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1. Pat Metheny - “The Way Up” > [listen]
The Way Up - Nonesuch

The Way Up represents, in the words of guitarist Pat Metheny himself, “our most ambitious undertaking ever as a group”- a single, brilliant, 68-minute piece composed by Metheny and his collaborator of 28 years, Lyle Mays. Metheny has likened the creation of The Way Up to making a film, and in some respects, the album feels like a vividly rendered journey, its moods shifting like scenes glimpsed from a fast-moving vehicle.

2. Savina Yannatou - “Muineira” > [listen]
Sumiglia - ECM

“Yannatou’s versatility is little short of astonishing…” wrote Don Heckman in the LA Times, and on her second ECM release, Sumiglia, Savina Yannatou proves Heckman’s point as she sings music in 11 different languages (including the Galician folk song, “Muiñeira”). With Primavera en Salonico, Savina performs traditional music from around the world in a free and passionate manner, and with a wide perspective that goes beyond “traditional.”

3. Amos Lee - “Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight” > [listen]
Amos Lee - Blue Note

Amos Lee conjures a vibe uniquely his own taking a minimalist instrumental approach to his songs opting for spare acoustic accompaniment while letting his rich, evocative voice do the heavy lifting. Amos was the show-opener on the most recent Norah Jones concert tour.

4. Dom Minasi - “Quick Response” > [listen]
Quick response - CDM

Quick Response is the exciting new release by versatile virtuoso guitarist-composer-arranger Dom Minasi. The follow up to Dom’s acclaimed Time Will Tell finds him returning to the organ group concept he began exploring back in the eighties before he stopped performing publicly. The new unit, featuring organist Kyle Koehler, alto saxophonist Mark Whitecage, and drummer John Bollinger, is as multitalented and flexible as the leader himself, allowing the band to immerse itself in the soulful organ jazz tradition, while at the same time turning it on its side to create music that is emotionally satisfying, intellectually stimulating, and insistently forward looking.

5. Sylvie Lewis - “By Heart” > [listen]
Tangos And Tantrums - Cheap Lullaby

“ . . . a breathtaking collection of romantic, 1930s-inspired cabaret chansons.” - San Francisco Examiner (November 8, 2004) “When Sylvie Lewis sings, everyone should stop and take notice.  She has the goods in spades . . . ” - James Combs, Producer, New Ground, KCRW.

6. 3 Kisses - “Yellow” > [listen]
Wings - Stolen Kisses

“Great songwriting - catchy, poppy songs. A great mix of yesterday and today.” - Jay King, VP Classic R&B Thump/Universal
“3 KISSES is refreshing. Their sound is different, their lyrics are thoughtful, and their music is addicting.” - Alexia Helfand, MusicGorilla.com
“Sassy vocals . . . melodic keyboards . . . solid rhythm guitars . . . give the band credit for finding a style and sticking with it.” - Doug Cornell, HitSession.com
“. . . heavenly piece of pop from an incredible band!” - IndependentArtistsCompany.com

7. Marianne Faithful - “My Friends Have” > [listen]
Before The Poison - Anti-

The long wait since Kissin Time at the start of 2002 has been utterly vindicated by an album of extraordinary power, fuelled by collaborations with and contributions from such artists as PJ Harvey, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Damon Albarn, and film composer Jon Brion. Indeed, this could well be the finest recording in Marianne’s long career.

8. The Ditty Bops - “Wishful Thinking” > [listen]
The Ditty Bops - Warner Bros.

When Mitchell Froom produces a debut album, it is well worth taking notice. Thanks to their strangely beautiful voices, magnetic personalities, brilliant playing, bizarre storytelling, and stunningly diverse range, The Ditty Bops - the duo of Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald - earned his attention. A musical celebration embracing everything from contemporary folk pop to ragtime to musical theater, their self-titled debut is as gloriously unique as their name.

