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Dear Artists, Fans, Friends, and Anyone Reading This:

I have been compiling lists of my Favorite Albums of the year since I started reviewing for Wind and Wire magazine back in 1998. As the volume of reviews has grown each year, the more agonizing it’s become to choose just a few - or even 30!

2018 was an incredible year for new music! I reviewed 162 albums and 13 singles over the course of the year, and you might find it hard to believe, but there were very few that I didn’t like! It might seem that I have given an excessive number of albums “Pick” status, but I don’t do that to be nice. I honestly like that many albums - and often for very different reasons that include originality, versatility, mind-blowing chops, etc. I thought about breaking the Favorites into categories like solo piano, classical, electronic, Christmas, etc. but that still doesn’t work for me. Instead, I'm going to show a list of all of my "Picks" for the year. They are listed in the order I reviewed them starting with January.

So, I’m just going to congratulate all of the artists that I reviewed in 2018 for producing some of their best work ever. It is so inspiring as well as gratifying to hear such a fine body of new music over the course of the year, so please consider all of yourselves to be on my List of Favorites because you are!

Wishing everyone continued success and lots more wonderful music. You truly make the world a better place!

Kathy
Cover image of the album Songs of Changing Light by Kathryn Kaye
Kathryn Kaye
January 2, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Visions by Elias Haddad
Elias Haddad
January 11, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album After The Rain by Neil Tatar
Neil Tatar
January 16, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Medical Records by zzz special user for artist collaboration
Paul L. Fine, Errick Thomas, and Daniel Cronin
January 16, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album We Have Only Come To Dream by Terry Lee Nichols
Terry Lee Nichols and Rebekah Eden
January 19, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Soul Dreams by Christopher Boscole
Christopher Boscole
January 22, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Three Way: A Trio of One-Act Operas by Robert Paterson
Cover image of the album Let There Be Light by Tom Moore
Tom Moore and Sherry Finzer
January 28, 2018
Review by Kathy Parsons
Kathy's PicksZMR Winner
Cover image of the album Winter by Greg Maroney
Greg Maroney
February 2, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Opaline Sky by Matteo Palmer
Matteo Palmer
February 3, 2018
Guitar musicKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Illuminate by Emilee Hartley
Emilee Hartley
February 7, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Kiss The Quiet by Michael Whalen
Michael Whalen
February 12, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Between Earth and Heaven by Joey Curtin
Joey Curtin
February 17, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album You're the One by Brian Hagen
Brian Hagen
February 20, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Whitespace by Chad Hewitt
Chad Hewitt
February 24, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album On the Edge of a Dream by Robin Spielberg
Cover image of the album Mountains Made of Shadow, Anthems Made of Light by Dan Kennedy
Cover image of the album Piano by Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
March 7, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Winter Songs by Ola Gjeilo
Ola Gjeilo
March 8, 2018
Holiday AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Solitaire by Neil Patton
Neil Patton
March 14, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Rising by Vicente Avella
Vicente Avella
March 15, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Villa-Lobos/Castro by Andree-Ann Deschenes
Andree-Ann Deschenes
March 15, 2018
ClassicalKathy's PicksModern Classical
Cover image of the album Tomorrow's Daydream by Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly
March 17, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Ballerina by Oliver Nosaczynski Bohovic
Oliver Nosaczynski Bohovic
March 19, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Beautiful Song by Anne Trenning
Anne Trenning
March 21, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Every Moment by Joseph L Young
Joseph L Young
March 24, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album In the Pines by Brad Jacobsen
Brad Jacobsen
March 26, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Vis á Vis by Brique a Braq
Brique a Braq
March 28, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Wild Mustang Suite by Charles Denler
Charles Denler
March 31, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album The Road To Home by Gianluca Piacenza
Gianluca Piacenza
April 5, 2018
Kathy's PicksModern Classical
Cover image of the album Music That Tells a Story by Symphonex Orchestra
Symphonex Orchestra
April 6, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Sunset Breeze by Lynn Yew Evers
Lynn Yew Evers
April 8, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Moonlight in Empty Rooms by Heidi Breyer
Heidi Breyer
April 10, 2018
Review by Kathy Parsons
Kathy's PicksZMR Winner
Cover image of the album Living in the Light by Michael Dulin
Cover image of the album Living Waters by Joseph Nimoh
Joseph Nimoh
April 15, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Quiet Time In His Presence by Joseph Nimoh
Cover image of the album Mosaic by David Wahler
David Wahler
April 17, 2018
Kathy's PicksZMR Winner
Cover image of the album Spring by Greg Maroney
Greg Maroney
April 24, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Electric Spirit by Eric Tingstad
Eric Tingstad
April 28, 2018
BluesGuitar musicKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Beautiful Journey by Brenda Warren
Brenda Warren
April 29, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Eternal by Kevin Wood
Kevin Wood
