Top Five for 2005

Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks
Sigur Ros - Takk

yeah, just those two

Coast to Coast/ Red Holloway; A nice tight set from someone who just disappeared. Dr. Lonnie Smith comes along for the ride,alot of bangin goin on here.

I'm a Bluesman/ Johnny Winter; Nice to see Johnny back in the scene. Has some really nice blues on this offering.

R and G The Masterpiece/ Snoop Dogg; Whomever sequed this offering got the uninspired songs out of the way early and that includes the single "Drop it Like its Hot". After that there isn't a bad song on this CD, Snoops best since his debut Doggystyle.

Peter Green/ The Splinter Group; After finding Religion this master of the ax has been in and out of one Asylum after another. Here he comes back with a set featuring 2 studio songs and the rest a tight varied live set that is sure to please anyone who enjoys the blues. It's true Nigel Watson handles most of the guitar work but Greens vocals are what you'd expect from his journey through life; tortured, and his harp playing isn't bad either.

Love/ Love; Their debut album on Sundazed 180 gram vinyl sounds so good IMS. This bands early stuff is as good as anything The Kinks or The Who were churning out at this period of time.

My top 5 discoveries, in no order of preference;
Tord Gustavsen Trio - The Ground
Connie Evingson - Let It Be Jazz: Connie Evingson Sings the Beatles
Jim Tomlinson - Brazilian Sketches
Rad Katoneff - Fairytales
Jacqui Naylor - Live East/West: Birdland/Yoshi's
Enjoy...........

1) The Hold Steady, "Separation Sunday"
2) Go-Betweens, "Ocean's Apart"
3) Sleater-Kinney, "The Woods"
4) Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
5) Bob Mould, "Body of Song"

I'm posting a second time here, this time for my top 5 Jazz finds this year. Each one of these really shines on my system:
1. (Female Vocals): Dianne Reeves - "Good Night, and Good Luck"
2. (Smooth Jazz): Kirk Whalum - "Babyface Songbook"
3. (Jazz): Charles Lloyd - "The Water is Wide"
4. (Live): Mary Stallings - "Live at the Village Vanguard"
5. (Other): Steely Dan - "Gaucho" (sorry, it's a classic I rediscover each year)