The Best Jazz Albums of 2023

Initial draft collected on Nov. 1, 2023. The file will be updated as additional worthy records are found (although updating may lag behind the official 2023 list). Last year's list was never frozen (OK, let's say it was frozen on Nov. 1, 2023). There also exists a parallel list of The Best Non-Jazz of 2023.

Note: numbering of lists (aside from A/A-) is only temporary, to make it easier for me to tally up stats. I've made no effort to order (other than alphaetical by artist) anything in grades below A-.

Also, several A-list albums below were close enough to Non-Jazz that I duplicated the entries in the Non-Jazz file (sometimes giving them lower rankings there; the year file rank is more authoritative).

[*] indicates that I reviewed this on the basis of an advance, often a CDR copy (a good thing, I might add, for vinyl-only releases). [**] identifies a record that I've only heard via download or through a streaming service like Napster.

For all lists, I've included a few 2022 (and possibly earlier) records that I discovered after last year's freeze date, but I've only included such records if they were released on or after Dec. 1, 2022, or were so little known that they received no mention in the 2022 metacritic file. These are marked, e.g., '22, after the label.

New Music

1.		Rodrigo Amado/The Bridge: Beyond the Margins (Trost) Portuguese tenor saxophonist, easily one of the top half-dozen in the world since 2000, which should suffice here, but pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach is a special treat here, and the interaction is so masterful Gerry Hemingway and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten got in on the action. Beware: it does get a little rowdy.
2.		Irreversible Entanglements: Protect Your Light (Impulse!) Jazz group with poet-vocalist Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother), eponymous debut 2017, core group: Aquiles Navarro (trumpet), Keir Neuringer (alto sax), Luke Stewart (bass), Tcheser Holmes (drums). Cosmic vibe rivals Sun Ra, but deadly serious words, and shooting star horns, and MVP bass.
3.		Steve Lehman/Orchestre National de Jazz: Ex Machina (Pi) Alto saxophonist, a Braxton student, has a long list of outstanding albums from 2001, including complex octets and his African fusion Sélébéyone. ONJ is a venerable French organization, dating from 1986, directed since 2019 by Frédéric Maurin. I haven't followed them, but at least in this iteration, they're not just a budget big band. Maurin not only directed, but wrote 5 (of 11) pieces, as clever and tricky as Lehman's. This took me longer than usual, but surely will rank as one of the year's best.
4.		James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet: For Mahalia, With Love (Tao Forms, 2CD) Tenor saxophonist, formed this group for his poll-winning 2021 album Jesup Wagon, reconvenes with Kirk Knuffke (trumpet), Chris Hoffman (cello), William Parker (bass), and Chad Taylor (drums), to play his arrangements of a set of trad. gospel pieces tied to Mahalia Jackson, but with no vocals, as nothing else can be as sanctified as his instrument. The digital album ends there (9 tracks, 71:32), and as long as it stays on track, it's as inspired as any gospel program since David Murray's Spirituals. The 2-CD package adds a second album, These Are Soulful Days, a suite (8 tracks, 47:24) that starts out as an interesting strings piece, played by Lutoslawski Quartet, with Lewis joining in and eventually dominating -- about as good as sax-with-strings gets. [There's also a 2-LP package of the album proper, with a download code for the bonus.]
5.		The Rempis Percussion Quartet: Harvesters (Aerophonic, 2CD) Saxophonist Dave Rempis, from Chicago, plays alto and tenor, assembled this two-drummer quartet (Tim Daisy and Frank Rosaly), with bass (Ingebrigt Håker Flaten), in 2006, and returns with their ninth album. I hit the second disc first, and thought it was nicely balanced, as cogent or more as anything they've done. The first was more typically aggressive, although it settled down after a nice bass solo. Next piece added Jean-Luc Cappozzo on flugelhorn.
6.		George Coleman: Live at Smalls Jazz Club (Cellar) Tenor saxophonist, best known as the younger guy Wayne Shorter replaced in the Miles Davis Quintet, although he's turned in a few masterpieces over the years -- the first (and most classic) Eastern Rebellion (1976), My Horns of Plenty (1991), and A Master Speaks (2016) -- and still retains one of the instrument's most recognizable voices. His set here includes an original blues and seven standards (starting with Davis, and including a Jobim), backed by Spike Wilner (piano), Peter Washington (bass), and Joe Farnsworth (drums). Few have ever made great sound easier.
7.		Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Sixth Decade From Paris to Paris: Live at Sons D'Hiver (RogueArt, 2CD) Quintet formed in 1966, the best known group to emerge from the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Music), from their inception dedicated to transcending jazz and performing "great black music." The original group stuck together more than 30 years, until the deaths of Lester Bowie (1999), Malachi Favors (2004), and Joseph Jarman (2019). That left Roscoe Mitchell (sax) and Famoudou Don Moye (percussion), who keep the faith with a long list of guests: I count 18 here, where the vocalists (Moor Mother, Roco Córdova, Erina Newkirk) are most prominent, and the percussionists most numerous. I don't love all the vocals, but there's much to celebrate here.
8.		Jason Kao Hwang Critical Response: Book of Stories (True Sound) Violinist, b. 1957 in Illinois, parents immigrated from Hunan after WWII, has spent considerable time mastering classical Chinese music but he's mostly recorded cutting-edge jazz, making him the heir apparent after the deaths of Leroy Jenkins and Billy Bang. Trio here with guitarist Anders Nilsson, who blends in beautifully, and drummer Michael T.A. Thompson.
9.		Emmet Cohen: Master Legacy Series Volume 5: Featuring Houston Person (Bandstand Presents) Pianist, has a few volumes from 2011 on featuring his own estimable work, along side this series, which started with Jimmy Cobb, Ron Carter, and Tootie Heath before moving on to the saxophonists, adding Benny Golson to the Heath volume, followed by George Coleman, and now Person -- who, by the way, sounds fabulous right out of the gate. With Yasushi Nakamura (bass) and Kyle Poole (drums). **
10.		Farida Amadou/Jonas Cambien/Dave Rempis: On the Blink (Aerophonic) Chicago saxophonist Rempis recorded in the Netherlands, with the two Belgian musicians on bass and piano, both with electronics. (Cambien is currently based in Oslo.) The background is enticing, something Rempis shows great sensitivity to, not that he never breaks loose for a power solo.
11.		Javier Red's Imagery Converter: Life & Umbrella (Desafio Candente) Pianist, from Mexico, based in Chicago, second album, with Jake Wark (tenor sax), Ben Dillinger (bass), and Gustavo Cortinas (drums). Cover text: "Spreading empathy, understanding, and love for Autism." No idea what that means, but the music has an inner tension that is constantly shifting and refocusing. Remarkable.
12.		John Blum/David Murray/Chad Taylor: The Recursive Tree (Relative Pitch) Avant-pianist, has a rather thin discography, starting with a solo in 2002. The interest here, of course, is the tenor saxophonist, who lifts any encounter. He sounds a bit thinner here than on Plumb, probably due to having to navigate a more fractured landscape -- mostly piano, but the drummer chips in. **
13.		Mark Feldman/Dave Rempis/Tim Daisy: Sirocco (Aerophonic) Violin, saxophones (alto/tenor/baritone), and drums, the latter two a long-running Chicago duo, Rempis one of the most consistent free jazz players around.
