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Mercury News: Ibrahim Ferrer, Joshua Redman Records Among Best of 2007

Ibrahim Ferrer's Mi Sueno tops the list of last year's best in jazz according to the San Jose Mercury News, and its beauty extends beyond the boundaries of genre, according to critic Jim Harrington. He writes that Ferrer's posthumously released record is "nothing less than an absolute dream recording for Latin music lovers." Harrington continues:

The tracks are all breathtaking, and Ferrer's performance, in my mind, further cements his place among the very best singers in history. Mi Sueno is a work of understated elegance, yet bursting with romance, and it's the single greatest new disc—of any genre—that I heard in 2007.

Also on Harrington's list is Joshua Redman's Back East, on which the "saxophonist shuffles the deck in a new way and still manages to deal straight aces," creating what Harrington says is Redman's best album in years.

For the complete Top Ten list, visit mercurynews.com.

N'Dour, Veloso, Ferrer Albums Among Years Best, Says KEXP

KEXP, 90.3, Seattle, has posted the Top Ten lists from its Specialty Shows DJs. Youssou N'Dour's Rokku Mi Rokka (Give and Take) was among the year's favorites of Jon Kertzer, the station's expert on African and Afro-Caribbean music. Caetano Veloso's Cê and Ibrahim Ferrer's Mi Sueño are on the list from Darek Mazzone, whose show covers Modern Global Music.

For all the Best of 2007 lists from the KEXP Specialty Shows DJs, visit kexp.org.