9. Aqualung - “Brighter Than Sunshine” > [listen]
Strange & Beautiful - Columbia/Red Ink

Strange & Beautiful (Slightly Bigger/Columbia) is the North American debut album from Aqualung. Both his UK releases (Aqualung and Still Life) have garnered incredible critical praise and comparisons to artists like Radiohead and Rufus Wainwright. This release is a combination of tracks from both UK releases. The first single, “Brighter Than Sunshine,” is featured twice in the feature film, A Lot Like Love (opening in April ‘05).

10. Michael Buble - “Home” > [listen]
It's Time - Warner Bros.

Young crooner Michael Bublé delivers an album of love songs as powerful as chocolate and candlelight. From covers such as Ray Charles’ “You Don’t Know Me” to “Home,” penned by Bublé and Amy Foster-Gillies, the album is a romantic treat. With total sales of his CDs and DVDs in the U.S. well over one million units, plus glowing reviews and standing ovations everywhere, Bublé is set for an even bigger and better year..

11. Carol Mennie - “I'm Not A Sometime Thing” > [listen]
I'm Not A Sometime Thing - CDM

Carol Mennie makes her maiden voyage as a leader on I’m Not A Sometime Thing, a marvelous mixture of jazz and popular standards and originals with words and music by her producer and long-time partner, guitarist/arranger/composer Dom Minasi. Mennie, who made her recording debut last year with a moving rendition of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight” on Minasi’s critically acclaimed Time Will Tell CD, here has her mature vocal stylings surrounded by the guitarist’s inventive arrangements, which showcase her versatile voice in a variety of settings, accompanied by a superb band featuring Minasi.

12. Judith Owen - “Emily” > [listen]
Lost And Found - Century Of Progress

Featuring collaborations with award-winning artists including Cassandra Wilson, Keb’ Mo’, Richard Thompson, and Tom Scott, this 12-song set with added bonus tracks delves into the Welsh singer/songwriter’s roots as a classically-influenced pianist.  Owen’s heartfelt vocals embrace jazz, pop, and Celtic music.  Her deeply resonant songwriting yields indelible numbers such as “Emily,” “Moonlight,” and “Sky High.”

13. Wasilewski/Kurkiewich/Miskiewich - “Hyperballad” > [listen]
Trio - ECM

In 1993, three very young Polish musicians first played with Tomasz Stanko, one of the legends of their country’s jazz scene. Since then, Wasilewski, Kurkiewicz & Miskiewicz have made two recordings and toured the world as members of the Tomasz Stanko Quartet. Now they enter the international arena with TRIO, an ECM debut recording of their own. Included here is their arrangement of Björk’s intense and powerful “Hyperballad.”

14. Bruno Coulais - “Vois Sur Ton Chemin” > [listen]
The Chorus (Les Choristes) - Nonesuch

The Chorus (Les Choristes), written and directed by Christophe Barratier, is already a French cinema phenomenon. The modestly budgeted film about a music teacher in a post-war France who wins over the troubled students at a boarding school arrived in French theatres last summer with little advance hype. The soundtrack to The Chorus (Les Choristes) features performers by the Lyon-based Petits Chanteurs de Saint Marc and several haunting solo turns by 13-year-old boy soprano, Jean-Baptiste Maunier, who also portrays the youthful protagonist of the film.
Nominated for Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original Song)

15. Kat Parsons - “Miss Me” > [listen]
No Will Power -

Multi award-winning “indie” artist Kat Parsons is a performer first and foremost. Fans of her live shows stepped up to the plate and financed No Will Power to fill the void between performances. No Will Power chronicles the unraveling of a romantic relationship at its every stage. “I have a new understanding of love now,”  Kat laughs.
Kat was the winner of this year’s Acoustic Live in Los Angeles

Adult Eclectic Music promotion Adult Eclectic Music Reviews: (search for ONE WAY CD 13 - Listen Music Online) Nonesuch Records Verve Music Motema Music Lost Highway Records WB Records Vanguard Records ECM Records