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Best of Jazz – Year 2016

2016 summarized in 20 amazing jazz tracks and albums. No rank, no order, you can enjoy the playlist as it is or shuffle it.

Find links to the artists’ websites just under the art covers and discover more of their works, past and to come.

Best Jazz 2016

GoGo Penguin

Best Jazz 2016 - GoGo Penguin - Man Made Object
GoGo Penguin
Man Made Object ‎
(Blue Note)

Man Made Object is GoGo Penguin’s 3rd album and their 1st one on Blue Note. From Manchester, the trio is lead-free and prefers composing and existing as a unit.

Chris Illingworth: piano; Nick Blacka: double bass; Rob Turner: drums
Released date: 2016.02.05

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Julie Kjær 3

Best Jazz 2016 - Julie Kjær 3 - Dobbeltgænger
Julie Kjær 3 ‎‎
Dobbeltgænger ‎
(Clean Feed)

Read our full review Julie Kjær 3 ‎‎- Dobbeltgænger

Julie Kjær: alto saxophone; John Edwards: double bass; Steve Noble: drums.
Release date: 2016.02.26

Website

Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom

Best Jazz 2016 - Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom - Otis Was A Polar Bear
Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom ‎‎
Otis Was A Polar Bear ‎
(The Royal Potato Family)

Tough experiences can also lead to new ways of being and play together. This band clearly celebrate friends resilience.

Allison Miller: drums; Ben Goldberg: clarinets; Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Myra Melford: piano; Jenny Scheinman: violin; Todd Sickafoose: bass.
Release date: 2016.04.08

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Shabaka And The Ancestors

Best Jazz 2016 - Shabaka And The Ancestors - Wisdom Of Elders
Shabaka And The Ancestors ‎
Wisdom Of Elders ‎
(Brownswood Recordings)

Yes this is the Shabaka Hutchings from Sons of Kemet and from The Comet is Coming, this time looking at our ancestors, releasing a new wonder.

Shabaka Hutchings: tenor sax; Mtunzi Myubu: alto sax; Mandla Mlangeni: trumpet; Siyabanga Mthembu: vocals; Nduduzo Makhathini: Rhodes, piano; Ariel Zamonsky: bass; Gontse Makhene: percussion; Tumi Mogorosi: drums.
Release date: 2016.09.16

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Yussef Kamaal

Best Jazz 2016 - Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus
Yussef Kamaal
Black Focus ‎
(Brownswood Recordings)

One name for a duo from London. Yussef Dayes on drums and Kamaal Williams on the fender rhodes signed on Brownswood by Gilles Peterson – super hype but honestly deserved.

Yussef Dayes: drums; Kamaal Williams: fender rhodes; Mansur Brown: guitar; Kareem Dayes & Tom Driessler: bass; Yelfris Valdes: trumpet; Gordon Wedderburn: vocals; Shabaka Hutchings: Tenor Saxophone

Black Focus is part of the Best Jazz-Funk Albums
Release date: 2016.11.04

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Jonathan Greenstein

Best Jazz 2016 - Jonathan Greenstein - Vol. I
Jonathan Greenstein
“Mechanics” ‎
from Vol. I
()

An introspection through externalization. We loved it and now tremble with excitement to discover the 2 next EPs. Read the full review Jonathan Greenstein‎ – Vol. I

Jonathan Greenstein: saxophone; Gilad Hekselman: guitar; Victor Gould: piano; Or Bareket: bass; Mark Whitfield Jr.: drums.
Release date: 2016.01.29

Website Twitter

Tonbruket

Tonbruket - Forevergreens
Tonbruket
“Mano Sinistra” ‎
from Forevergreens
(ACT)

A new beginning for Tonbruket: Some of the tracks are extremely soft and gentle, romantic, acoustic, jazz-inspired, while others use prog rock as a springboard from which to make the short leap into heavy metal. The pieces the band plays can differ hugely from each other in shape, intensity and stylistic origin. The result of this is that the listener’s attention tends to be drawn away from the specific and from the moment-to-moment, and towards the totality of what is happening.” -ACT

