2023 Archives - Best of Jazz

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Best Jazz Albums of 2023

The following selection is our definitive “Best Jazz Albums of 2023” list. The selection is divided into albums featuring solos, duets, trios, quartets, quintets, sextets, and larger ensembles, with three selections per category, for a total of 21 albums. We also added one category for “Artist of the Year”, and one for “Archive of the Year”, thereby adding two albums to the final selection, for a grand total of 23 albums that sum up how great 2023 was for jazz.

Discover now the Best Jazz 2024 (so far)

Jazz October 2023

What should you expect from jazz this month? Welcome to our October 2023 selection of albums that have already been or will soon be released this month. These albums grabbed our full attention, and they are worth your time. They are listed in order of release date.

Jazz September 2023

What should you expect from jazz this month? Welcome to our September 2023 (and a little of August actually) selection of albums that have already been or will soon be released this month. These albums grabbed our full attention, and they are worth your time. They are listed in order of release date.

James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet For Mahalia With Love

For Mahalia, With Love – James Brandon Lewis, Red Lily Quintet

For Mahalia, With Love is a Mahalia Jackson tribute album by saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and his Red Lily Quintet with Kirk Knuffke on cornet, William Parker on bass, Chad Taylor on drums, and Chris Hoffman on cello. For Mahalia, With Love was recorded at Skyline Studios, New Jersey, and will be released on September 8, 2023, by TAO Forms.

Henry Threadgill – The Other One

The Other One is an album by Pulitzer Prize winner Henry Threadgill. It was a multimedia piece involving film, paintings, photographs, electronics, voice loops, and both noted and improvised orchestral music, performed and recorded live at Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, New York, in May 2022. Two performances were held on two different evenings: “The One,” and “The Other One.” This album is the recording of the second evening, hence its name. It was released on May 26, 2023, by Pi Recordings.

Jazz June 2023

What should you expect from jazz this month? Welcome to our June 2023 selection of albums that have already been or will soon be released this month. These albums grabbed our full attention, and they are worth your time. They are listed in order of release date.

Jazz May 2023

The current diversity, scope, and quality of jazz are incredible. Just listen to the following selection of records that will be released in May 2023! With only these 10 albums, it feels like we have enough material to enjoy endless jazz for a full year!

However, if you think we forgot a must-listen release, then please add it to the comments below. Thank you!

The albums are ordered by their release date.

Jazz April 2023

What’s new to discover in jazz this month? This is our April 2023 selection of albums that have already been released. These got our full attention and should be worth your time! The albums are ordered by their release date.

Jazz March 2023

The March 2023 selection will start as a list, without review.

Yes, it’s a bit raw. But this month looks so good, there’s no point in waiting at the risk of missing the releases of the following albums; our inputs or reviews will come later.

So, what should you expect from jazz this month? Welcome to our March 2023 selection of albums that have already been released or will soon be released this month (“What to Wait For”). These albums got our full attention and are worth your time. They are listed in order of release date.

Joëlle Léandre – Zurich Concert (live)

Zurich Concert is a solo recording by bassist Joëlle Léandre. Zurich Concert was recorded live on March 17, 2022, at Taktlos-Festival at Kunstraum Walcheturm, in Zürich, Switzerland, by Willy Strehler, and it will be released on February 20, 2023, by Intakt Records.