14.		Jason Moran: From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes) "A meditation on the life and legacy of James Reese Europe" (1881-1919), a composer and bandleader born in Mobile, moved to Washington, DC when he was 10, and on to New York in 1904, where he organized his first bands. He went on to lead a military band in WWII, touring widely and recording several songs in France. When he returned to America, he played Carnegie Hall with a 125-piece orchestra. Moran stitched this together from Europe's compositions, three W.C. Handy blues in Europe's repertoire, a couple originals, and bits of Albert Ayler and Pauline Oliveros, played by a tentet with four brass, three reeds, piano, bass, and drums. **
15.		Max Koch: Ten Bulls (Jazzwerkstatt) German guitarist, first album, other names on the cover, in order: Bill Elgart (drums), Max Hirth (tenor sax), Stephan Deller (bass), Max Arsava (piano). Four Koch originals, one from Ornette Coleman. Sax impressed from the start, before I started wondering who the guitarist was. Terrific all the way through. **
16.		Ivo Perelman/Ray Anderson/Joe Morris/Reggie Nicholson: Molten Gold (Fundacja Sluchaj) Tenor sax, trombone, bass, and drums. Anderson turns out to be a great accompanist here. **
17.		Paul Dunmall: Bright Light a Joyous Celebration (Discus Music) The saxophonist leads a sextet here, with two more saxophonists (Soweto Kinch and Xhosa Cole), vibes (Corey Mwamba), bass (Dave Kane), and drums (Hamid Drake). The drummer goes without saying, but I'm really impressed by the vibes here, and the saxophones live up to the title. **
18.		Floy Krouchi/James Brandon Lewis/Benjamin Sanz: Cliffs (Off '22) Two French musicians I had never heard of invited the saxophonist for a week in the south of France, where they came up with this totally unheralded album. Not as expansive as Lewis's own work, but in many ways a better showcase for his prodigious skills. **
19.		Ivo Perelman/Joe Morris: Elliptic Time (Mahakala Music '22) Brazilian tenor saxophonist, extremely prolific, comes out with another duo, this with guitar. I've fallen behind in my Perelman listening: I missed his 9-CD Brass and Ivory Tales, haven't gotten to my download of his 11-CD Reed Rapture in Brooklyn, and I'm sure there are others. This, however, is the right combination for a reasonable stretch of time. **
20.		David Murray/Questlove/Ray Angry: Plumb (Outside In Music) Tenor sax/bass clarinet giant, jamming with the drummer and keyboard player from the Roots. Product status is iffy: runs 14 songs, 136 minutes, which can be streamed now, with a 4-LP box is promised for sometime 2024 ($150, "ships in about six months," which sounds more like a reverse twist on loansharking). The Roots guys aren't much more than fit for purpose here, but Murray is once again a tower of strength. **
21.		Wadada Leo Smith and Orange Wave Electric: Fire Illuminations (Kabell) Trumpet player, has a new group in his Yo! Miles! mode, with three guitarists (Nels Cline, Brandon Ross, Lamar Smith), two bassists (Melvin Gibbs and Bill Laswell), drums (Pheeroan aKlaff), percussion (Mauro Refrosco), and electronics (Hardedge) bringing the avant electrofunk. **
22.		Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: Hear the Light Singing (RogueArt) Pianist, a major figure since 1990, with Mary Halvorson (guitar), Ingrid Laubrock (tenor and soprano sax), Tomeka Reid (cello), and Lesley Mok (drums). Second group album, a rhythmic tour de force.
23.		Peter Brötzmann/Majid Bekkas/Hamid Drake: Catching Ghosts (ACT) A founder of the German avant-garde, here 81, still strong on tenor sax and clarinet, but takes a back seat here to Moroccan Gnaoua adept Bekkas, who chant-sings and plays guembri, with Drake's drums offering perfect support. This live set recalls another superb 2019 album, The Catch of a Ghost, with Gnaouan master Maâlem Moukhtar Gania joining Brötzmann and Drake -- itself a reprisal of work they did as far back as 1996. **
24.		Jim Black & the Schrimps: Ain't No Saint (Intakt) Drummer, modeled this band on Tim Berne's Bloodcount, which he was a member of in the late 1990s, starting afresh with young musicians I've never heard of: Asger Nilssen (alto sax), Julius Gawlik (tenor sax), and Felix Henkelhausen (bass). Gets the sound right (minus Berne's later addition of guitar), and keeps the rhythm well lubricated, as he always does. **
25.		Ivo Perelman/Dave Burrell/Bobby Kapp: Trichotomy (Mahakala Music) Tenor sax trio, with piano and drums, veterans who go way back. Kapp is the least well known, but played on 1967-68 albums for Gato Barbieri, Marion Brown, and Noah Howard, and played on Burrell's most famous album in 1976. He appeared on two recent albums with Perelman, Matthew Shipp, and William Parker, so this lineup squares a circle. Two long blowouts, with details that matter. **
26.		Christian McBride's New Jawn: Prime (Mack Avenue) Bassist, from Philadelphia, established himself as the premier mainstream jazz bassist with his 1994-2000 Verves. Introduced this group on his 2018 album, with Josh Evans (trumpet), Marcus Strickland (tenor sax/bass clarinet), and Nasheet Waits (drums), with all four bringing songs. This one adds covers of Larry Young, Ornette Coleman, and Sonny Rollins; each, in its way, sharpening the edges. **
27.		Natural Information Society: Since Time Is Gravity (Aguirre/Eremite) Chicago bassist Joshua Abrams, debut 2002, fifth album since 2015 with variants of this group, expanded here to eleven, including Ari Brown (tenor sax) and Hamid Drake (percussion). The key to the group has always been its ability to sustain a groove while doing interesting things with it. More horns here steers it back a bit toward a more conventional jazz sound, so that's what's interesting this time. **
28.		Das Kondensat: Andere Planeten (WhyPlayJazz) German saxophone/clarinet player Gebhard Ullmann, prolific since 1985, leads a quartet with Liz Kosack (keyboards), Oliver Potratz (electric bass/electronics), and Eric Schaefer (drums/modular synthesizer) on third group album. The keyboard is an addition from two earlier trios.a
29.		Kris Davis Diatom Ribbons: Live at the Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic, 2CD) Canadian pianist, based in New York since 2001, impressed me early, especially with 2008's Rye Eclipse, eventually rising in DownBeat's polls, and winning the Jazz Critics Poll in 2019 for Diatom Ribbons. The latter album, with its fusion elements (various guitars, Val Jeanty's turntables, vocals and spoken word), threw me at the time (or maybe, without a CD, I just didn't give it enough time, but I did recheck it during the poll). But this new one isn't a live take on the original. It's new material -- incorporating pieces by Wayne Shorter, Geri Allen, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Conlon Nancarrow/Eric Dolphy -- played by a slimmed down but fully functional band, with Jeanty, Julian Lage (guitar), Trevor Dunn (bass), and Terri Lyne Carrington (drums), with several vocal samples (Messiaen, Stockhausen, Sun Ra, Paul Bley). It opens up and stretches out (53:42 + 51:09), which among other luxuries gives the pianist more time to claim the spotlight. Which she does.
30.		Sylvie Courvoisier: Chimaera (Intakt) Swiss pianist, many albums since 1997, leads a sextet through a series of extended compositions, inspired by painter Odilon Redon ("a universe of symbolism, dreams and fantasy"). Group includes two trumpets (Wadada Leo Smith and Nate Wooley), Christian Fennesz (guitar/electronics), Drew Gress (bass), and Kenny Wollesen (drums/vibes). This would sit nicely in one of Smith's recent boxes. **
31.		Izumi Kimura/Gerry Hemingway: Kairos (Fundacja Sluchaj) Japanese pianist, based in Ireland, has a 2010 album and several more since 2016, including a 2019 trio with the drummer and Barry Guy. Sharper here as a duo, the focus shifting from piano to drums (or marimba or vibraphone), and back again. Then out of nowhere comes something totally different: a trad piece with Hemingway's bluesy, otherworldly vocal.
