The Guitar Channel

Favorite albums of 2008

2008 was another great year for jazz rock fusion progressive whateveryoucallit guitar music. Here are my favorite albums of the year, in order of their release.

Tim Miller - Trio Vol. 2

Fantastic Holdsworthian fusion. Great acoustic/electric tones.

John McLaughlin - Floating Point (Review)

Western jazz fusion played with Eastern musicians. McLaughlin's best album in years.

Greg Howe - Sound Proof (Review)

Outstanding writing and playing. True heavy fusion.

Alex Machacek/Jeff Sipe/Neal Fountain - The Official Triangle Sessions (LIVE)

An Abstract Logix exclusive. Awesome live recording featuring tracks from the Improvision album.

OHM - Circus of Sound (Review)

Highly creative heavy fusion from Chris Poland and co.

 

Jimmy Herring - Lifeboat (Review)

Remarkable writing and playing. My favorite album of the year.

Jeff Beck - Performing this week...Live at Ronnie Scott's

Great live album featuring all of Beck's classics. Look for my review soon.

Other favorites from 2008:

Paul Gilbert - Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar (Review)
Charlie Hunter - Baboon Strength
Mike Miller Quintet - World Goes Round
McCoy Tyner - Guitars
Claude Pauly - Mind Meets Matter
Tadashi Goto - Innervisions
CAB - Theatre De Marionnettes

Claude Pauly's "Mind Meets Matter" reviewed at All About Jazz

John Kelman has a great write-up of fusion guitarist Claude Pauly's new album Mind Meets Matter over a All About Jazz.

All About Jazz review: Claude Pauly - Mind Meets Matter

Current Listening

A list of some recently released stuff I've been digging on lately...

Claude Pauly - Mind Meets Matter

Cool guitar-driven fusion; reminiscent of Tribal Tech. With Kai Eckhardt (bass), Alan Hertz (drums), and Frank Martin (keys).

 
Charlie Hunter - Baboon Strength

Features Hunter on 7-string in a trio setting. Awesome grooving jazz.

Jimmy Herring - Lifeboat

A beautiful album. One of the great jazz releases of the year.

Review

Tadashi Goto - Innervisions

Heavy prog album with great keyboard work by Goto. Includes Brett Garsed, Chris Poland, Ty Tabor, Tony Levin, and other impressive guests.

Alex Machacek, Jeff Sipe, Neal Fountain - The Official Triangle Sessions

Fantastic live recording. Includes material from the Improvision album.