The final show of a year filled with some pretty amazing music. You’ll get to hear some of my favourite albums next week, but this time around it’s the “special” that I often truck out for that final show. The first two hours don’t really seem like anything different is going to happen; they have new releases from the Belgian Off Records (Machine Mass Sextet, Jesse Elder & Macomdo Trio), Sweden’s Per Texas Johansson (he’s also playing on “All Slow Dreams Gone”), the Remedy Trio, and Portugal’s Lokomotiv, led by the wonderful bassist Carlos Barretto. In the third hour, though, the spotlight turns to German pianist & singer Anke Helfrich and her album “We’ll Rise”. This is the “special”. You don’t hear many vocalists on OMJ and you don’t hear much mainstream, but the title track really impressed me, and then after listening to a few more tunes and reading about why she made the recording, I thought why not play it all.
I want to thank you sincerely for listening to OMJ in 2023. Come back in the new year because there’s every indication that this trend of excellent recordings will continue.
00:00 Lokomotiv * 25 – Self-released * Tumba Laka Muna Kiri Taka Piri * Portugal
07:16 Host speaks
09:54 Machine Mass Sextet * Intrusion – Off Records * Intro * Belgium
12:04 Machine Mass Sextet * Intrusion – Off Records * The Roll * Belgium
20:59 Rosato/Bartolo/Gadaleta/Cusa * Another Point Of View – Improvisatore Involuntario * Freak * Italy
26:19 Host speaks
28:01 Jesse Elder * The Winding Shell – Off Records * Solar Plexus * USA
34:33 Jane Ira Bloom Mark Helias & Bobby Previte * 2.3.23 – Outline * The Call Back * USA
39:36 Sam Trapchak * Land Grab – Raw Toast * Land Grab * USA
47:49 Bacchanalia Orchestra * Live At Sexyland – Doek Raw * Prende La Vela * Netherlands
55:18 Host speaks
56:45 Konrad Agnas Matthias Stahl Per Texas Johansson & Ingebrigt Haker Flaten * All Slow Dream Gone – Moserobie * Skin * Sweden
1:02:56 Francesco Cusa * From Sun Ra To Donald Trump – Clean Feed * Sun Ra Vs Donald Trump * Italy
1:13:56 Host speaks
1:17:14 Per Texas Johansson * Den sämsta lösningen av alla – Moserobie * Var Ar Musiken * Sweden
1:23:06 Per Texas Johansson * Den sämsta lösningen av alla – Moserobie * Den Sista Isen * Sweden
1:26:55 Piergiorgio Pirro * Fold Unfold Refold – Aut Records * In Do * Italy
1:31:01 Host speaks
1:32:51 Thomas Heberer Remedy * Remedy II – FSR Records * One For Mark * Germany/USA
1:39:02 Thomas Agergaard Quartet * Narrations – Self-released * Selected Study * Denmark
1:48:55 Wadada Leo Smith Golden Quartet * The Year Of The Elephant – Pi Recordings * The Xam Xam & A Well Of A Pure Light * USA
1:57:11 Host speaks
1:58:35 Macondo Trio * Macondo – Off Records * Macondo * Benin/Begium/Italy
2:03:13 Macondo Trio * Macondo – Off Records * Hawen Vive De * Benin/Begium/Italy
2:06:15 Ethnic Heritage Ensemble * Open Me A Higher Consciousness of Sound And Spirit – Spiritmuse * Compared To What * USA
2:14:30 Host speaks
2:19:09 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * Time Will Tell * Germany
2:27:35 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * Prologue-Colors Of Frida * Germany
2:29:17 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * La Obscura * Germany
2:34:42 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * ‘Cos I’m Free * Germany
2:43:28 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * Miniature La Speranza Di Cabiria * Germany
2:44:27 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * Enfin Dans La Lumiere * Germany
2:49:59 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * Secret Of Photo 51 * Germany
2:56:06 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * Sophisticated Lady * Germany
2:58:51 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * The Nell-Nica * Germany
3:04:55 Anke Helfrich * We’ll Rise – Enja * We’ll Rise * Germany