32.		Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: In the Dark (ESP-Disk, 3CD) Lowe's been complaining a lot lately about the state of avant-jazz composition, and seems to think he's found the solution here. I don't begin to understand it technically. It just sounds like he's overcome the modernist impulse and just decided to mix it all together. To that end, he's recruited previously trad players like Ken Peplowski and Lisa Parott, as well as esteemed musicologist Lewis Porter, plus many others I've barely heard of if at all. Casual listening just washes over me, but he's bothered to break this up into 31 pieces, most with historical referents if not baggage.
33.		Angelika Niescier/Tomeka Reid/Savannah Harris: Beyond Dragons (Intakt) Alto saxophonist, born in Poland, 16th album since 2000, recorded in Chicago with cello and drums. A constantly mutating free jazz extravaganza. **
34.		Rich Halley Quartet: Fire Within (Pine Eagle) Tenor saxophonist from Portland, Oregon, has turned his retirement project into a remarkable career. (Checking myself, I find that he had a few albums as far back as 1986 before I first noticed him in 2005 with Mountains and Plains, and that he was only 58 then, but the model stuck in my head, partly because I have other examples, like Fred Anderson and Mort Weiss.) I can't say that he's getting better, but he's been remarkably inspired for two decades, aided here by his best rhythm section ever: Matthew Shipp (piano), Michael Bisio (bass), and Newman Taylor Baker (drums).
35.		Miho Hazama's M_unit: Beyond Orbits (Edition) Japanese pianist, based in New York, seventh album since 2012, just composer and conductor here (Billy Test plays piano), leading a large ensemble -- 18 names on back cover, counting the two designated as "special guests" (Christian McBride and Immanuel Wilkins), but 13 seems to be the standard configuration, including two violins, viola, cello, and vibes. The compositions are complex, cosmic in sweep and grandeur, and expertly played. **
36.		Kresten Osgood/Bob Moses/Tisziji Muñoz: Spiritual Drum Kingship (Gotta Let It Out) Two drummers plus electric guitar. The latter is an American, born in Brooklyn, released an album on India Navigation in 1978, but didn't really produce much until the late 1990s, when he recorded albums with Moses, Pharoah Sanders, Dave Liebman, Marilyn Crispellm, and Rashied Ali. Moses is of similar age, not just a drummer but a student of percussion everywhere. Osgood is younger, from Denmark, started around 2002, starting with Sam Rivers, Oliver Lake, and other notables. Such a tour de force by the guitarist that it takes two very fast drummers to keep up, and these two make the album. **
37.		Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music (Brownswood/Nonesuch) British drummer, first solo album although he had a group called United Vibrations, and duos with Kamaal Williams and Tom Misch. Big album (19 songs, 73:54), a dozen guest spots, I wouldn't say it's jazz, much less classical, but crosses over into a rarefied atmosphere of groove and light, an ambience you can dance in. **
38.		Aruán Ortiz: Pastor's Paradox (Clean Feed) Cuban pianist, based in Brooklyn, has a large and varied body of work. Three more names on the cover: Don Byron (clarinet), Lester St. Louis (cello), and Pheeroan Aklaff (drums), but Yves Dhar takes over cello on two tracks, and Mtume Gant offers spoken word on three, drawing on phrases from Martin Luther King.
39.		Dave Rempis/Elisabeth Harnik/Fred Lonberg-Holm/Tim Daisy: Earscratcher (Aerophonic) Alto sax, piano, cello/electronics, and drums/percussion. Group was put together to focus on Harnik, who plays outstanding free jazz here, wrapped in complex layers of sound. **
40.		Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Continuing (Pi) Drummer-led piano trio, with Aaron Diehl (piano) and Matt Brewer (bass). Four covers, none I immediately recognized as standards -- ok, I should have noted "Angel Eyes," but the others are composed by Wayne Shorter, Ahmad Jamal, and Harold Mabern -- ranging from 10:25 to 15:43. Sounds more together than your average piano trio, but I can't really tell you why.
41.		Lisa Marie Simmons/Marco Cremaschini: NoteSpeak 12 (Ropeadope) Poet, born in Colorado, "survived several troubled adoptions and foster homes," sang in church choir, moved to New York, wound up in Italy, with keyboardist Cremaschini providing music for her words. Has a previous NoteSpeak album from 2020. This one is supposedly captivated by the number 12 (as in the 12-tone scale). The music is full-bodied without drawing attention away from the words, and the speaker can sing as easily as speak, but holds your interest either way. **
42.		Ivo Perelman/Elliott Sharp: Artificial Intelligence (Mahakala Music) Brazilian tenor saxophonist, has tons of albums, many duos, including a particularly good one last year with guitarist Joe Morris (Elliptic Time), follows that up with another guitarist duo, this time with stray electronics, which work just as well. **
43.		The Mark Lomax Trio: Tapestry (CFG Multimedia) Drummer, should be esteemed as one of the world's best but remains little known, offers "a four-movement tone poem inspired by four pieces in Johnson's Tapestry series." (Johnson?) The Trio includes the even more unjustly unrecognized Edwin Bayard (tenor sax) and their regular bassist, Dean Hulett. **
44.		Lakecia Benjamin: Phoenix (Whirlwind) Alto saxophonist, from New York, fourth album since 2012, this one co-produced by Terri Lyne Carrington, who aims for crossover not by compromise but by turning up the heat. Opens and closes with sirens and Angela Davis. Guest vocals from Dianne Reeves and Georgia Anne Muldrow, and spoken word by Sonia Sanchez and Wayne Shorter, but the sax speaks loudest and clearest.
45.		Anthony Branker & Imagine: What Place Can Be for Us? A Suite in Ten Movements (Origin) Composer and arranger, originally a trumpet player (on a 1980 album), but has only directed nine albums since 2005. Seven piece group here, all familiar names (Walter Smith III, Philip Dizack, Remy Le Boeuf, Pete McCann, Fabian Almazan, Linda May Han Oh, Donald Edwards), with a bit of spoken word (Alison Crickett) to set the direction, from which everything flows organically.
46.		Henry Threadgill Ensemble: The Other One (Pi) Leader just composes and conducts here, directing a 12-piece group through three long movements (60:36) of a piece called "Of Valence." This setting fits into the jazz as advanced classical music model, a scaled up version of chamber jazz. The group includes three saxophones/clarinets, two bassoons, no brass (other than Jose Davila's tuba), piano (David Virelles), and strings (violin, viola, two cellos), but no bass or drums. Not a style I'm easily impressed with, nor one I'm every likely to get excited about, but within those limits, this is interesting all the way through, surprising even.
47.		Margherita Fava: Tatatu (self-released) Italian pianist, studied at Michigan State (Rodney Whitaker) and U. of Tennessee (Eric Reed and Greg Tardy), based in Knoxville, first album, six originals plus "Rhythm-A-Ning" and "All the Things You Are." Quartet with Tardy never better on tenor sax and clarinet.
48.		Jason Adasiewicz: Roy's World (Corbett vs. Dempsey) From Chicago, plays vibraphone and balafon, couple dozen albums since 2000, many more side credits. Project here was music for a film. Group a nicely balanced quintet, with Josh Berman (cornet), Jonathan Doyle (saxes), Joshua Abrams (bass), and Hamid Drake (drums). **
49.		Elijah Shiffer: Star Jelly (self-released) Alto saxophonist, based in New York, describes this as a "sax-heavy version of a Nwe Orleans-style 'brass' band" -- three or four saxes (the extra is bass sax on 5 of 8 tracks), trumpet, trombone, a revolving cast of stringed instruments, and drums. The trad jazz angle is a sweet spot for me, but the arrangements are very slippery, leaving me with wonder whether what seems exceedingly clever at first will hold up for the long haul. **
50.		Kaze & Ikue Mori: Crustal Movement (Libra) Japanese-French group, with Satoko Fujii (piano), Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Christian Pruvost (trumpet/flugelhorn), and Peter Orins (drums), seventh album since 2010, joined here by the famous Japanese noisemaker. Another pandemic paste project, with live overdubs, billed as "a visceral, richly textured hybrid," which it certainly is.
