Happy Birthday to a Visionary!

A visionary leader and spirit; indefatigable, steadfast. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. thoroughly energized his Capricorn Sun by workin' that mountain - Goat Medicine, indeed - climbing, striving, ambitious to realize and manifest Peace & Harmony. He's left a great legacy. With Pluto in Capricorn for the next couple of hundred years, our only choice *is* to shift consciousness (like it our not). What will you sing in his name? In your name? In Humanity's name?

Gregorian New Year 2009 in Effect!

And with it lists, lists, lists! Here a few of mine, in the way of musical selection. Of course, these are just snapshots of a greater list of favorites of 2008, and some of the albums were actually released in late 2007, and deserved proper airplay through 2008. Maybe I'll add those 'others', as well.
Artist: Title, Label

Notable Northwest Releases:

Star Anna: Crooked Path, Malamute
Kore Ionz: Half-Hour Revolution, Independent
Duo En: Spell Of Spring: Selected Works Of Sawai Tadao Vol 1, Koto World
Pangeo: Exit Visa, Independent
Layla Angulo: Mientras, Independent
Puyallup Canoe Family: Between Here and the Moon, Upriza
Saturday Knights: Mingle, Light In The Attic Records
Techung: A Compilation Of Tibetan Folk & Freedom Songs, Independent
Chemey Youdon Dhongsar: Golden Flower, Kampo
Kat Vellos: Musiplication, Katmath

Notable Global Recordings:

Buika: La Niña De Fuego, Dro Atlantic
Chants From the Kingdom of Tonga: ARC
Various Artists: What's Happening In Pernambuco - New Sounds Of The Brazilian Northeast, Luaka Bop
Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project, Cumbancha
Various Artists: Bachata Roja, iASO
Saba: Jidka: The Line, River Boat
Markus Schwartz: Tanbou Nan Lakou Brooklyn, Independent
Afrissippi: Alliance, Independent
Various Artists: Northern Cree & Friends Vol. 7: Dancin' 'Til Sunrise, Canyon
Esperanza Spalding: Esperanza, Heads Up
Willie Martinez y La Familia Sextet: After Winter, Spring, Independent

Notable RPM Releases

Incognito: Tales From The Beach, Bluey Music
Tom Middleton: Lifetracks, Six Degrees
Various Artists: Gaudi + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Dub Qawwali Remixes, Six Degrees
Cornelius: Sensuous, Everloving
Chris Joss: Teraphonic Overdubs, ESL 125
Luisito Quintero: Louie Vega pres. Luisito Quintero - Percussion Maddness Revisited, bbe
Near The Parenthesis: L'Eixample, n5MD
Subswara: Coup d'Yah, Low Motion
Lukas Ligeti: Afrikan Machinery, Independent
Various Artists: Verve Remixed 4, Verve

Notable Hip Hop Recordings:
Kat Vellos: Musiplication, Katmath
Giant Panda: Electric Laser Beam, Tres
Illa J: Yancey Boys, Delicious
People Under the Stairs: Fun DMC, Gold Dust
Nas: Untitled, Def Jam
Son Of Nun & DJ Mentos: The Art Of Struggle, Independent
Y-Love: This Is Babylon, Modular Moods
Saturday Knights: Mingle, Light In The Attic Records
Raashan Ahmad: The Push, Om
Apostle: Lyrical Activism, Independent