Your Top Five for 2003

-Geez, there's no way to amputate it down to five without some kind of torture or some pretty convincing threats (it's not gonna happen by email). It's probably just plain stupid to hope that this listing could help the following musicians get listened to a little more, but (no foolin') all of these are real good:

Patrick Cress, Telepathy/Liberate the Radio Stations

D'Angaro, Glerum, Bennink/Sandjutters

Absolute Zero/Crashing Icons

Berithiaume, Bailey, Frith/Soshin

Scott Ray Quintet/Active Vapor Recovery

Erik Friedlander/Quake

Charlie Kohlhase Quintet/Play Free Or Die

Jack West and Curvature/Around About Now

Lucas Niggli>Zoom/Rough Ride

David Fiuczynski/Kif

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky/Gigantic

Bendian, Gauthier, Liebig, Stinson/Bone Structure

Beirach, Hubner, Mraz/Round About Monteverdi (Not as corny as you might think, and the 1923 rosewood Hamburg Steinway on this one will send most audiophile recordings crawling for a place to hide).

Jacques Chanier Trio/Quilt

The Vandermark 5/Airports For Light

Pablo Ablanedo Octet/Alegria

Thinking Plague/History of Madness

Married Couple/Looks Like A Pie To Me

Upper Left Trio/Cycling

Frank Gratkowski Quartet/Spectral Reflections

Go-Go Fightmaster/Go-Go Fightmaster (i know dumb name, but this stuff really is the super depraved high quality twisted science fiction avant jazz rock poop that you've always wanted).

I've only got the top three, but they are great to listen to (especially when I'm home alone and I can turn it up)!

#1 Vocal Jazz: Dianne Reeves "A little Moonlight"
#2 Rock: Steely Dan "Everything Must Go"
#3 Instrumental: Windham Hill "Sounds of Wood & Steel 3"

Awesome stuff.

Mahalo to everyone for sharing their picks!

Aloha

Roscoe Mitchell - "Snurdy McGurdy and Her Dancing Shoes" (Nessa)
Faruq Z. Bey w/ Northwoods Improvisers - "Ashirai Pattern" (entropy stereo records)
Griot Galaxy - "Live at the D. I. A. 1983" (entropy stereo records)
Dennis Gonzalez New Southern Quintet - "Old Time Revival" (entropy stereo records)
William Parker Violin Trio - "Scrapbook" (Thirsty Ear)

I'm sure a year from now my list will be totally revised, but for the moment...

Radiohead: Hail to the Thief
Broken Social Scene: You Forgot it in People
Jeff Buckley: Live at Sine (Deluxe)
Yo La Tengo: Summer Sun
!!!: Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard

Not a very strong year in my opinion but I still haven't heard a lot of stuff that's supposed to be good (Califone, Unicorns, The Rapture, Strokes, etc.)

However, the reissue of Marquee Moon made me aware of a classic that had up to that point gone unnoticed.