Dec 31 2019
Now up: Best Jazz on Bandcamp in 2019
And here we go.
It was pretty much an impossible task to cobble together a Best of 2019 list for Bandcamp, limited, as I was, to just 15 slots. Too many great recordings in 2019, too few opportunities to train a spotlight on them. Rather than do a typical ranking, I went with the approach of presenting a cohesive picture of the modern jazz landscape, a snapshot of its diversity and how that leads to new and exciting forms of expression… including many that leave the 1950’s bop sound far behind.
Some of these albums will be familiar to you from the monthly recommendations columns to already hit The Bandcamp Daily, but there are also a few that will be new to this column. 2019 was the best year ever, and this list is just a fraction of the evidence supporting that claim.
And on that note, let’s begin.
Follow this LINK to read those recommendations and listen to music from each album.
Check out past recommendations by running through my contributor archives.
Have fun going through the list!
Cheers.
Jan 22 2020
Best of 2019 #54: Trond Kallevag Hansen – “Bedehus & Hawaii”
There are so many different reasons a particular album will connect with me, and often, it’s more than one reason. It’s a joy to attempt to convey those emotions and thoughts in the written form, to bring the imagery in my head, heart, and soul to life on the page. But occasionally I encounter an album that is so damn beautiful in some ineffable way that all I want to do is simply type the words this is pure beauty over and over again. This is pure beauty this is pure beauty this is pure beauty this is pure beauty. Guitarist Trond Kallevåg Hansen has crafted an album that captures the Nordic countryside and the Pacific ocean shore, and he’s joined by musicians who have a talent at doing the same, especially fellow guitarist Geir Sundstøl, who, also, creates music of pure beauty and has left me equally captivated. 2019 has had its share of gorgeous recordings see the light of day, but perhaps none more oso than Bedehus & Hawaii. This is pure beauty. Sometimes that’s all that can be said, and really, there is nothing more that needs saying.
Your album personnel: Trond Kallevåg Hansen (guitar, electronics and field recordings), Ivar Myrset Asheim (drums and percussion), Alexander Hoholm (double bass), Geir Sundstøl (guitar, pedal steel, marxophone, optigan, xylophone) and Adrian Løseth Waade (violin).
Released on Hubro Music.
Music from Oslo, Norway.
I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.
Listen | Read more | Available at: Amazon – Bandcamp
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By davesumner • Recap: Best of 2019 • 0 • Tags: Best Jazz of 2019, Geir Sundstol, Hubro Music, Oslo, Trond Kallevåg Hansen