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albums for reading, pondering, coffee, martinis, etc.
albums for reading, pondering, coffee, martinis, etc.
4
14d
albums for reading, ponderin...
Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink
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Like an offset turner, but it flips bad moods over instead of pancakes. (You can also listen to this already in a good mood; it'll help make sure your good mood is evenly golden-brown on both sides.) [progressive rock (Canterbury scene), psychedelic rock; 1971] "Golf Girl," "In the Land of Grey and Pink," "Nine Feet Underground." *One of my favorite examples of a prog band doing the most prog rock thing possible and recording a side-long suite ("Nine Feet Underground"). Just an incredible ~23 minutes spent at the intersection of rock, psychedelia and jazz. Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz
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15d
albums for reading, ponderin...
Eberhard Weber - The Following Morning
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Not ambient per se, but spacious chamber jazz with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and without any percussion. A great companion album for a long reading session spent with a book in which the narrative takes it time.
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2
15d
albums for reading, ponderin...
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume II
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Has an uncanny habit of matching the mood of whatever you're reading.
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7
19d
albums for reading, ponderin...
Wynton Kelly Trio & Wes Montgomery - Smokin' at the Half Note
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Even pulmonologists agree this kind of smokin' is beneficial for your health. [jazz/hard bop; 1965] "No Blues," "If You Could See Me Now," "Four on Six." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz
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1
20d
albums for reading, ponderin...
Three Albums by The Necks for Your Creative & Meditative Moments
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I've been grateful to see a few rec requests pop up here recently seeking out instrumental music to soundtrack creative process. When I need to stimulate the ol' grey matter, I likewise turn to some tunes for thought, so the responses to these open requests have been appreciated. I'll share one of my standbys for helping get the wheels to turning, Australian combo The Necks. They are, on the surface, a jazz trio with the familiar instrumental array of keyboards, bass and drums, but what they do with this format is far less typical. I'll quote the bio blurb from their Bandcamp: "The Necks are one of the great cult bands of Australia. Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz." Their "songs" often run 30 minutes to an hour and focus on developing a theme through repetition that they then explore the possibilities of through gradual shifts (and the stamina of the players--Chris Abrahams, Tony Buck, Lloyd Swanton--is something to marvel upon). These improvisations can easily become transfixing in a productive way that might assist in guiding thinking during creative expression or just casual zoning out. Here are three recordings from The Necks that I usually turn to for these purposes: Drive By (2003) This is the most "open" of the three selections in this rec in terms of sound. A mysterious beauty pervades this performance, beguiling and alluring. Stream: Bandcamp | YouTube | Apple Music *** Hanging Gardens (1999) A rhythmic tour de force over which the keys create an atmosphere of suspense (it feels very film noir in a Blade Runner kind of way throughout). Engaging and intriguing. Works great for racing the clock against a deadline! Stream: Bandcamp | YouTube | Apple Music *** Body (2018) There are three distinct sections to this one, the middle of which is perhaps the most surprising...it could be mistaken for a lost Stereolab track from around the time of Transient Random-Noise Bursts! (That's drummer Tony Buck on the electric guitar.) The passages surrounding it are gorgeous, if not a bit eerie. I like to imagine the guitar-driven middle part will time up exactly with when you hit that flow state sweet spot and in turn propels you with it. Stream: Bandcamp | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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2
27d
albums for reading, ponderin...
Can - Future Days
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You’re at the shoreline of the universe and the beaches of tomorrow, wherever you are right now. [krautrock, ambient; 1973] “Future Days,” “Moonshake,” “Bel Air.” Stream: Bandcamp | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz
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1
28d
albums for reading, ponderin...
Joyce Moreno - Feminina
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There's no such thing as Monday morning if you play this on Sunday. [MPB, samba jazz; 1980] "Feminina," "Banana," "Aldeia de Ogum." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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2
29d
albums for reading, ponderin...
