here's my new top 10. I didn't do any repeats from last time. It was actually a lot of fun looking at the progression from the last time to this time - even though these were (almost) all albums I was listening to when I was younger, it was surprising how what is influencing me shifted over the last couple years.
In no particular order...
1) Sticky Fingers, The Rolling Stones
My favorite Stones album. I might have listened to Moonlight Mile more than 1000 times. Bluesy, etherial and perfect.
2) Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys
The story goes, the first time my dad met me after I was born, he sang 'Barbara Ann' to me. I guess that gave me a predisposition for the sweet harmonies of the Beach Boys...
3) Axis:Bold As Love, Jimi Hendrix
People convinced me that Jimi Hendrix was is a high school phase all rockers have to go through. But I keep coming back to him. So good.
4) OK Computer, Radiohead
This album pushes harmonic and time boundaries while still remaining a great rock album in its essense. I'm not sure what my favorite Radiohead album is, but if I had to pick an album I wished I could sound like, this would be it.
5) Punch, Punch Brothers
Taking American roots music about 5 levels out into the stratosphere.
6) Closer, Better Than Ezra
The sound track to my freshman year of college. To quote the great Kevin McMahon... "wanna fight about it?"
7) The Sermon, Jimi Smith
One of the great developers of Hammond Organ as a lead instrument doing his thing. And some hot licks.
8) A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
I think this is the record that really convinced me that technical playing and making art are completely different. Of course 'trane does both though...
9) Vienna Concert, Keith Jarrett
One fully improvized hour of piano magic. He's definitely a jazz player, but there are moments here where I feel like he's talking to Nicky Hopkins when he was playing on Exile.
10)Fire & Grace, Alasdair Frazer and Natalie Haas
Celtic music definitely plays a big part in my listening and mandolin playing. Its started to seep into my piano playing lately. This is an album I've always gone back to since I heard this duet live a little over a decade ago.
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