BeatCaffeine’s Favorite Albums of 2019
This was an incredible year for new album releases that spanned a wide range of genres. I even felt at times it was hard to keep track of all the great new music that was being released on weekly basis. Selecting my favorite albums was extremely challenging, yet still very enjoyable. I’m sure in weeks or even days from now, I will realize that I forgotten to include a worthy release, or discover an album that might of slipped by me.
With that being said, in my best effort, here are BeatCaffeine’s favorite albums of 2019.
15. Sarah Tandy – ‘Infection In The Sentence’
(Jazz Re:freshed)
Jazz Re:freshed continues it’s run of breakthrough releases with the brilliant debut from London-based pianist Sarah Tandy. Joined by members of KOKOROKO, SEED Ensemble, and Ezra Collective, the six-track recording highlights Tandy’s diversity as both a pianist and composer, fusing together hard bop-influenced melodies and structures, with hints of Afrobeat, dub, and jazz-funk.
14. Marcos Valle – ‘Sempre’
(Far Out Recordings)
13. The Mauskovic Dance Band – ‘s/t’
(Soundway)
The Amsterdam five-piece band follows-up last year’s breakthrough EP ‘Down in the Basement’ with their highly-anticipated debut full-length album on Soundway Records. This brilliant eight-song recording incorporates strong Columbian and Peruvian-based Afro-Latin psychedelic influences from the 70s and 80s, combined with funky Caribbean-style rhythms, explosive no wave dance grooves, lo-fi atmospheric vocal melodies, and spaced-out synth lines. With this full-length album, The Mauskovic Dance Band have pretty much created the tropical dance party soundtrack of the summer, for both this planet and outer-space.
12. Nérija – ‘Blume’
(Domino Recording Co.)
Featuring some of the top players in London’s thriving jazz scene, Nérija includes trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, alto saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi (both of whom play in KOKOROKO, SEED Ensemble), tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia (Maisha, Joe-Armon Jones), trombonist Rosie Turton, guitarist Shirley Tetteh (Maisha), drummer Lizy Exell, and SEED Ensemble bassist Rio Kai. The group’s brilliant new full-length album picks right up where their 2016 debut EP left off, featuring many of the same musical elements found in the members other groups, fusing together jazz, Afrobeat rhythms, and deep South African rooted melodies.
11. Flying Lotus – ‘Flamagra’
(Warp Records)
With his sixth full-length album, Flying Lotus continues to expand his own wildly genre-morphing sound, incorporating elements of electronic beats, jazz, soul, hip-hop, soundtrack themes, and just about everything in between. Titled Flamagra, this incredible recording center’s around a beautifully haunting concept of an endless fire that burns for eternity, fusing together hypnotic grooves, spiritual jazz, tripped-out head-nodding beats, cosmic funk, and futuristic soul. The 27-track record also features an incredible cast of backing musicians that includes Thundercat, Shabazz Palaces, David Lynch, George Clinton, Anderson Paak, Little Dragon, Solange, and others. Overall, the album is an epic and other-worldly dark cinematic masterpiece that continues to show that FlyLo is one of the most unique and forward-thinking artists of his generation.
10. Ezra Collective – ‘You Can’t Steal My Joy’
(Enter The Jungle Records)
One of the leading groups on the London jazz scene returns with their debut full-length album, following two highly-acclaimed EP releases. The new record, featuring drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso, electric bassist TJ Koleoso, tenor saxophonist James Mollison, trumpeter Dylan Jones, and keyboard wizard Joe Armon-Jones, continues to expand on the group’s sound, fusing together jazz melodies, funky Afrobeat rhythms, hip-hop beats, and dub grooves.
9. Mark de Clive-Lowe — ‘Heritage I’
(Ropeadope)
Los Angeles-based pianist, composer, producer, and live remixer Mark de Clive-Lowe released a brilliant two-part Heritage album series, which is dedicated to the Japanese side of his ancestry. Throughout the album, the music combines traditional Japanese folk with jazz, electronic beats, hypnotic melodies, and spiritual grooves. From track to track, the album flows extremely well, taking the listener on a journey inspired by both Japanese mythology and his own childhood experiences. The first volume makes comes in at number nine on this list, however both records are absolutely two of the best from this past year.
8. Aldorande — ‘s/t’
(Favorite Recordings)
Spaced-out inspired jazz-funk from French quartet Aldorande. Led by bassist Virgile Raffaëlli, and featuring keyboardist Florian Pellissier, drummer Mathieu Edouard, and percussionist Erwan Loeffel, this group blends heavy bass grooves and funky percussion with cosmic synth lines, and atmospheric tones that capture the spirit of seventies-era Lonnie Liston Smith, Herbie Hancock, and Marc Moulin.
7. SAULT — ‘5’
(Forever Living Originals)
Taking 2019 by storm in 2019, the highly mysterious band SAULT released two great full-length albums beginning with 5 (7 being the follow-up release), a fourteen-track album that blends together soulful vocals with electronics, post-punk (think ESG) and funky dance floor vibes. Even though there is still a lot of unknown surrounding this group, we do know that recording was produced by Dean “Inflo” Wynton Josiah, and is strongly associated with notable artists Kid Sister, Cleo Soul, and Inflo. Regardless, this was one of the most intriguing and original sounding albums of 2019.