King Crimson - Islands
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The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing us that prog rock bands couldn't be chill as hell. [progressive rock, jazz rock; 1971] "Formentera Lady," "Sailor's Tale," "Islands." *Oh, and that one bit that's all like, "IMPALED ON NAILS OF ICE"...that's not actually on the record, it's just that one noisy neighbor with a flair for the aggro-poetic temporarily disrupting your mellow. Acknowledge and let it pass. **re: "Ladies of the Road," the lyrics are plain dumb, a misplaced attempt at doing an in-character satire of boorish cock-rockers of the time and their insular worldview (admirable in theory, but the execution of this idea veers into being an uncomfortable mess). I'm usually a no-skips kind of listener as far as albums go, but this track is pretty expendable. Lyrics aside, the instrumental performance on this track is really good, but it sounds completely out of place in the context of this album. Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz
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4w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Keith Jarrett Beyond "The Köln Concert": Three Solo Piano Performances You Might Explore Next
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Pianist Keith Jarrett has produced a massive body of work spanning six decades as a solo performer and bandleader. Naturally, there is substantial breadth of sound and style represented within this oeuvre, but there are several main categories within it to guide you in your exploration. Jarrett's solo piano concerts, improvised on the spot, are some of his most popular recordings, the best-known of course being his Jan. 1975 performance at the Opera House in Cologne. Here are three suggestions to further explore Jarrett's solo works on stage if you're fond of the Köln recording and curious about others. While he is recognized as a jazz musician principally, Jarrett's improvisations glide through genres to the extent that it's not easy to classify these showcases in just one or two tidy descriptors. Jazz, minimalism, blues, impressionism, abstract and beyond in the space of an hour per improvisation. Suggested play order in terms of most immediate to most demanding: Bremen > La Scala > Lausanne > Vienna Solo Concerts: Bremen / Lausanne (1973) The first solo piano concerts released by Jarrett, this album is a two-fer, giving you a pair of very different presentations in improvisation on the instrument. Bremen - rollicking, stately, beguiling, jubilant, ruminating, ascending Lausanne - strutting, wandering, triumphant, mystifying, roiling, entrancing Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz * Vienna Concert (1992; recorded 1991) A masterclass of tension & release in art. Part I begins plaintive, but slowly the walls close in as the music becomes heavier, sterner, then frantic. When it is nearly unbearable, a trapdoor opens and through it we fall into a vast, tranquil space. Part II resumes with a memory of earlier passages, again pursuing something ominous in the distance until the mood has, in creeping degrees, turned cold. Then, with a sudden pause, everything begins to move in reverse, but this time, the return is a reflection of what came before. Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz * La Scala (1997; recorded 1995) Part I: Watching the street outside through glass dappled with rainwater, waiting for the arrival of something expected in the mail, but there is nothing that will be delivered here today. You have no memory of making tea earlier, but you are about to pour a third cup from the kettle. Part II: An impromptu ballet performed in chasing an umbrella across a park that was blown out of hand by a generous autumn wind. Another gust forms behind you each time your grasp is about to close in upon the runaway object to send it once more out of reach. You eventually give up pursuit and find yourself relieved to be parted with that umbrella, upon which you go knock-kneed with unintended laughter. Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz ** Jarrett, currently 81, has sadly been unable to play piano as he once did since suffering a pair of strokes in 2018 that resulted in partial paralysis.
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1
1
5w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Grant Green - Sunday Mornin'
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(Use as directed on packaging.) [jazz/hard bop; 1961] "Sunday Mornin'," "Exodus," "Come Sunrise." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz
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5w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Pat Metheny Group - Pat Metheny Group
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Sonic granita. [jazz fusion; 1978] "San Lorenzo," "Phase Dance," "Jaco." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz
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1
5w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Françoise Hardy - La question
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Chuckling as politely as I can while firmly insisting to the bartender, no, I do mean a 500/500 martini, thank you. [chanson, bossa nova; 1971] "Viens," "Oui, je dis adieu," "Rêve." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz
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3
5w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Jim O'Rourke – Bad Timing
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One of those uncommon examples of an album that deserves a [spoiler alert] to be declared before you bring up how it ends. [american primitivism; 1997] "94 the Long Way," "Bad Timing," "Happy Trails." Stream: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Qobuz
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6w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Charles Lloyd - The Water Is Wide
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Eating cereal by an open window at midnight. [jazz; 2000] "Figure in Blue," "Lotus Blossom," "Lady Day." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Qobuz
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1
6w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Jean-Luc Ponty - Cosmic Messenger
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Intrepid voyager from a faraway star risking it all to bring us the planet-saving knowledge of violin shred fusion before it’s too late! [jazz fusion; 1978] "Cosmic Messenger," "Don't Let the World Pass You By," "Fake Paradise." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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3
7w
albums for reading, ponderin...