May 1, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Quiet Wonder by Nathan Speir
Nathan Speir
May 7, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Terra Incognito: The Space Between by Richard Dillon
Cover image of the album The Waters of Glacier by Jill Haley
Jill Haley
May 10, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Amistad by Michael Hoppé
Michael Hoppé
May 12, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Transitions by David Hicken
David Hicken
May 14, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Time by Sean Christopher McGee
Sean Christopher McGee
May 15, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Immersion by Tim Glemser
Tim Glemser
May 16, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Forever-green by Jeff Duffield
Jeff Duffield
May 21, 2018
Review by Kathy Parsons
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Chromatones by Darlene Koldenhoven
Darlene Koldenhoven
May 26, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Time Not Forgotten by Rhonda Mackert
Rhonda Mackert
May 28, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album I'll Be With You by Eamonn Karran
Eamonn Karran
May 30, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Re-Invention (single) by Estela
Cover image of the album Encounters of the Beautiful Kind by Rachel LaFond
Rachel LaFond
June 6, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Piano Improvisations, Vol. 1 by Peter Calandra
Peter Calandra
June 8, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Home Again by Loren Evarts
Loren Evarts
June 10, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Yesterday Passing by Jim Ottaway
Jim Ottaway
June 12, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Jacket Juice (single) by Jesse Brown
Cover image of the album Sadness by Jesse Brown
Jesse Brown
June 14, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Tribute (single) by Greg Maroney
Greg Maroney
June 16, 2018
Kathy's PicksSingle Release
Cover image of the album In Dreams by Kimberly Haynes
Kimberly Haynes
June 17, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Words Unspoken by Reis Taylor Dixon
Reis Taylor Dixon
June 27, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album I Choose You (single) by Greg Maroney
Cover image of the album Songs of the Soul by Anastasia
Anastasia
July 2, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album A Priori: Music For the Back of Your Mind by Christopher Dicker
Cover image of the album A Better Place (Marco's Song) (single) by Joe Bongiorno
Cover image of the album Look Unto the Heavens by Scott Lawlor
Scott Lawlor
July 9, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Transition by Scott Lawlor
Scott Lawlor
July 9, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album In a Dark Room, a Single Candle is Lit in Memoriam for Those Whose Lives Were Incomplete by Scott Lawlor
Cover image of the album Rhythmic Movement by Tania Stavreva
Cover image of the album In The Distance by Michael Bohne
Michael Bohne
July 20, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Summer by Greg Maroney
Greg Maroney
July 23, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Treasures by Bill Whitfield
Bill Whitfield
July 24, 2018
Hymn ArrangementsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Carpe Noctem by Peter Calandra
Peter Calandra
July 27, 2018
Review by Kathy Parsons
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Fellowship of Solitude by Lynn Tredeau
Lynn Tredeau
August 1, 2018
Kathy's PicksZMR Winner
Cover image of the album Follow Your Heart by Eric Bikales
Eric Bikales
August 7, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album But I Want To (SE) (single) by AJ Smooth
Cover image of the album High Tech, High Touch by Wendy Loomis
Wendy Loomis
August 10, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Keys To the Heart by Joseph Akins
Joseph Akins
August 17, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Fearless by Cecilie
Cecilie
August 20, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album I'll Start In A Minor by Janine De Lorenzo
Janine De Lorenzo
August 21, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album A Trick of the Wind by Erik Scott
Erik Scott
August 24, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Soar by Adam Andrews
Cover image of the album Beyond Measures & Time by Steve Rivera
Steve Rivera
August 26, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Story of Ghosts by Fiona Joy Hawkins
Fiona Joy Hawkins
August 27, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Voyager by Lisa Swerdlow
Lisa Swerdlow
September 3, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Celtique by Doug Hammer
Doug Hammer
September 5, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album The Ineffable by Alan Matthews
Alan Matthews
September 12, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Simple Gifts by William Ogmundson
Cover image of the album An Open Sky by Ryan Judd
Ryan Judd
September 17, 2018
Guitar musicKathy's PicksZMR Winner
Cover image of the album Always (single) by Edo Sanz
Edo Sanz
September 18, 2018
Kathy's PicksSingle Release
Cover image of the album Clear Light by Stephanie Sante
Stephanie Sante
September 19, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Standard Deviations by Tobin Mueller
Tobin Mueller
September 23, 2018
JazzKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Where Giants Roam The Earth by Milana Zilnik
Milana Zilnik
September 24, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album The Flowers Suite by Barbara Hills
Barbara Hills
September 24, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Even For a Moment by Gary Schmidt
Gary Schmidt
September 25, 2018
Review by Kathy Parsons
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Melodies & Interludes, Vol. 2 by Kris Baines
Kris Baines
September 28, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Magic Kingdom by Peter Sterling
Peter Sterling
September 29, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Leaning Toward Home by Holland Phillips
