*For those who don’t know, I actually keep a full-time day job, and my love of jazz and all its related music is a side-gig passion project. Unfortunately, I’ve been deep in a major work project for the past 2 weeks and will be for the next 2 weeks, so this one is coming a day later than usual.

Last year, Rogue Art for the first time in their history started a digital distribution channel through Bandcamp. The catalog is one-of-a-kind, filled with the best of the best of creative and free jazz, but crucially, the timing lined up with the release of two epic releases:

Art Ensemble of Chicago - The Sixth Decade: From Paris To Paris I’ve been slowly working through a review of this one (see above note), but if the story of AEOC can be told in double-albums, this is absolutely the next logical step from Live In Paris to Urban Bushmen to Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City. As bold and joyful as all the others, with a 20-strong lineup. More to come soon!
Fred Frith and Susana Santos Silva - Laying Demons to Rest A couple years ago, Intakt released an awesome Frith Trio album featuring SSS and Lotte Anker, the first recording of collaborations that go back many years. The concert on this latest album features two of the most radically creative minds in a, yes, sublime performance. Let it wash over you, cranked up to 11 if possible.

Misc.

Major publishing event coming this year, Ahmed Abdullah’s memoir of his time spent in the Sun Ras Arkestra, A Strange Celestial Road, will be out this year on Blank Forms. Photographs, posters, and the memoirs of one of the most important voices from the legendary Loft Jazz scene. I smashed the preorder button within minutes of receiving the announcement.

But does it swing?

Weekly Picks and Misc. for February 2… I mean…