Dan Berglund: bass; Martin Hederos: keybords, violon; Johan Lindström: guitar; Andreas Werliin: drums
Release date: 2016.03.18

Website

Orchestre National De Jazz, Olivier Benoit

Orchestre National De Jazz - Europa Rome
Orchestre National De Jazz, Olivier Benoit
‎”Esuberanza 1″ ‎
from Europa Rome ‎
(ONJ Records)
Bandcamp

Arnan Raz

Arnan Raz - Second To The Left
Arnan Raz
“Mykonos” ‎
from Second To The Left ‎
(Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit Records)

Website Twitter

Aziza

Aziza - Aziza
Aziza
“Aziza Dance” ‎
from Aziza ‎
(Dare2 Records)

Website Twitter

Mary Halvorson, Noël Akchoté

Mary Halvorson, Noël Akchoté
Mary Halvorson, Noël Akchoté
“Flowers (For Mary)” ‎
from Mary Halvorson & Noël Akchoté ‎
(Noël Akchoté Downloads)
Bandcamp

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t

Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. - E.S.T. Symphony
Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t.
“Dodge The Dodo” ‎
from E.S.T. Symphony ‎
(ACT)
Website

The Comet Is Coming

The Comet Is Coming - Death To The Planet
The Comet Is Coming ‎‎
“Final Eclipse (Full Version)” ‎
from Death To The Planet ‎
(Leaf)

Website Twitter

Vijay Iyer, Wadada Leo Smith ‎‎

Vijay Iyer, Wadada Leo Smith - A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke
Vijay Iyer, Wadada Leo Smith ‎‎
“A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (For Nasreen Mohamedi)” ‎
from A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke ‎
(ECM)

Website Twitter

Brandee Younger

Brandee Younger - Wax & Wane
Brandee Younger
‎”Soul Vibrations” ‎
from Wax & Wane ‎
(Disk Union)

Website Twitter

Lisa Ullén Quartet

Lisa Ullén Quartet - Borderlands
Lisa Ullén Quartet
‎”Sisters, Brothers, Here’s Another” ‎
from Borderlands ‎
(Disorder)
Website

BadBadNotGood

BadBadNotGood - IV
BadBadNotGood ‎‎
“Confessions Pt. II” ‎
from IV ‎
(Innovative Leisure Records)

Website Twitter

Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann

Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann
Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann
‎”Part II” ‎
from Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann ‎
(Lovers & Lollypops)
Bandcamp

Mast

Mast - Love and War
Mast
“The Rendezvous” ‎
from Love and War ‎
(Alpha Pup Records)

Website Twitter

Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Matthew Garrison

Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Matthew Garrison - In Movement
Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Matthew Garrison
“Alabama” ‎
from In Movement ‎
(ECM)

Website Twitter

Best Jazz 2016 Playlist

Best Jazz 2016 Albums’ List

  • GoGo Penguin – Man Made Object
  • Julie Kjær 3 – Dobbeltgænger
  • Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom – Otis Was A Polar Bear
  • Shabaka And The Ancestors – Wisdom Of Elders
  • Yussef Kamaal – Black Focus
  • Jonathan Greenstein, Gilad Hekselman, Or Bareket, Mark Whtfield Jr. – Vol. I
  • Tonbruket – Forevergreens
  • Orchestre National De Jazz, Olivier Benoit – Europa Rome
  • Arnan Raz – Second To The Left
  • Aziza – Aziza
  • Mary Halvorson, Noël Akchoté – Mary Halvorson & Noël Akchoté
  • Esbjörn Svensson Trio e.s.t. – E.S.T. Symphony
  • The Comet Is Coming – Death To The Planet
  • Vijay Iyer, Wadada Leo Smith – A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke
  • Brandee Younger – Wax & Wane
  • Lisa Ullén Quartet – Borderlands
  • BadBadNotGood – IV
  • Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann – Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann
  • Mast – Love and War
  • Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Matthew Garrison – In Movement

What About the 2010s

Discover all the other 2010’s best jazz playlist: 2019201820172016201520142013201220112010

Filed under: 2010s, Yearly Selection

About the Author

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Hi, I am Paul, blogger at Best of Jazz and Jazz enthusiast since 1995.

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