Top Five for 2005

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl
Foo Fighters: In Your Honor
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals: Cold Roses
Mike Doughty: Haughty Melodic
Social Distortion: Sex, Love, and Rock & Roll

Teajay-

Finally got a copy Kenny Barron's "Perfect Set" live at Bradley's. Great call. Thanks. - Dan

Chris Squire/Nardelli' Syndestructibles

Maia Sharp's Upstanding Citizen

Judith Owen's last release (cant remember the name)

Richard Thompson's Front Parlour Ballads (at least I bought it 2005)

I cant think of a 5th one.sorry

So, I can't keep it to five, but I (think I) can keep it to single digits:

Tord Gustavsen Trio, "The Ground"
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane, "At Carnegie Hall"
Jackson Browne, "Solo Acoustic, vol. 1"
The Waifs, "A Brief History"
Alan Broadbent, "You and the Night and the Music"
Morphine, "The Night"
Cowboy Junkies, "Early 21st Century Blues"
Everything But The Girl, "Acoustic"
Kenny Barron Trio, "Perfect Set"
Patti Smith, "Trampin'"

Oops, so that's double digits. But just barely. I'm just not good at narrowing these things down. And yes, I do have eclectic taste. Why do you ask? :-)

Happy Listening

I buy about 10 CD/SACDs per month I guess, but a majority was released prior to 2005, I think...and at times I get a bit confued what was orginally released when...so working from memory for just 2005 in no particular order (& excluding SACDs as the original music has been available)

1. Tim Ries: The Rolling Stone Project: jazz interpretations of the Stones! With Charlie Watts, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, John Scofield, Larry Golding, Sheryl Crow, Keith Richards, John Patitucci..simply amazing

2. Steve Kuhn: Trance: release of 1975 recording...has been out of print for years: jazz+ electronica before its time and current craze and done way better

3. Toto Bonka Lokua: spare instrumental backing a trio of amazing voices..great test record as well...almost acapella, african, carribean, even blues influences.

4. Oz Noy: Ha!: If you like SVR, Jimi Hendrix, etc, you'll like this

5. Joshua Redman: Momentum: finally gets his version of funk jazz right

6. Robert Plant and The Strange Sensation:Might Rearranger: vastly underrated, best solo effort in yrs.

7. Martin, Medeski & Wood: End of World Party: the best of jam band music and their own best album to date IMO

8. Jeff Parker: The Relatives: Jazz gtr by someone who was brought up on chill, hip-hop, experimental..well sounds like that way, angular solos are quite interesting..and has his own identity and thus uniquness as an artist..perfer to Tortoise in which he is band member

9. Bill Connors: Return: yes that one...from Chick Corea's Return To Forever...very well recorded and "fusion" done with a swing

Hey, I kept it to single digits!