Top ten listened to records, December 2014.
10. C. Ramchandra - Navrang
9. Nwokolobia Agu - Folk Songs from Nigeria with Love. Lovely and complex Nigerian choral music by a guy named Humphrey Nwokolobia Agu. There's almost nothing about him on the internet except a discogs for a different record, but his son is a Nigerian pop star named Obiwon.
8. Calliope's Children - Harvest. This record of a teen steel band from Chappauqua, NY is better than it seems like it should be. The steel band duets with an oboe on the two Bach selections to gorgeous effect, and side one closes with Scotland the Brave in collaboration with an actual bagpipe band which is like, as mind-scrambling as you think it is. Also the private-press style realtor sponsorship belies the fact that this came out on a real-ish label, Fretless.
7. Syna So Pro - Loop Talk Vol. 1: The Power of One; The Power of You
6. Clifford Jordan - In the World
5. Yola Fatoush - Thugs Intro, Dreamland Wakes
4. Deerhoof - La Isla Bonita
3. Alec Wilder: Sonata for Horn-Tuba-Piano; Poulenc: Elegie for Horn; Scriabin: Romance; Persichetti: Serenade No. 12 for Tuba. John Barrows (horn) and Harvey Phillips (tuba) are the featured performers on this beautiful horn and tuba record.
2. James Newton - Axum
1. Feedbacula - NOW