51.		Daniel Bingert: Ariba (Moserobie) Swedish, nominally a bassist, but defers here to Torbjörn Zetterberg and limits his playing to Moog. Second album. Band includes Per Texas Johansson (tenor sax/bass clarinet), Jonas Kulhammar (alto sax), and Charlie Malmberg (piano/baritone sax), as well as trumpet, bass, and drums. Has a loose, playful chemistry, coming into a nice, soft landing.
52.		Caroline Davis' Alula: Captivity (Ropeadope) Alto saxophonist, "mobile since her birth in Singapore," debut 2011 but mostly since 2017, different group from that of her 2019 album Alula, the synths replaced with Val Jeanty's turntables/electronics, the new drummer Tyshawn Sorey, with Chris Tordini on bass, and a couple guest spots, and scattered spoken word samples. The rhythm is the star here, wildly unsettled, keeping everything else in the air.
53.		James Brandon Lewis Trio: Eye of I (Anti-) Tenor saxophonist, consistently impressive since his 2011 debut, won Jazz Critics Poll for Jesup Wagon in 2021. Seems to be making a bid here for a broader rock audience, what with the new label, and liner notes by Thurston Moore. Nominally a trio with Chris Hoffman (cello/loops) and Max Jaffe (drums), but Kirk Knuffke adds his cornet on two tracks, with the latter bleeding into a closer, where the Trio gets mashed up against the another trio called the Messthetics -- guitarist Anthony Pirog plus the rhythm section from Fugazi. The resulting piece, "Fear Not," is a triumph, but I'm less sure of the rest, including covers from Cecil Taylor and Donny Hathaway. **
54.		Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: America: The Rough Cut (ESP-Disk) Saxophonist, a trade he's plied erratically (but sometimes voluminously) since 1988, while writing some of the deepest and broadest surveys of American music. His erudition gives him plenty of references for sprinkling about ("gospel formulations," "pre-blues ruminations," "Hank Williams-directed honky tonk," "Heavy Metal," "anti-tribute to Earl Hines," "hail Jelly Roll Morton," "old-time hillbilly rag," "my own statement on the fallibility of free jazz"), while adding "a personal appeal for a MacArthur." No doubt he deserves one, not least because the reward is meant not just to honor past work but to subsidize further. Nonetheless, I enjoy this record much less than I admire it. Blame that, if you will, on too much metal in the too much guitar. Ends with a stray piece from 2014 which kicks up the horns (Roswell Rudd and Ray Anderson on trombone, Randy Sandke on trumpet, Darius Jones on alto sax) without feeling one bit out of place.
55.		Espen Berg: Water Fabric (Odin) Norwegian pianist, dozen or so albums since 2007. Cover shows "featuring": Hayden Powell (trumpet), Harpreet Bansal (violin), Ellie Mäkelä (viola), Joakim Munker (cello), Per Oddvar Johansen (drums). I'm not often a big fan of strings, but here they take themes that start enchanting and raise them to something magnificent. **
56.		Ron Horton: A Prayer for Andrew (Newvelle) Trumpet player, part of a tight postbop collective that mostly recorded for Palmetto in the early 2000s, their interest in Andrew Hill comes as no surprise. Thirteen songs (7 by Hill, 6 by Horton), runs 78 minutes. No date given, but certainly before pianist Frank Kimbrough (in exceptional form here) died in 2020. With Marty Ehrlich or John O'Gallagher on alto sax, Marc Mommaas on tenor, Dean Johnson (bass), and Tim Horner (drums). **
57.		Ember: August in March (Imani) Brooklyn trio, fronted by Caleb Wheeler Curtis (strich, trumpet, reed trumpet -- never heard of the latter, but his native instrument is alto sax), with bass (Noah Garabedian) and drums (Vincent Sperrazza), group has a 2021 album with Orrin Evans. One of many terrific free sax trios this year, with a neat twist.
58.		Andrea Veneziani: The Lighthouse (self-released) Italian bassist, based in New York, second album, quartet with Kirk Knuffke (cornet), Charlie Sigler (guitar), and Allan Mednard (drums). A very good setting for Knuffke, the guitar a big help. *
59.		Benjamin Boone: Caught in the Rhythm (Origin) Saxophonist, did two excellent albums with poet Philip Levine (2018-19), continues in that vein here, rotating six less famous poets (Faylita Hicks gets four tracks, T.R. Hummer three), various musicians, including some high profile guests. Most words are sharp and angry, with intense music to match, especially the sax.
60.		Mike Clark: Kosen Rufu (Wide Hive) Drummer, like Eddie Henderson (who plays trumpet here) started with Herbie Hancock in the early 1970s, giving him a reputation for fusion that he's often strayed from. Besides Henderson, band here is an inspired mix: Skerik (tenor sax), Wayne Horvitz (keybs), Henry Franklin (bass), and Bill Summers (percussion). Hard bop, I guess, but not as throwback, some surprises here.
61.		Mike Reed: The Separatist Party (We Jazz/Astral Spirits) Drummer, born in Germany but long based on Chicago, with a remarkable series of albums since 2006. Marvin Tate's spoken word is arresting, and the music -- Ben LaMar Gay (cornet), Rob Frye (tenor sax/flute), Coper Crain (guitar), Dan Quinlivan (synth) -- loops sinuously, sometimes gravely. **
62.		Maria João & Carlos Bica Quartet: Close to You (JACC) Portuguese singer, counted in the quartet with bassist Bica, keyboards (João Farinha), and guitar (Gonçalo Neto or André Santos). Leads with four covers, disconcertingly weaving Paul Simon into Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," scatting around "Norwegian Wood," followed by the Bacharach-David title song, and Lennon/Ono's "Oh My Love," then three originals (one with a Yeats text), and "What a Wonderful World." I was tempted to write the openers off as merely eccentric, but the title song is especially striking, and the originals find a nice musical balance, which lets the finale end as it should. **
63.		Hein Westgaard Trio: First as Farce (Nice Things) Guitarist, from Norway, based in Copenhagen, recorded this "debut" in Sweden -- he appears to have a couple duo albums they're not counting. With Petter Asbjørnsen (bass) and Simon Forchhammer (drums). I'm impressed by the complementary thrash that often erupts from the occasional background noodling.
64.		Ghost Train Orchestra and Kronos Quartet: Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog (Cantaloupe) Moondog was an alias for Louis Hardin (1916-99), a composer, performer, poet, and inventor of musical instruments, largely self-taught, although he drew on Native American music from his childhood in Wyoming, augmented by everything else he ran across, including Latin, jazz, classical, and the minimalists he worked with in New York. I should look deeper into his work, especially given how enticing this improbable collaboration is. Brian Carpenter's 13-piece orchestra is bottom-heavy (bass clarinet, baritone and bass saxophone, bassoon, trombone, and tuba), which keeps the string orchestra centered. And the guest vocalists are mostly from the rock world (or wherever you would slot Petra Haden and Karen Mantler), so they never fall into the usual jazz-classical traps. Dedicated to Hal Willner, who would really dig this. **
65.		Rob Brown: Oblongata (RogueArt) Alto saxophonist (also plays some flute), joined by Steve Swell (trombone), Chris Lightcap (bass, and Chad Taylor (drums), in a superb free set. *
66.		Dave Bayles Trio: Live at the Uptowner (Calligram) Drummer, based in Milwaukee, first album, joined by bassist Clay Schaub (who wrote 5 of 9 songs), and trumpet player Russ Johnson (who wrote 3, and arranged the Monk cover). Very nice showcase for Johnson, who has long impressed.
67.		Michael Jefry Stevens Quartet: Precipice (ARC) Avant-pianist, from New York, based in Black Mountain, North Carolina; quite some number of records since 1991, but not so many with his name first (e.g., Fonda/Stevens Group has 13). Quartet with Christian Howes (violin) filling the role of a horn lead, backed by bass (Bryan McConnell) and drums (Rick Dilling). Even swings some.
