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Gabor Szabo - Jazz Raga [HMV] including the best Stones cover

Nice list there, Steve. I missed more live music than I saw this year including very frustratingly Smith/Taborn/Maneri. Consolation in the shape of tremendous gigs from The Chicago Underground Duo w. Alex Hawkins Wayne Shorter Quartet Les Diaboliques Otomo Yoshihide and Evan Parker Tomeka Reid/Mike Reed w. Alex Hawkins (again) Nicole Mitchell solo and duo with Mark Sanders

John Patton - Understanding [Blue Note]

Another visit, on a very busy final day, to Abstract Expressionism at the RA in London. As on the previous visit, Pollock and Smith stand out and Newman provides a counterpoint to so much of the other art on display. Mitchell and Francis once again demanded attention. Great to have had such a multi-artist review of so many "big names" in close proximity. It demanded a lot of attention and concentration but by and large paid dividends.

The Thing - Shake [Trost]

Anna Hogberg Attack - s/t [Omlott]

Jordan, Walton, Jones, Higgins, Mantilla - The Pentagon [East West]

I did, along with the Apple releases, thanks ! now onto Bob Brookmeyer - Revelation! [Xtra]

Modern Jazz Quartet - The Legendary Profile [Atlantic] thanks to JSngry

Walton. Coleman, Jones & Higgins - Eastern Rebellion [Timeless] Bobby Bradford - Live At The Open Gate [No Business]

George Michael was a consummate song writer who could write both the sugarish pop needed for the charts and write songs that will endure for a long time. Like so many of us he lived with his demons and due to the "popular" press this became what most of the general public knew of him besides his music. He was an important figure in the LGBT community in the UK living his life unashamedly which meant a lot to many, many people. RIP George Good of you to do your research so thoroughly before commenting on his life

No, not for me either. The epitome of why Punk was a good idea from my then teenaged perspective and not a lot has happened to change my mind four decades on I'm afraid

I do like a list so I'll go for it. Focussing on new releases, my ten are in no particular order Tyshawn Sorey - The Inner Spectrum Of Variables (Pi Recordings) Andrew Cyrille - The Declaration Of Musical Independence (ECM) Full Blast - Risc (Trost) James Blake - The Colour In Anything (Polydor) Evan Parker - As The Wind (Psi)Laboratorio Musicale Suono C + Peter Brotzmann - DEcomposition (Setola Di Maiale)Fred Frith Trio - Another Day In Fucking Paradise (Intakt)Steve Lehman - Selebeyone (Pi Recordings)Search Ensembles - s/t (and/OAR)Sarathy Korwar - Day To Day (Ninja Tune) with two that may well have been in the list if I'd only got hold of them earlier Wadada Leo Smith - America's National Parks (Cuneiform) Sao Paolo Underground - Cantos Invisiveis (Cuneiform)

This is tough to read. Let's hope he finds some respite with his family and a recovery that enables him to enjoy life once more even if he can no longer play

Jimmy Giuffre - Free Fall [Columbia] not in its entirety but solo playing features heavily and is fundamental to the album's concept as described in the liners

I very much like those Dickerson/Davis duet albums

I'll give Bleckmann a try only because I saw him with Julia Hulsmann and he was excellent. Since then I sampled his Refuge Trio which is also worth a listen. I can understand why his somewhat idiosyncratic delivery might turn people away. The Taborn does look enticing. Vallon I've found a bit predictable in the past

Jimmy Giuffre - Free Fall [Columbia]

Interesting perspectives. I'd love to hear the solo LP

Wolfgang Dauner - Output [ECM] marvellously scrunchy in parts

BBC's adaptation of Zadie Smith's NW I find Smith has a keen eye for contemporary London and have enjoyed all her novels so approached this adaptation with some trepidation. I thought it was excellent - well scripted, well cast and on the whole well acted . There were characters and incidents uncannily resonant of my neighbourhood in NE London

Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson - Naima [East World] Deirdre Murray really making her mark on this one. All round strong recording

Well worth a visit. I thought it was curated a little as a battle of the giants with each artist given their own space. Painting-wise the Newmans and Klines stood out but for me the Pollock room had the most impact although the Smith sculptures that ran through the galleries really came into their own and were a delightful commentary on what was hung on the walls. Much has been written about the Still gallery which left me a bit cold - I think a return is required. I also liked that there were names to discover amongst the heavy-hitters- Joan Mitchell, Sam Francis and Aaron Siskind - but that probably says more about my ignorance than anything else. Next up for me is Rauschenberg at Tate M. Very much looking forward to that one

I'd vote for this one too. 1988 with Dave Burrell, Fred Hopkins and Ralph Peterson. As I hear it it gets to the essence of what Murray was (is) about - he plays these tunes as if they really mean something to him. Smoother than the earlier "scrappiness" but no less involving, I think and I definitely agree about those Human Arts Ensemble records, Leeway

I've heard at least one Ornette/Dead concert recording. It worked.