It's 2020, and there are many "best of the decade" music lists to dig through on the Web. Make no mistake; there has been a ton of great music from the past ten years—the decade resulted in an expansion of both micro-genres and accessibility that had never been seen before. You could lock into a particular style or sound and stick with it, even when few others had ever heard what you listened to, and you would be happy. I traveled many of those genre paths, and I could make a list of hundreds of albums that I really like, but for the sake of brevity, I present to you my Picks of twenty-two albums.

I chose recordings that brought something new – sets that I hope you might want to listen to, and hopefully discover something new. There is a mix of genres: jazz, acoustic, and rock, all of which have held my attention and kept me coming back for more. If anything, my interests have moved towards acoustic material as my playing of mandolin and bass have moved me in that direction, but there's plenty of electric tunes to turn up as well.

As with any list I make, my interests change and evolve, so consider this a snapshot of where my musical head was at in January 2020. You can hear some samples from each album on my "Steve's Picks for the Decade" playlist at https://spoti.fi/36srW6O.

The Harrow and the Harvest—Gillian Welch (2011). Few albums come out precisely the way they were supposed to—the very best in Americana Music. "Tennessee" is simply one of her best and will be seen that way thirty years hence. This album is a true classic of the genre.

Sleep with One Eye Open—Chris Thile and Michael Daves (2011). Mandolinist extraordinaire Thile, joined by red hot Michael Daves, play a set of classic bluegrass tunes at high speed and superior sound. It will wake you up and leave you shaking your head at the acoustic fireworks. Smokin' hot.

Arborescence—Aaron Parks (2013). Solo piano projects are common, but few avoid the trap of selfindulgence or over-assessment. On his first effort with ECM, Parks follows the likes of Bley and Jarrett to create a set that makes you want to sit, without distraction, and listen to his carefully crafted musical stories – never over-done.

Star of Jupiter—Kurt Rosenwinkle (2014). Kurt Rosenwinkle is at the pinnacle of the next generation 21st century of post-bop guitarists. After honing his craft for more than a decade, his musical vision has cultured into his true voice, creating a lyricism and balance many try to achieve but never do.

Sunken Condos—Donald Fagen (2012). This is Fagen's best album after The Nightfly. It sounds like a new Steely Dan album, which says a lot. Crisp rhythms, smart lyrics, catchy grooves make this one a modern classic.

Psychedelic Pill—Neil Young & Crazy Horse (2012). With its magnum opus "Driftin' Back" timed in at over 25 minutes, Neil Young and Crazy Horse succeed in creating a musical time machine that combines 70s rock with 2010s Americana. Earthy, organic, straight rock, and roll, something we have been missing this decade — another one to turn up loud.

The Orchestrion Project—Pat Metheny (2013). I saw this tour front row – Pat Metheny playing with his orchestra of robotic instruments. His second outing with machines, the music is engaging and accessible. He plays a range of tunes from his songbook, something for every Metheny fan.

New World Quartets—The Brodsky Quartet (2014). A remarkable menu of American Music from the British Classical Quartet. Open that bottle of 2017 Lost Mountain and savor the music.

Fillmore East Recordings (2014) and the Fillmore West '71 (2019) —Allman Brothers. While this music is almost 50 years old, it is vital material for anyone who appreciates the impact the Allmans had on several genres of music. At the Fillmore East is quite likely the greatest live rock album produced, and this release contains all of the material recorded during that run. The Fillmore West '71 package released a few months back is an excellent complement to the first set. Desert Island Allman Brothers.

The Phosphorescent Blues—Punch Brothers (2015). Chris Thile and band have created a new genre of music with the Punch Brothers' movement beyond bluegrass roots into a progressive Americana tinged with Jazz, R&B, and Country. Seeing them live sealed the deal.

The Epic—Kamasi Washington (2015). Fresh off his work with Kendrick Lamar, Washington puts together a truly epic release that charts new directions for jazz in the 21rst century. He pulls from several influences, including Pharaoh Sanders, Horace Silver, and Wayne Shorter. Five stars.

Mount Royal—Julian Lage, Chris Eldredge (2017)—Jazz and Bluegrass influences combine to create a set of acoustic stories. Lage, like Metheny, was mentored by vibraphonist Gary Burton, and Eldredge's Bluegrass pedigree is impeccable. Combined, they create a robust guitar-based album of American Acoustic Music.

The Baker's Dozen: Live at Madison Square Garden—Phish. Some of you may have caught this epic run at MSG in the summer of 2017, featuring both an incredible array of Phish music and thousands of donuts every night for the hungry Phish fans. Rolling Stone said, "The band was lauded for their willingness to push themselves into new territory, and these versions were certainly unexpected highlights from the entire run." A sure bet.

Absent Lovers (Live in Montreal, 1984)— King Crimson (2018). Recorded a week after I saw them in 1984, this freshly released live Crimson show highlights their trilogy of eighties albums that changed music. Nothing short of spectacular.

Live in San Francisco—John McLaughlin and the 4rth Dimension and The Invisible Whip (2018). This recording of John McLaughlin's swan song tour in 2018 features a long set of Mahavishnu Orchestra tunes. The execution and musicianship are dazzling, the music tight and relevant. Best played at a higher volume, but unfortunately, it is not on Spotify.

The Roxy Performances— Frank Zappa (2018). Zappa's best band ever, including George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, and Chester Thompson, play some of his greatest music during a run at The Roxy in Hollywood. This anthology delivers the musical goods.

Fear Inoculum—Tool (2019). A powerful masterpiece of progressive metal – best played loud and listened to all the way through. We waited a long time for this one, and the wait has paid off.

Sun on Sand—Joshua Redman & Brooklyn Rider (2019). Perhaps the most unique release of this list is this recent album that combines string ensemble with jazz saxophone. Joshua Redman is always up for taking chances in different genres, from his collaborations with Umphrey's McGee, to his work with experimental jazz collaboratives, to his post-bop jazz albums. With this album, he finds the perfect equilibrium between Jazz sensibilities and 21st century classical — no easy feat.

Trilogy 2—Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Brian Blade (2019). The trio plays Corea classics, which are fresh as ever; even some forty years later, it always makes me smile. Play "La Fiesta" first.

Home—Billy Strings (2019). The prodigy hippie progressive bluegrass player matures on this fantastic new album. Upbeat, visionary, fun, and catchy, this record could expand the genre the way Sam Bush or David Grisman did a generation earlier. I can't wait to see him in Telluride this June.

Hall of Fame: Classes of 2010-2018—Umphrey's McGee. Each year Umphrey's Mcgee asks fans for their top live songs of the year. The band then throws in its favorites, and the Hall of Fame sets are produced. These albums are guaranteed to give you the best live tunes and jams that UM has--guaranteed to melt faces. I prefer the years 2011, 2014, and 2015.

Steve Chase has too much music to listen to in Unison.