George Benson - Breezin'
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Basically any track here could have been titled "Breezin'" and it would have made sense. [smooth jazz, jazz funk; 1976] "Breezin'," "Six to Four," "Affirmation." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify *Unless the track is called "This Masquerade."
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1
7w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
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Best enjoyed in a folding lawn chair with a front row view of the moon. [indie rock, dream pop; 2000] "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House, "You Can Have It All," "Madeline." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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3
8w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun
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I'm making a quick run to the store to pick up some hemlock and wolfsbane, just text me if you need anything. [neoclassical dark wave; 1987] "Anywhere Out of the World," "Xavier," "Persephone (The Gathering of Flowers)." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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8w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Uyama Hiroto - Breath of Love
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Basically a member of the Flex Seal family of products: This one prevents good vibes from seeping out of the room you're in. [nu jazz, instrumental hip hop; 2024] "Moonglow," "Shade of Blue," "You & Me." Stream: Bandcamp | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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1
8w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Constance Demby - At Alaron
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"Go past this stop sign. Then, at the next one, dissolve into cascades of tranquility and inner light." [new age, ambient; 1984]
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2
9w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4
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Though conceptually about a chess match, this instrumental album does also make an excellent lock-in soundtrack as you vie to keep your NYT Games streaks alive another day. [progressive electronic, minimalism; 1984] Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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3
1
9w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - I Talk With the Spirits
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Yeah, okay, so maybe I was pretending to be Judy Funnie while listening to this...what, is that a crime or something?? [jazz/post-bop; 1965] "Serenade to a Cuckoo," "Trees," "The Business Ain't Nothin' but the Blues." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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9w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Van Morrison - Common One
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This is to deep summer what Astral Weeks is to the heart of autumn. [singer-songwriter, progressive folk; 1980] "Haunts of Ancient Peace," "Summertime in England," "Wild Honey." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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5
9w
albums for reading, ponderin...
yeule - Serotonin II
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Proactive music for when it's a Gabapentin xII kind of day GAD-wise, I've found. [synth pop, ambient pop; 2019] "Poison Arrow," "Pixel Affection," "Pretty Bones." Stream: Bandcamp | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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1
9w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Eberhard Weber - The Colours of Chloë
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A fully instrumental album that I will argue is one of the best audiobooks ever. [third stream, chamber jazz; 1974] "The Colours of Chloë," "An Evening with Vincent Van Ritz," "No Motion Picture." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify * One of my favorite albums!
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3
10w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Grateful Dead - Reckoning
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A pint, the Sunday crossword and a little acoustic Dead? Sounds good, I'll meet me there at 3. [acoustic rock, folk rock; 1981] "Deep Elem Blues," "Cassidy," "Bird Song." Stream: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify * When I heard about Bob Weir's passing earlier this year, one of the first things I thought was that I hoped he'd been reunited with Otis.
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2
10w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Arushi Jain - Under the Lilac Sky
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TGIFF (This Girl Induces Floating Feelings). [ambient/drone, Hindustani classical; 2021] "Look How Far We Have Come," "Cultivating Self Love," "Under the Lilac Sky." Stream: Bandcamp | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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7
10w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Welcome to Paradise Vol. I: Italian Dream House 89-93
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Switch this on around happy hour and suddenly your home is that bar everyone seems to be going to lately, the one that has a cocktail menu with 322 pages of negronis alone. [Italo house, deep house; 2017] Agua Re - "Holy Dance (Large Sound Mix)"; High Tide - "Time Unlimited"; K2 - "In My Garden." Stream: Bandcamp | Apple Music [Vols. 1 & 2] | Spotify [Vols. 1 & 2]
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11w
albums for reading, ponderin...
Bill Evans - Portrait in Jazz
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Billmatic. [cool jazz, hard bop; 1960] "Autumn Leaves," "Someday My Prince Will Come," "Blue in Green." Stream: Bandcamp | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
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4
11w
albums for reading, ponderin...
The Durutti Column - LC
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My Life as an Introvert: The Album. [dream pop, post-punk; 1981] "Sketch for Dawn (1)," "Jacqueline," "The Missing Boy."
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