Holland Phillips
September 29, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Trouble Will Cause by Judson Hurd
Judson Hurd
October 1, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album How Far Is It To Bethlehem? by William Ogmundson
Cover image of the album Half Moon Bay by Rick Sparks
Rick Sparks
October 6, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album A Classic Christmas II by Christine Brown
Cover image of the album Journey of Tears by Monica Williams
Monica Williams
October 9, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Thankful Heart, Joyful Mind by Pam Asberry
Cover image of the album Fall by Greg Maroney
Greg Maroney
October 17, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Keys For Peace by Louis Landon
Louis Landon
October 18, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Well Past Midnight by Rachel LaFond
Rachel LaFond
October 21, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album The Long Goodbye by John Paris
John Paris
October 22, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Noel by Charles Denler
Cover image of the album Piano and Night by Brian Crain
Brian Crain
October 24, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Ragtime by William Ogmundson
William Ogmundson
October 25, 2018
JazzKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Christmas At Home by David Wahler
Cover image of the album Solo Piano Fantasies by Louis Landon
Louis Landon
October 27, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Mirrors by Sangeeta Kaur
Sangeeta Kaur
October 28, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Passages by Kathleen Ryan
Kathleen Ryan
October 29, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Native Connections by Mark Freshwater
Mark Freshwater
October 29, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Kaleidoscope by Michael Logozar
Cover image of the album On the Other Side by Cathy Oakes
Cathy Oakes
November 3, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Sindhu by Caro Pampillo
Caro Pampillo
November 4, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Healing Hearts 4 by Louis Landon
Louis Landon
November 5, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album A World Away by 2002
2002
November 6, 2018
Kathy's PicksZMR Winner
Cover image of the album Phoenix by William Ogmundson
William Ogmundson
November 7, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Connected by Philip Howard
Philip Howard
November 8, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Moonlight Sonata (single) by Greg Maroney
Cover image of the album Conversation Pieces, Vols. 1 & 2 by Paul L. Fine
Paul L. Fine
November 12, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Conversation Pieces, Vol. 3 by Paul L. Fine
Paul L. Fine
November 13, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Passage by Michael Logozar
Michael Logozar
November 14, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Colors of the Ambient Sky by David Arkenstone
David Arkenstone
November 15, 2018
Kathy's PicksZMR Winner
Cover image of the album Winter by Brad Jacobsen
Cover image of the album Winter II by Ryan Marvel
Cover image of the album A Classical Christmas Courtship by Janine De Lorenzo
Cover image of the album Last Passing of Summer by David Lindsay
David Lindsay
November 23, 2018
Review by Kathy Parsons
Guitar musicKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Chopin & Liszt: Piano Works by Sophia Agranovich
Sophia Agranovich
November 26, 2018
ClassicalKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album The Best of Joseph Akins by Joseph Akins
Joseph Akins
November 26, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Soul Journey by Scott Lawlor
Scott Lawlor
November 27, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Notes From Zion by Faith Angelina
Faith Angelina
November 28, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Remembrances by Greg Maroney
Greg Maroney and Sherry Finzer
November 29, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Guide Me by Samer Fanek
Samer Fanek
November 30, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Invisible Lifeline by Penka Kouneva
Penka Kouneva and Georgi Slavchev
December 1, 2018
Kathy's PicksModern Classical
Cover image of the album The Spirit of Christmas by Dan Blanchard
Cover image of the album Perihelion...The Turning Point by Al Jewer and Andy Mitran
Al Jewer and Andy Mitran
December 4, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album A Shepherd's Wonder (Single) by Marlowe Carruth
Cover image of the album Quiet Spaces: Flute Meditations for Mindfulness and Relaxation by Ann Licater
Cover image of the album Florescer by Rebecca Hass
Rebecca Hass
December 13, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Small Treasures by Kerani
Kerani
December 14, 2018
Kathy's PicksZMR Winner
Cover image of the album Got My Eye On You, Santa (single) by Roberta Piket
Cover image of the album The Last Tree by Wayne White
Wayne White
December 17, 2018
Guitar musicKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album In Volo by Bzur
Bzur
December 18, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Asilomar by Michael Martinez
Cover image of the album Tales From the East by EStrella Piano Duo
EStrella Piano Duo
December 20, 2018
ClassicalKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Little Red Boat by Mary Lydia Ryan
Cover image of the album The Magic Of Christmas by Philip Wesley
Philip Wesley
December 24, 2018
Review by Kathy Parsons
Holiday AlbumsHoliday Albums & Singles: 2018Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Looking For Utopia by Bluesilhouettes (David R. Peoples)
Bluesilhouettes (David R. Peoples)
December 27, 2018
Debut AlbumsKathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Here With You by Bob
Bob "Chaz" Baker
December 30, 2018
Kathy's Picks
Cover image of the album Marble Halls (single) by William Ogmundson
William Ogmundson
December 30, 2018
Kathy's PicksSingle Release
Cover image of the album Beautiful You by Matthew Mayer