Every year on the site we ask musicians to look back at the past year, in a feature we title Auld Lang Syne, so I figured I should play our game as well…

Which album or albums have you listened to most this past year?

At the end of the day, it’s always Miles, although this year In A Silent Way just outpointed Kind of Blue. As for albums from 2015, there was a lot to hear on Kamasi Washington’s aptly titled, The Epic, so I jumped around there. Heavy rotation also included Circles Around The Sun and the forthcoming Tedeschi Trucks Band album which I’ve had for a little while now. Joanna Newsom could suit my moods, as could new music from the Dave Rawlings Machine, My Morning Jacket, Julian Lage, Gov’t Mule and John Scofield (finally!), Vijay Iyer Trio, JJ Grey and Mofro, Jack DeJohnette, Widespread Panic, Sharon Van Etten and The Word.

What was your favorite show of 2015?

I’ll give you three…Fare Thee Well Chicago (night three really resonated although I may have enjoyed night one the most), the Mad Dogs & Englishmen set from Lockn’ and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at Bonnaroo (the first time I’d seen them).

What emerging artists should we watch out for in 2016?

Does King Gizzard count? Kamasi Washington? We featured Delta Rae in the Relix On The Verge section but that feels like cheating as well. How about Leon Bridges?

Any big plans in the works for 2016?

Why thanks for asking. I wrote the Tedeschi Trucks Band Relix cover story that will appear in a couple weeks. I also have two books on the way in late March: John Popper’s autobiography Suck and Blow, which I co-authored and also a novel set on Dead tour circa 1990, Might As Well.