68.		Don Fiorino/Andy Haas: Accidentals (Resonant Music) No hype sheet, can't even find mention of this on the web. Cover just has the title, so it's probably also meant as the group name, but I substituted the artists' names: a duo, the former playing electric fretless bass and guitar, the latter saxophones with effects. Haas has a longer discography, starting in a new wave rock group I liked in 1980, Martha & the Muffins. They do have one previous duo album, and several more as two-thirds of Radio I-Ching (Discogs lists one album, but I've listened to four, with 2009's No Wave Au Go Go the pick). The other third was Dee Pop, and I found a memorial for him (1956-2021). This wanders a bit, which can happens when you loose your drummer. But this is odd and interesting enough, and it delights me. Now if only I can find a cover scan.
69.		Salvoandrea Lucifora Quartet: Drifters (Trytone) Trombonist, from Sicily, based in Amsterdam, should count as his first album (although I've heard him before). Quartet with piano (Marta Warelis), bass (Omer Govreen), and drums (Marcos Baggiani). Two lp-side-long pieces, very sharp. **
70.		Darius Jones: Fluxkit Vancouver (Its Suite but Sacred) (We Jazz) Alto saxophonist, established his credentials as an Ayler heir in 2009, had a tendency to go overboard, but keeps that in control here, working with four Vancouver-based strings -- Jesse and Josh Zubot on violin, Peggy Lee on cello, James Meger on bass -- with Gerald Cleaver on drums. Preferred typography for the title is "fLuXkit," and they're doing something unreproducible to "its" -- just some of the many things I don't quite get here, but I can dig the long bass solo just fine, and even more so what comes out of it. **
71.		Marius Neset: Geyser: Live at Royal Albert Hall - BBC Proms (ACT Music) Norwegian saxophonist, based in Copenhagen, regular albums since 2011, was comissioned to write this eight-part piece by BBC Proms, staging it live with the London Sinfonietta, conducted by Geoffrey Paterson, and his quintet, with Ivo Neame (piano), Jim Hart (vibes/marimba), bass, and drums. The strings are exceptionally lively, suggesting that the notion that classical music was once meant to be fun may have occasionally been true. The rest of the orchestra adds depth and color, leaving the serious soloing for Neame and Neset, who aim for rapture. **
72.		Marthe Lea Band: Herlighetens Vei (Motvind) Norwegian tenor saxophonist, second group album, also credited here with flutes, piano, vocals, udungu, percussion. Joined by Andreas Røysum (clarinets; she also plays in his band), backed by fiddle, bass, and drums. The folk roots make for immediately engaging instrumental jazz, the vocals a bit more mixed. **
73.		Steven Kamperman: Maison Moderne (Trytone) Dutch clarinetist, half-dozen album since 1999, describes this as "music inspired by the house, life, and passions of Theo van Doesburg," the artist and architect (1883-1931) who in 1917 founded the magazine De Stijl, which advanced abstract art and modernist style, effectively qualifying as a "school." The pieces are supported by piano (Albert van Veenendaal), electric guitar (Paul Jarret), and viola (Oene van Geel). Mostly chamber jazz befitting a museum, but this really sharpens up when Jarret takes the lead and Kamperman introduces some much-needed percussion.
74.		Chad McCullough: The Charm of Impossibilities (Calligram) Seattle-based trumpet player, albums since 2009 including several groups. Cut this one in Chicago, with Jon Irabagon (tenor/soprano sax), Larry Kohut (bass), and Jon Deitemyer (drums), with Tim Hagans co-producing. Credits Olivier Messiaen's "Techniques of My Musical Language," while finding his own.
75.		Benjamin Herman: Nostalgia Blitz (Dox) Dutch alto saxophonist, debut 1993, cites James Chance and John Lurie as early inspirations, as well as Parker, Hodges, and -- the one he both played with and covered brilliantly -- Misha Mengelberg. This is just freaky enough to cover all those bases. **
76.		Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra: Family (We Jazz) Norwegian drummer, has played in a number of avant groups since 2002 (Cortex was particularly memorable), runs the trio Acoustic Unity and this unconventional 17-piece big band (7 saxophones, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 3 basses, 3 drumsets, everyone adds to the percussion), now on their second album. **
77.		Bex Burch: There Is Only Love and Fear (International Anthem) Percussionist, from London, but ranges far and wide (Ghana and Berlin are mentioned), makes her own instruments, calls this first album "messy minimalism." It's messy, but that's where the charm emerges. **
78.		Sam Weinberg Trio With Chris Lightcap & Tom Rainey: Implicatures (Astral Spirits) Tenor saxophonist, has appeared on a number of albums since 2016, not someone I've recognized so far, but his bassist and drummer are prominent enough they got their names on the cover. They help a lot, but Weinberg himself gives a clinic on what free jazz sax needs to sound like to keep your attention throughout. **
79.		Xaver Hellmeier: X-Man in New York (Cellar Music) German drummer, based in Munich, but went to New York to study with Joe Farnsworth, which set him up for a first album recorded in Van Gelder Studios with what must be his dream band: Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Eric Alexander (tenor sax), David Hazeltine (piano), and Peter Washington (bass). I've long admired that group (and Farnsworth), but it's been a while since they've put their skills to such inspired use. **
80.		André Roligheten: Marbles (Odin) Norwegian saxophonist (tenor/soprano/bass plus clarinet), has a couple previous albums (mostly in groups), This a quintet with pedal steel/guitar (Johan Lindström), vibes (Mattias Ståhl), bass (Jon Rune Strøm), and drums (Gard Nilssen). Has a delightfully upbeat, playful air. **
81.		Vilhelm Bromander: In This Forever Unfolding Moment (Thanatos) Swedish bassist, several widely scattered albums since 2008, although a 2016 title (Oh Lord Give Me Strange) seems most relevant here. Starts with what sounds like a prayer (vocal Marianne Svasek), then swells as the 12-piece orchestra kicks in, including an exceptional reeds section (Martin Küchen, Elin Forkelid, Alberto Pinton, and Christer Bothén), brass (Emil Strandberg and Mats Äleklint), violin, vibes, and rhythm. Two shorter pieces follow, each ending nice, 33:24 total. **
82.		Smoking Time Jazz Club: Six Blues, Five Joys & a Stomp (self-released) New Orleans-based trad jazz band, ten or more albums since 2012, nine members, Sarah Peterson the main vocalist, three horns (Charlie Halloran on trombone), lots of banjo. Thirteen songs, twelve from 1926-40 singles, mixed per title. **
83.		Paul Mottram: Seven Ages of Man (Ubuntu Music) British composer, classical training, has done a lot of work for BBC series and specials, including the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Has a few albums, with titles like Solo Strings and Minimalism (two of each), but this suite built on top of a Shakespeare quote is exceptional. Front cover notes, rather off to the side from the artist/title block: "Jazz sextet and string orchestra featuring Tim Garland/Jason Rebello" (sax and piano). The strings are pretty conventional, but the sextet can (and often does) rise way above them. **
84.		Marcelo Dos Reis & Luís Vicente: (Un)prepared Pieces for Guitar and Trumpet (Cipsela) Guitar and trumpet, electric guitar but feels densely acoustic. Seems marginal, but I find it captivating.
85.		Daniel Villarreal: Lados B (International Anthem) Drummer, from Panama, based in Chicago, second album, a trio with Jeff Parker (guitar) and Anna Butterss (double & electric bass). Seductive groove music. **
86.		Jo Lawry: Acrobats (Whirlwind) Standards singer from Australia, based in New York. Several albums since 2008. The secret to this one is minimal (but expert) backing, on bass (Linda May Han Oh) and drums (Allison Miller), which lets her scat and skip over the wit, especially of Cole Porter ("You're the Top") and Frank Loesser. Another standout is "Takes Two to Tango."

