4. Paul Flaherty - Whirl of Nothingness [Family Vineyard]

Hands down the most striking album cover of 2006. Picturing a meditative Flaherty with his mythical weapon in hand. Marvel at the sight of his great white beard, once I saw that meter long bush of white hair I was an instant Flaherty fan. Don't care about objectivity, this dude ruled non stop and without exception.

And 2006 couldn't start any better than with The Beloved Music, Flaherty's power duet with drummer almighty Chris Corsano. A couple of months later there was the impressive A Rock in the Snow cd and the Snow Blind Avalance lp, both on the steadily greater Important. Overload it sure wasn't, every batch of Flaherty/Corsano/C. Spencer Yeh recordings makes for a different kind of awesome. At least, up till now and definately with the inclusion of this ferocious solo saxophone album, and his super group collaboration with noise dad Thurston Moore, Heather Leigh, Matt Heyner, Chris Corsano and C. Spencer Yeh.

Whirl of Nothingness is Flaherty's second solo album although he's been cutting improv freejazz slices since the mid '70s. Let's just say people didn't really understand him back in the day. Too loose for those post-every jazz genre times but when the noise/punk scenes exploded he frequently got asked to do warm up gigs and according to the Man himself, he and drummer Randy Colbourne at least matched the intensity of those gigs. Harsh emotion man, it's a way of life. Once you get inside Whirl of Nothingness there's a chance you'll feel overwhelmed by the enormous power inside Flaherty's lungs. There is plenty room for contemplation though, it's just engulfed by much intenser moments of spiritual fire, a kind of ur-skronk that you have to acknowledge and let in to get to you.

I wish I could write more about this record now but I can't, something's bothering me and I don't feel like writing anything else today. Please listen to this album cos this guy is very worthy of your time.