Pop Talk by George Varga

The numbers tell the story about the fate of albums in 2009 — and it's a paradoxical one.

A decade ago, about 30,000 albums were released each year, although even the most devoted listeners could only manage to hear a fraction of them. This year, that number was more than 100,000, even as the number of stores selling recorded music continued to plummet.

Never mind that the album as we know it is dying. Blame record company greed and inflated retail prices in an era of digital downloading, file-sharing, ring-tones and a clear audience preference for individual songs over far more expensive albums.

In 2000, 32 artists released albums that sold 2 million copies each. Only four reached that mark this year, and album sales in this country have dropped from 706.3 million in 2000 to 249.1 million in 2009. That's why it doesn't matter that 100,000 albums were released this year. Most are available only online or at live shows by myriad indie artists, many of whom make and market their own music to a niche audience. There's a lesson there for the major record labels, assuming they're willing to listen. Big isn't necessarily better, it's just bigger.

Clearly, the paradigm is shifting, even if no one knows where it will end up. Music is more ubiquitous than ever in this digital age. Yet, it seems less meaningful to many people, who regard music as just one of many entertainment options, not an art form that is an essential part of life.

That's the bad news. The good news is that lots of high quality music is still being made, much of it for smaller, independent record companies that value substance over style. Many of my dozen favorite pop and jazz albums of 2009 were released by precisely such companies. Long may they run.

POP

1. Tom Waits, "Glitter and Doom" (Anti)

The title of this live double-album perfectly captures the duality of Tom Waits, the troubadour whose galvanizing, blues-drenched music captures the highs and lows of life — the wrenching tragedies and the fleeting triumphs — while deftly blurring the lines between the two with pathos and humor. Made during his 2008 tour and largely showcasing songs from his most recent studio releases, "Glitter and Doom" is the third live album he's released in his 36-year recording career. It's also a highlight for anyone who treasures Waits' tortured carnival barker vocal delivery and his ability to create intensely moody music that vividly chronicles life's not so beautiful losers. For longtime fans, the second CD of Waits' stage patter and extended anecdotes, punctuated by vaudeville-tinged piano filigrees, is worth the price of admission by itself.

2. Maxwell, "BLACKsummers' Night" (Columbia)

A modern R&B gem, Maxwell's finest album to date is also his most daring and nuanced. His heart may be broken in each of these songs of love gone tragically wrong, but his impassioned singing and first-rate songwriting here are almost on a par with Al Green and the late Marvin Gaye in their respective primes. For now, Maxwell is in a league of his own.

3. Animal Collective, "Merriweather Post Pavilion" (Domino)

The eighth and finest album by this heady band from Baltimore revels in the joy of musical experimentation and sonic surprise. The music draws from the dizzying ambition of classic prog-rock, but wisely avoids even a hint of pomp and circumstance. There's also a growing command of pop-song craft, however unconventional, under Animal Collective's swirling, neo-psychedelic forays that makes this challenging journey a must for aural adventure seekers.

4.

Former Polyphonic Spree singer-guitarist Annie Clark has found her voice as St. Vincent, and — on her second album — she gamely reaches to both heaven and hell. Inspired conceptually by vintage Disney movie fairy tales and "The Wizard of Oz," and musically by Peter Gabriel, David Bowie and King Crimson at their most expansive, "Actor" manages to sound inviting and harrowing at the same time.

5. Dirty Projectors, "Bitte Orca" (Domino)

Featuring former singer-guitarist Amber Coffman, New York's Dirty Projectors have never sounded more inspired or accomplished than on "Bitte Orca's" intricate fusion of art-rock, Afro-pop, punk and more. The constant tempo changes and contrapuntal vocal and instrumental lines can prove daunting to neophyte listeners. But when it comes to poise, imagination and taking bold risks, Dirty Projectors take the prize.

6. Sara Watkins, "Sara Watkins" (Nonesuch)

Fourteen songs strong, the debut solo album by this gifted Nickel Creek alum is an unhurried work, yet it doesn't contain a single extraneous note, musical gesture or emotion. Drawing from bluegrass, folk, country, pop and swing, it exudes homespun charm on its lovingly crafted songs. The album was lovingly produced by Led Zeppelin veteran John Paul Jones, who wisely lets Watkins and her wonderful songs shine.

JAZZ

1. James Moody, "Moody 4A" (IPO)

After making an exquisite album last year with pianist Hank Jones, sax legend James Moody returns with another winning effort that is alternately sly and playful, seductive and poignant. Backed by a stellar trio headed by pianist Kenny Barron, Moody focuses on such standards as "Secret Love" and "Bye Bye Blackbird." But there is nothing standard about his ingenious choice of notes or the eloquence with which he plays them. The result is a low-key delight from a crafty 84-year-old dynamo who still has vigor and verve to spare.

2. Keith Jarrett, "Testament" (ECM)

Recorded live in Europe last year, these 20 ingeniously improvised solo piano pieces clock in at two hours but don't last one second too long. They are also a form of musical catharsis, both for Keith Jarrett (whose wife of 30 years had just left him) and his listeners. For tension and release, albums don't get much better than this, in jazz or any other style.

3. Linda Oh Trio, "Entry" (lindaohmusic.com) The time it takes to order this album from Linda Oh's website is well worth the effort. A skilled bassist and arresting composer, she and her group create open-ended songs full of intrigue and surprise at every turn.

4. Allen Toussaint, "The Bright Mississippi" (Nonesuch)

New Orleans' greatest living pop, funk and R&B singer-songwriter, Allen Toussaint is also a superior pianist. His ebullient new album finds him saluting the rich jazz and gospel traditions of his hometown in an all-instrumental setting backed by a superb band of young lions that injects oft-heard classics with new life.

5. Donny McCaslin, "Declaration" (Sunnyside)

Fellow saxophonists Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano and Miguel Zenon also delivered outstanding albums in 2009. But Donny McCaslin deserves to be at least as acclaimed as his better-known peers. And with the nine-song "Declaration," his most accomplished and adventuresome album yet, he makes a strong (and eminently listenable) case why.

6. Gretchen Parlato, "In A Dream" (ObliqSound)

There's a suitably dreamy quality to the singing of Gretchen Parlato, who gently soars whether performing her own songs or deftly reinventing classics by everyone from Duke Ellington to Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder. Her wonderfully nuanced voice allows her to achieve a depth of expression rare in any style, while the empathetic instrumental accompaniment she receives from a superb band of young lions elevates the music even higher.

To find out more about George Varga and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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