: Live At The Bop Shop (with Kahil El'Zabar)

Ballads For Bass Clarinet

Murray's Steps

Death Of A Sideman

Sacred Ground

And many, many more....and surely more to come in 2008!

Good to find another Murray fan here.

And one of the great things about Murray is that there's just so many titles out there to listen too! The man certainly has a rich catalogue!

[NaturalSoul]

Animal Collective (but not the POS that came out this year),

The Panda Bear album?

[Guest Bill Barton]

Damn near everything else I listened to was the result of a moral mandate.

...do you folks listen with a "purpose", or recreationally? No "right" answer, just wondering...

When I think again about how much I listened to recorded music in 2007 and what percentage of that listening was primarily "recreational" it's a bit daunting. A huge percentage was of new recordings to review. I'd like to block out some time in 2008 for "fun" listening as opposed to auditioning for airplay or print reviews.

There were some "discoveries" though. I'd read about Joe Harriott for years but never heard his music until 2007. I bought a copy of the Collectables reissue of Indo Jazz Fusions and am now hooked in a big way and have been searching out other albums. The British jazz and improv scene in general was something of a passion in 2007. Previously the only musicians with whom I was relatively familiar were Tubby Hayes and Stan Tracey. And hearing John Butcher in performance was an eye and ear opener...

[Hoppy T. Frog]

The Joe Harriott reissues on Redial: Abstract and Free Form were probably the two jazz albums I listened to most this year.

[mikeweil]

Lots of Cal Tjader due to the discography research I'm involved in.

Everything else changes all the time.

[montg]

I know that most have you have probably covered this ground before now but 2007 was the year for me to discover David Murray.

Highlights:

We Is: Live At The Bop Shop (with Kahil El'Zabar)

Ballads For Bass Clarinet

Murray's Steps

Death Of A Sideman

Sacred Ground

And many, many more....and surely more to come in 2008!

Good to find another Murray fan here.

And one of the great things about Murray is that there's just so many titles out there to listen too! The man certainly has a rich catalogue!

I purchased my first Murray CD this year--Octet plays Trane--and it's been in heavy rotation since. Somehow the octet mangaes to fuse looseness and structure, it's really powerful. The music is more accessible than I thought it might be.

This was the year of the jazz guitar for me, an instrument that was on my periphery in the past. Unexpectedly, the Brookmeyer Select was a catalyst, I really enjoyed Raney and Jim Hall on those sessions. From there it was Tal Farlow Mosaic...game, set, match. I'm hooked. I can't imagine anyone not being moved by the beauty and brilliance of that set. I've also learned to appreciate the openess and clarity of a rhythm section where the guitar is the only chordal instrument. I've been seeking out more music lately with this configuration (Chico Hamilton, Paul Desmond-Jim Hall, Charles Lloyd ECMs and so forth).