Favorite Recordings: Jon Raskin


These were the most played CD's for 2004. They always managed to get into the listening rotation throughout the year. -- Jon Raskin, March, 2005

[Note: Where possible, I've linked to the artist and recording indicated. If no useful web site appeared from a Google search, I did not provide a link. -- webmaster]

Artist Title Label Comment
Peter Brotzman 14 Love Poems FMP Great solo music from the great German Tenor Master
Kyle Bruckman Gasps & Fissures 482 Music solo oboe music, quiet sounds recorded really hot
Django Reinhardt The Best of Django Reinhardt Capitol/Blue Note Nice compilation of an unbelievably great guitarist
Rahsaan Roland Kirk Rip Rig & Panic/ Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith Polygram Records Essential discs from this wonderful multi instrumentalist
Sun Ra Standards 1201 Records A real delight to hear Sun Ra approach Jazz Standards
Pixinguinha Brazilian Choro Master Iris Music Pixinguinha is one of the creators of Choro which is a roots music for much of Brazilian music and can be likened to Louis Armstrong on his impact on Brazilian music.
Big Men Rai Meets Reggae Taoul/General Pattern Records A surprising blend of Rai and Reggae. They really found common ground in this meeting of very different popular musics.
John Lee Hooker Live at the Café au Go Go and Soledad Prison MCA An amazing live blues recording with Muddy Waters and Otis Spann.
Cheikha Rimitti Novar Gafaiti/Sonodisk a wonderful Rai singer
Compay Segundo Compay Seguno Antologia Nueva Sociedad Lirica An anthology of 34 songs by the amazing Compay Segundo.
Tribalistas (Arnaldo Antunes, Corlinhos Brown and Marise Monte)   Blue Note Records Modern Brazilian Pop music at its best
Rromano Suno Gypsy Music from the Balkans Passion Discs Balkan Gypsy compilation put together by Bojan Djordjevic, a knowledgeable source on the Serbian Gypsy scene and manager of Boban Markovic Orchestra.
Bebo Valdes & Diego Cigala Lagrimas Negras Calle 54 Records A fantastic Flamenco Singer with an outstanding Cuban pianist
Iannis Xenakis harpsichord solos Oophaa (1989) - harpsichord, percussion
Naama (1989) - harpsichord, percussion
Khoaï (1989) - harpsichord, percussion
À l'île de Gorée (1989) - harpsichord, percussion
Xenakis - Orchestral & Chamber Works A friend put together a CDR of them and they are amazing. Karen, Jalons, Phlegra and Thalleïn are on this particular CD but were not in my rotation but will be as soon as I find this CD.