Also added the following older albums after freezing the 2022 year-end file:

1.

John Zorn: New Masada Quartet (Tzadik '21) When I heard that Zorn's label Tzadik is returning to streaming streaming, I knew I had my work cut out -- they neve sent out promos, but were on Rhapsody for a while, so I tried to cover them extensively. I figured I'd start with the 2023 releases: Zorn has eight so far, which makes this an average year, but the first entry was this title with a Vol. 2, so I scanned back to catch this one. The original Masada quartet appeared in 1994, with Zorn (alto sax), Dave Douglas (trumpet), Greg Cohen (bass), and Joey Baron (drums). They did a series of albums named after the Hebrew alphabet, then many live albums. Moving on, the new quartet has Zorn, Julian Lage (guitar), Jorge Roeder (bass), and Kenny Wolleson (drums). Maybe it's just that I've been out of touch, but Zorn seems especially fired up here.

Honorable Mention

Additional jazz rated B+(***), listed alphabetically.

1. Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids: Afro Futuristic Dreams (Strut) **
2. Affinity Trio [Eric Jacobson/Pamela York/Clay Schaub]: Hindsight (Origin)
3. Afro Peruvian New Trends Orchestra: Cosmic Synchronicities (Blue Spiral)
4. Konrad Agnas: Rite of Passage (Moserobie)
5. Aila Trio: Shaped by Sea Waves (Edgetone) **
6. Ralph Alessi Quartet: It's Always Now (ECM) **
7. Lina Allemano Four: Pipe Dream (Lumo) **
8. Lina Allemano/Uwe Oberg/Matthias Bauer/Rudi Fischerlehner: SOG (Creative Sources) **
9. JD Allen: This (Savant) **
10. Zoh Amba: O Life, O Light Vol. 2 (577) **
11. Ray Anderson & Bobby Previte: Double Trouble (Double Moon) **
12. Charlie Apicella & Iron City Meet The Griots Speak: Destiny Calling (OA2)
13. Florian Arbenz/Jorge Vistel/Wolfgang Puschnig/Oren Marshall/Michael Arbenz: Conversation #8: Ablaze (Hammer '22) **
14. Florian Arbenz/Greg Osby/Arno Krijger: Conversation #9: Targeted (Hammer) **
15. Darcy James Argue's Secret Society: Dynamic Maximum Tension (Nonesuch) **
16. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson: Les Jardins Mystiques Vol. 1 (Brainfeeder, 3CD) **
17. Dmitry Baevsky: Kid's Time (Fresh Sound New Talent '22) **
18. Balimaya Project: When the Dust Settles (New Soil) **
19. Maria Baptist Quintet: Essays on Jazz (self-released) **
20. Kenny Barron: The Source (Artwork) **
21. Richard X Bennett & Matt Parker: Parker Plays X (BYNK)
22. Ron Blake: Mistaken Identity (7ten33 Productions)
23. BlankFor.Ms/Jason Moran/Marcus Gilmore: Refract (Red Hook) **
24. Samuel Blaser: Routes (Enja) **
25. Antonio Borghini: Banquet of Consequences (We Insist!) **
26. Itamar Borochov: Arba (Greenleaf Music)
27. Geof Bradfield Quintet: Quaver (Calligram)
28. Geof Bradfield/Richard D Johnson/John Tate/Samuel Jewell: Our Heroes (Afar Music)
29. Jaimie Branch: Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((World War)) (International Anthem) **
30. Hailey Brinnel: Beautiful Tomorrow (Outside In Music)
31. Rob Brown: Oceanic (RogueArt) *
32. Dave Burrell: Harlem Rhapsody (Parco Della Musica) **
33. Buselli/Wallarab Jazz Orchestra: The Gennett Suite (Patois, 2CD)
34. Chris Byars Quartet: Look Ahead (SteepleChase) **
35. Gunhild Carling: Good Evening Cats (Jazz Art '22) **
36. Edmar Castañeda World Ensemble: Viento Sur (self-released) **
37. Sara Caswell: The Way to You (Anzic)
38. Valentin Ceccaldi: Bonbon Flamme (Clean Feed) **
39. Chief Adjuah: Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning (Ropeadope) **
40. Gerald Cleaver: 22/23 (Positive Elevation/577) **
41. Jeff Coffin/Jordan Perlson/Viktor Krauss: Coffin/Perlson/Krauss (Ear Up)
42. Isaiah Collier: Parallel Universe (Night Dreamer) **
43. Chembo Corniel Quintet: Artistas, Músicos Y Poetas (Chemboro) **
44. Day & Taxi: Live in Baden (Clean Feed) **
45. Orhan Demir: Solo Guitar: Freedom in Jazz (Hittite '19)
46. Orhan Demir: Solo Guitar: Freedom in Jazz Vol. 3 (Hittite)
47. Christian Dillingham: Cascades (Greenleaf Music)
48. Marcelo Dos Reis: Flora (JACC)
49. David Dove/Joe McPhee: Where's the Wine? (C.I.A.) **
50. Mark Dresser: Tines of Change (Pyroclastic)
51. Marc Ducret: Palm Sweat: Marc Ducret Plays the Music of Tim Berne (Screwgun/Out of Your Head)
52. Paul Dunmall/Olie Brice: The Laughing Stone (Confront) **
53. EABS Meets Jaubi: In Search of a Better Tomorrow (Astigmatic) **
54. East Axis: No Subject (Mack Avenue) **
55. Yelena Eckemoff: Lonely Man and His Fish (L&H Production, 2CD)
56. Nataniel Edelman Trio: Un Ruido De Agua (Clean Feed) **
57. Edition Redux: Better a Rook Than a Pawn (Audiographic) **
58. Kent Engelhardt & Stephen Enos: Madd for Tadd: "Central Avenue Swing" & "Our Delight" (Tighten Up, 2CD)
59. Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet: Rising Sun (Motéma Music) **
60. Tianna Esperanza: Terror (BMG) **
61. Peter Evans Being & Becoming: Ars Memoria (More Is More) **
62. Michael Feinberg: Blues Variant (Criss Cross) **
63. Nick Finzer: Dreams Visions Illusions (Outside In Music)
64. Fire! Orchestra: Echoes (Rune Grammofon) **
65. Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet: As Things Do (Intakt) **
66. Fred Frith/Susana Santos Silva: Laying Demons to Rest (RogueArt)
67. Satoko Fujii/Otomo Yoshihide: Perpetual Motion (Ayler)
68. Tomas Fujiwara's Triple Double: March On (self-released, EP) **
69. Tomas Fujiwara: Pith (Out of Your Head)
70. Asher Gamedze: Turbulence and Pulse (International Anthem/Mushroom Hour) **
71. Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (Pi) **
72. George: Letters to George (Out of Your Head)
73. The Ghost: Vanished Pleasures (Relative Pitch) **
74. Terry Gibbs Legacy Band: The Terry Gibbs Songbook (Whaling City Sound) **
75. Hannah Gill: Everybody Loves a Lover (Turtle Bay) **
76. Samuel Goff/Camila Nebbia/Patrick Shiroishi: Diminished Borders (Cacophonous Revival) **
77. Ricardo Dias Gomes: Muito Sol (Hive Mind) **
78. Phillip Greenlief/Scott Amendola: Stay With It (Clean Feed) **
79. Guillermo Gregorio: Two Trios (ESP-Disk)
80. Muriel Grossmann: Devotion (Third Man, 2CD) **
81. Wolfgang Haffner: Silent World (ACT) **
82. Charlie Halloran and the Tropicales: Shake the Rum (self-released '22) **
83. Scott Hamilton: Talk to Me, Baby (Blau -22) **
84. Scott Hamilton Quartet: At PizzaExpress Live: In London (PX) **
85. Gerrit Hatcher: Solo Five (Kettle Hole)
86. Phil Haynes/Drew Gress/David Liebman: Coda(s): No Fast Food III (Corner Store Jazz, 2CD)
87. Eirik Hegdal/Jeff Parker/Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Øyvind Skarbø: Superless (Øyvind Jazzforum)
88. Eddie Henderson: Witness to History (Smoke Sessions) **
89. Lauren Henderson: Conjuring (Brontosaurus)
90. Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding: Alive at the Village Vanguard (Palmetto)
91. Henry Hey: Trio: Ri-Metos (self-released) **
92. Makiko Hirabayashi Trio: Meteora (Enja) **
93. Eric Hofbauer/The Five Agents: Waking Up! (Creative Nation Music) **
94. Jasper Høiby's 3 Elements: Earthness (Edition) **
95. The Hot Toddies Jazz Band: The Hot Toddies Jazz Band (Prohibition Productions) **
96. Javon Jackson: With Peter Bradley: Soundtrack and Original Score (Solid Jackson)
97. Per Texas Johansson: Den Sämsta Lönningen Av Alla (Moserobie)
98. Per Texas Johansson: Orkester Omnitonal (Moserobie)
99. Arthur Kell Speculation Quartet: Live at Lunàtico (Origin) **
100. Jon-Erik Kellso and the EarRegulars: Live at the Ear Inn (Arbors) **
101. Snorre Kirk: Top Dog (Stunt) **
102. Frank Kohl: Pacific (OA2)
103. Benjamin Koppel: White Buses: Passage to Freedom (Cowbell Music) **
104. Jason Kush: Finally Friday (MCG Jazz)
105. Ingrid Laubrock: The Last Quiet Place (Pyroclastic)