6. Resavoir — ‘s/t’
(International Anthem)
Led by producer Will Miller, the expansive Chicago-based jazz collective Resavoir released their brilliantly crafted debut album on International Anthem. Written and recorded mostly at Miller’s apartment, this 29-minute nine-track recording features eighteen musicians, and fuses together jazz instrumentation, minimal classically-inspired orchestrations, layered atmospheric textures, and funky rhythmic grooves.
5. Ashley Henry — ‘Beautiful Vinyl Hunter‘
(Sony Music)
London pianist Ashley Henry brilliant has been making a name for himself since his debut Jazz Re:freshed label Five EP was release back in 2016. Following up on last year’s impressive Easter EP, Henry has released a brilliant new full-length album titled Beautiful Vinyl Hunter that fuses together jazz, hip-hop, grime, and broken beat grooves. The recording also features a number of notable special guests, including Keyon Harrold, Theo Croker, Makaya McCraven, Moses Boyd, Binker Golding, Judi Jackson and more.
4. Damon Locks’ Black Monument Ensemble — ‘Where Future Unfolds’
(International Anthem)
A new project from Chicago-based visual and sound artist Damon Locks that began as a solo sound piece that eventually evolved into a 15-piece group called the Black Monument Ensemble. Inspired by Phil Cohran’s legendary Chicago-based collective, the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, and socially conscious recordings like Eddie Gale’s 1969 Black Rhythm Happening, Archie Shepp’s Attica’s Blues, and Public Enemy’s hip-hop classic It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back, the group’s debut album is a live recording of the ensemble’s epic debut at the Garfield Park Botanical Conservatory on the West Side of Chicago. The music brilliantly blends spiritual jazz melodies, head-nodding grooves, 808 beats, and soaring vocal chants, with historic speeches and spoken word recordings from the Civil Rights movement.
3. Joe Armon-Jones — ‘Turn to Clear View’
(Brownswood)
Keyboard wizard Joe Armon-Jones, who also is a member of Ezra Collective and often performs alongside Nubya Garcia, is one of the leading lights among the currently thriving London jazz scene. He follows up last year’s breakthrough Starting Today EP with a brilliant new forward-thinking release. On this 8-track recording, the keyboardist successfully fuses together electric and cosmic jazz melodies with heavy dub and p-funk grooves, Afrobeat rhythms, and hip-hop beats. With Armon-Jones music, it’s clear that London’s club culture, and the region’s strong reggae-dub presence are major influences.
2. Greg Foat — ‘The Mage’
(Athens of the North)
This past year, Greg Foat released three incredible albums for the Scottish-based Athens of the North label, all worthy of making this year-end “best of” list. For this release, which was the first of the three releases, the British jazz pianist teamed up with soundtrack and library music legends Duncan Lamont, Art Themen, Ray Russell, and Clark Tracey, as well as rising London jazz star Moses Boyd and Heliocentric’s drummer Malcolm Catto. The music fuses downtempo folkscapes, post-bop jazz melodies, atmospheric textures, and soulful cosmic tones.
1. Yelfris Valdés — ‘For The Ones …’
(Música Macondo Records)
Now residing in London, Cuban-born trumpeter Yelfris Valdés has began making a strong name for himself over the past few years, performing alongside Quantic, Nubya Garcia, Michael Kiwanuka, Rokia Traoré, Dayme Arocena, legends Chucho Valdés, and the Buena Vista Social Club among many others, as well as being featured on Yussef Kamaal’s groundbreaking 2016 album Black Focus. Inspired by electronica music greats like Jon Hassell, Bonobo and Aphex Twin, Valdés debut full-length album brilliantly fuses together live instrumentation, spacey electronics, hypnotic soundscapes, and complex harmonies, with Afro-Latin rhythms and shamanic chants. By layering and bringing together both his Cuban and Yoruba roots with more experimental and modern influences like electronic music, contemporary jazz, and London’s vibrant club culture, Valdés has truly created a masterpiece that pays homage to traditions from his heritage while looking forward musically into the future.
MORE ‘BEST OF’ ALBUMS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
BRAHJA — ‘s/t’ (RR Gems Records)
Angel Bat Dawid — ‘The Oracle’ (International Anthem)
Ethnic Heritage Ensemble — ‘Be Known Ancient / Future / Music’ (Spiritmuse Records)
Greg Foat — ‘The Dreaming Jewels’ (Athens of the North)
SEED Ensemble — ‘Driftglass’ (Jazz Re:freshed)
Rōnin Arkestra — ‘Sonkei’ ( Albert’s Favourites)
Ruby Rushton — ‘Ironside’ (22a)
Junius Paul — ‘Ism’ (International Anthem)
Kinkajous — ‘Hidden Lines’ (Running Circle)
The Lewis Express — ‘Clap Your Hands’ (ATA Records)
Portico Quartet — ‘Memory Streams’ (Gondwana Records)
The Comet is Coming (Impulse!)
