I can hardly claim to have heard enough of the many releases from this year to claim any sort of best status, but the list below is the best of what I heard. I think though a case could be made for the 'Improvised Music from Japan' 10 CD box set as the best release of the year. This is an essential document of the culmination of 20th century musical deconstruction. The direction that the Onkyo movement takes in the upcoming years will be very interesting. -Robert Favorite Music 2002 Recordings: Best of the year: * Improvised Music from Japan 10 cd box set (IMJ) Other favorites in no particular order: * Eyvand Kang 'Live Low to the Earth in the Iron Age' (Abduction) * Jonathan Coleclough 'Period' (Limited Double Disc) (Anomolous) * Otomo Yoshihide 'Ensemble Cathode' (IMJ) * MiMEO / John Tilbury ' Hands of Caravaggio' (erstwhile records) * Bobby Previte '23 Constallations of Joan Miro' (Tzadik) * Phil Niblock 'G2,44+/X2' (Moikai) * John Zorn 'Cobra' (Tzadik) * Black Frames 'Solarallergy' (self released) Personal Music Discovery of the year: The Taj Mahal Travelers Best/ Most Interesting Shows of 2002: Possibly the best show I've ever seen, like getting to see Mozart perform: * Ravi and Anoushka Shankar (Benaroya Hall, Seattle WA 10.06.02) Favorite shows, in order of appearance: * Acid Mothers Temple / Kinski ( Graceland, Seattle WA 03.10.02) * United Noise Toys w/ Anne La Berge, Cor Fuhler & Gert Jan Prins (Capital Theatre, Olympia WA , 04.19.02) * Varmint / Das Rut (I-Spy, Seattle WA 04.20.02) * Vida Blue (Moore Theatre, Seattle WA 07.09.02) * Clairseach (Ann & Charlie Heyman) (Dusty Strings, 11.08.02) * Bobby Previte's Bump / Zony Mash (EMP, Seattle WA 10.27.02) * Electric Masada (On The Boards, Seattle WA 11.10.02 ) * Sun City Girls / Climax Golden Twins (Graceland, Seattle WA 11.30.02) * Black Frames / 2 Loons for Tea / RTC (Crocodile, Seattle WA 12.13.02) -- "We have met the Enemy, and he is us." -Walt Kelly