106. Leap Day Trio: Live at the Cafe Bohemia (Giant Step Arts) **
107. Brennen Leigh: Ain't Through Honky-Tonkin' Yet (Signature Sounds) **
108. Yosef Gutman Levitt/Tal Yahalom: Tsuf Harim (Soul Song)
109. Joëlle Léandre/Craig Taborn/Mat Maneri: hEARoes (RogueArt)
110. Pascal Le Boeuf: Ritual Being (SoundSpore)
111. Dave Liebman: Live at Smalls (Cellar Music)
112. Helge Lien Trio/Tore Brunborg: Funeral Dance (Ozella Music) **
113. London Brew: London Brew (Concord) **
114. Russ Lossing: Alternate Side Parking Music (Aqua Piazza)
115. Maurice Louca Elephantine Band: Moonshine (Sub Rosa/Northern Spy) **
116. Lowcountry: Lowcountry (Ropeadope)
117. Bill Lowe and the Signifyin' Natives Ensemble: Sweet Cane: Suites and Other Pedagogical Prompts (Mandorla Music) **
118. Chien Chien Lu: Built in System: Live in New York (Giant Step Arts)
119. Martin Lutz Group: LoLife/HiLife (Gateway, 2CD) **
120. Mat Maneri Quartet: Ash (Sunnyside) **
121. Denman Maroney/Scott Walton/Denis Fournier: O KOΣMOΣ META (RogueArt '22)
122. Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra: Uptown on Mardi Gras Day (Troubadour Jass)
123. Pete McCann: Without Question (McCannic Music)
124. Robin McKelle: Impressions of Ella (Doxie) **
125. Ryan Meagher: AftEarth (Atroefy)
126. Francisco Mela Featuring Cooper-Moore and William Parker: Music Frees Our Souls Vol. 2 (577) **
127. Lubomyr Melnyk: The Sacred Thousand (Jeriska) **
128. Mendoza Hoff Revels: Echolocation (AUM Fidelity) **
129. Steve Millhouse: The Unwinding (SteepleChase) **
130. Matt Mitchell: Oblong Aplomb (Out of Your Head, 2CD)
131. Tyler Mitchell Octet: Sun Ra's Journey (Cellar)
132. Billy Mohler: Ultraviolet (Contagious Music)
133. Lesley Mok: The Living Collection (American Dreams) **
134. Hedvig Mollestad Weejuns: Weejuns (Rune Grammofon) **
135. Nils Petter Molvaer/Norwegian Radio Orchestra: Certainty of Tides (Modern) **
136. Tisziji Muñoz: Burning Down Hades (Ra Kalam) **
137. Simon Nabatov: Extensions (Unbroken Sounds) **
138. Quinsin Nachoff: Stars and Constellations (Adyhâropa)
139. Roy Nathanson: 82 Days (Enja/Yellowbird) **
140. Near Miss: The Natural Regimen (Kettle Hole)
141. Elsa Nilsson's Band of Pulses: Pulses (Ears & Eyes)
142. Jesper Nordberg: Trio (Gotta Let It Out) **
143. Ryoko Ono/Satoko Fujii: Hakuro (self-released) **
144. Aruán Ortiz Trio: Serranias: Sketchbook for Piano Trio (Intakt) **
145. Margaux Oswald/Jesper Zeuthen: Magnetite (Clean Feed) **
146. Chuck Owen and the WDR Big Band: Renderings (MAMA)
147. Bruno Parrinha/Vine Leaf: Tales of Senses (Clean Feed) **
148. Michel Pastre/Louis Mazetier/Guillaume Nouaux: Fine Ideas (Camille Productions) **
149. Jessica Pavone: Clamor (Out of Your Head)
150. Pierrick Pédron/Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Pedron Rubalcaba (Gazebo) **
151. Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp: Tryptych I (SMP '22) **
152. Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp: Tryptych III (SMP '22) **
153. Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp/Jeff Cosgrove: Live in Carrboro (Soul City Sounds) **
154. Ivo Perelman/Aruan Ortiz/Lester St. Louis: Prophecy (Mahakala Music) **
155. Ivo Perelman/James Emery: The Whisperers (Mahakala Music) **
156. Ivo Perelman/Matt Moran: Tuning Forks (Ibeji Music) **
157. Ethan Philion Quartet: Gnosis (Sunnyside) **
158. John Pizzarelli: Stage & Screen (Palmetto) **
159. Chris Potter: Got the Keys to the Kingdom: Live at the Village Vanguard (Edition) **
160. Precarious Towers: Ten Stories (Shifting Paradigm) **
161. Quartet San Francisco/Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band/Take Six: Raymond Scott Reimagined (ViolinJazz)
162. Mette Rasmussen/Paul Flaherty/Zach Rowden/Chris Corsano: Crying in Space (Relative Pitch) **
163. Andrew Rathbun: The Speed of Time (SteepleChase) **
164. Red Hot + Ra: Solar [Sun Ra in Brasil] (Red Hot Org) **
165. Remembrance Quintet: Do You Remember? (Sonboy) **
166. Ernesto Rodrigues/Florian Stoffner/Bruno Parrinha/João Madeira: Altered Egos (Creative Sources)
167. Roots Magic Sextet: Long Old Road: Retold Pasts and Present Day Musings (Clean Feed) **
168. Dan Rosenboom: Polarity (Orenda)
169. Ned Rothenberg: Crossings Four (Clean Feed) **
170. Bobby Rozario: Spellbound (Origin)
171. Adam Rudolph/Tyshawn Sorey: Archaisms 1 (Defkaz) **
172. Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band: Vox Humana (Jazzheads) **
173. The Angelica Sanchez Nonet: Nighttime Creatures (Pyroclastic)
174. Ignaz Schick/Oliver Steidle: Ilog3 (Zarek) **
175. Knoel Scott/Marshall Allen: Celestial (Night Dreamer) **
176. Marina Sena: Vicio Inerente (Sony Music Brasil) **
177. Dave Sewelson/William Parker/Steve Hirsch: The Gate (Mahakala Music '22) **
178. Sexmob: The Hard Way (Corbett vs. Dempsey) **
179. Kavita Shah: Cape Verdean Blues (Folkalist) **
180. Elijah Shiffer: City of Birds: Volume 1 (self-released) **
181. Matthew Shipp/Mark Helias: The New Syntax (RogueArt '22)
182. Patrick Shiroishi: I Was Too Young to Hear Silence (American Dreams) **
183. Antero Sievert: Dear Bossa (JMI) **
184. Isach Skeidsvoll: Dance to Summon (Ultraääni) **
185. Jim Snidero: Far Far Away (Savant)
186. Soggy Po Boys: It's Good to Laugh Again (self-released '22) **
187. Mark Soskin/Jay Anderson: Empathy (SteepleChase) **
188. Guido Spannocchi: Live at Porgy & Bess Vienna (Audioguido) **
189. Chris Speed Trio: Despite Obstacles (Intakt) **
190. Simon Spillett Big Band: Dear Tubby H (Mister PC) **
191. Terell Stafford: Between Two Worlds (Le Coq) **
192. Elias Stemeseder/Christian Lillinger: Umbra (Intakt) **
193. Loren Stillman: Time and Again (Sunnyside) **
194. The Dave Stryker Trio: Prime (Strikezone)
195. Yuhan Su: Liberated Gesture (Sunnyside)
196. Jonathan Suazo: Ricano (Ropeadope) **
197. Kevin Sun: The Depths of Memory (Endectomorph Music, 2CD)
198. Steve Swell/Joe McPhee/Chris Corsano: Sometimes the Air Is (Mahakala Music) **
199. Tani Tabbal Quartet: Intentional (Mahakala Music) **
200. Michael Thomas: The Illusion of Choice (Criss Cross) **
201. Isaiah J. Thompson: The Power of the Spirit (Blue Engine) **
202. Lukas Traxel: One-Eyed Daruma (We Jazz) **
203. Trio San: Hibiki (Jazzdor)
204. Dan Trudell: Fishin' Again: A Tribute to Clyde Stubblefield & Dr. Lonnie Smith (OA2)
205. Tuba Skinny: Hot Town (self-released) **
206. Billy Valentine: Billy Valentine and the Universal Truth (Acid Jazz/Flying Dutchman) **
207. Ken Vandermark & Hamid Drake: Eternal River (Corbett vs. Dempsey) **
208. Ray Vega & Thomas Marriott: East West Trumpet Summit: Coast to Coast (Origin)
209. Martina Verhoeven Quintet: Driven: Live at Roadburn 2022 (Klanggalerie '22) **
210. Liba Villavecchia Trio: Birchwood (Clean Feed) **
211. Claudia Villela: Cartas Ao Vento (Taina Music)
212. Brad Walker + Extended: Side by Side (self-released) **
213. Colin Webster Large Ensemble: First Meeting (Raw Tonk) **
214. Alex Weitz: Rule of Thirds (Outside In Music)
215. Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm: Grit & Grace (Sunnyside)
216. Mareike Wiening: Reveal (Greenleaf Music) **
217. Håvard Wiik/Tim Daisy: Slight Return (Relay) **
218. Mars Williams/Vasco Trilla: Critical Mass (Not Two) **
219. Ben Wolfe: Unjust (Resident Arts) **
220. Jack Wright: What Is What (Relative Pitch) **
221. Bobby Zankel/Wonderful Sound 8: A Change of Destiny (Mahakala Music)
222. Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo: El Arte Del Bolero, Vol. 2 (Miel Music) **
223. Miguel Zenón/Dan Tepfer: Internal Melodies (Main Door Music) **
224. John Zorn: New Masada Quartet, Vol. 2 (Tzadik) **
225. John Zorn: The Fourth Way (Tzadik) **
226. John Zorn: Homenaje A Remedios Varo (Tzadik) **

Also added the following older albums after freezing the 2022 year-end file:

1. Francisco Mela and Zoh Amba: Causa Y Efecto Vol. 1 (577 '22) **
2. Molly Ryan: Sweepin\' the Blues Away (Turtle Bay '22) **

Reissues/Historic Music

The standard for historic music is a record where everything was recorded 10+ years ago, regardless of whether it's ever been in print before. Some past lists may have treated previously unreleased music as new (regardless of actual age), but I've never been able to manage that distinction consistently. This category also includes compilations of previously released music, including straight reissues, although my selection is very erratic.

1.		Roy Hargrove: The Love Suite: In Mahogany (1993, Blue Engine) Trumpet player (1969-2018), 1990 debut album was called Diamond in the Rough, led to him winning DownBeat's "rising star" 1991-93, and eventually (2021) entering their hall of fame. Jazz at Lincoln Center commissioned him to do this major piece in 1993, then sat on the tape 30 years? With Jesse Davis (alto sax), Ron Blake (tenor sax), Andre Hayward (trombone), Marc Cary (piano), Rodney Whitaker (bass), and Gregory Hutchinson (drums). Live, sounds great, even with the unconventional climax of scat vocal, long drum solo, and outro credits. Only explanation I can imagine why this was held back so long is that the boss man was jealous. **
2.		Duke Ellington: All the Hits and More 1927-54 (1927-54, Acrobat, 4CD) This seemed like a useful idea, chronicling the period when jazz was popular music through the longest-running, most consistent, and most often brilliant of the era's big bands, even if strictly following the charts has never been surefire. Also because the standard RCA compilations, up to and including the 24-CD Centennial Edition box, skip over the 1932-40 period, when Ellington recorded mostly for Brunswick -- sides that have only been collected on the French Classics label and, finally in 2010, a pricey 11-CD Mosaic box. This is evenly balanced among all of Ellington's labels, confirming the common judgment that the RCA sides from 1927-28 and 1940-46 were peak periods (along with much of his later work, including Newport in 1956 and many of the suites and tributes and small groups from then through the end of the 1960s), but also reminding us that the maligned 1930s and the Hodges-less early 1950s still produced copious brilliance. About the only complaint one might make is that the chart-focus favors singers, which Ellington had -- how to put this? -- rather idiosyncratic taste in. Comes with a substantial booklet with full credits.
3.		Steve Swell's Fire Into Music: For Jemeel: Fire From the Road (2003-04, RogueArt, 3CD) Trombonist (b. 1954), played a lot of different things early on but moved to the front of the avant-garde in the late 1990s, and is the first person I think of for polls and such these days. He released an album in 2004 called Fire Into Music, co-credited to Hamid Drake (drums), Jemeel Moondoc (reeds), and William Parker (bass), and took that group out on the road for the three superb concerts collected here.
4.		François Carrier Ensemble: Openness (2006, Fundacja Sluchaj, 3CD) Montreal-based alto saxophonist, goes back to the 1990s, always with drummer Michel Lambert, here at the La Chapelle festival, hosting Tomasz Stanko (trumpet), Mat Maneri (viola), and Gary Peacock (bass), over two nights. All improv, not so far out you can't just relax to it, but never slouches off or misses a step. **
5.		Sonny Rollins With Heikki Sarmanto Trio: Live at Finlandia Hall, Helsinki 1972 (Svart) Live set with a pickup band, although the keyboardist (playing Fender Rhodes here) is a pretty big deal in Finland, with Pekka Sarmanto (bass) and Esko Rosnell (drums). After a spoken intro, they expand greatly on "Night and Day," "My One and Only Love," and "St. Thomas." It's impossible to hear the latter and not smile wide. **
6.		Sonny Rollins: Go West! The Contemporary Records Albums (1957-58, Craft, 3CD) The label exists primarily to produce luxury vinyl reissues of famous jazz albums, but they also release their remastered wares on CD and digital, so it's possible to stream them, and they get a lot of notice. This collects albums recorded for' Contemporary: Way Out West (1957) and Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders. The former, a trio with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne leading off with "I'm an Old Cowhand," is one of his best-known records, and has already been given the Craft treatment. The latter, adding extras (piano, guitar, vibes on one track), is less focused, except when Rollins plays, who continues to show uncanny skill for building on standards. The third disc collects the alternate takes, which were initially added to the OJC CDs. It may be the best of the bunch. **
7.		Graham Collier: Down Another Road @ Stockholm Jazz Days '69 (My Only Desire) Bassist (1937-2011), one of the major figures in British jazz to emerge in the late 1960s, leading a sextet here: Hary Beckett (trumpet/flugelhorn), Nick Evans (trombone), Stan Sulzmann (tenor/alto sax), Karl Jenkins (oboe/piano), and John Marshall (drums). This live set expands on five (of six) songs from his third album, Down Another Road. Remarkable compositions and performances. Clearly someone I need to research further. **
8.		Sonny Stitt: Boppin' in Baltimore: Live at the Left Bank (1973, Jazz Detective) Alto saxophonist, a bebopper from his start in the late 1940s, took a lot of grief as a "Bird imitator," but invented as much as he stole, and really who cares? He was always up to play, especially in his early-1960s duo albums with Gene Ammons, but his best albums came in 1972 for Muse, when he slowed down a bit. This previously unreleased tape comes from that period: a quartet with Kenny Barron (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Louis Hayes (drums). **
9.		Terri Lyne Carrington: TLC & Friends (1981, Candid) Drummer, from Massachusetts, father and grandfather were musicians (latter played with Fats Waller and Chu Berry), was tutored by Alan Dawson, recorded this when she was 16 but had some major league friends: George Coleman (tenor sax), Kenny Barron (piano), Buster Williams (bass). She wrote one song, but otherwise went with sure covers, slipping Billy Joel between two Sonny Rollins tunes on the second side, "St. Thomas" and "Sonny Moon for Two" (with her father guesting as the second tenor sax). They're all having terrific fun. **
10.		Herb Geller: Fire in the West (1957, Jazz Workshop) Alto saxophonist (1928-2013), inspired by Benny Carter, played in big bands in the early 1950s, led his first session in 1954, released this classic sextet session on Jubilee in 1957, establishing himself as a superb arranger, with Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Harold Land (tenor sax), Lou Levy (piano), Ray Brown (bass), and Lawrence Marable (drums), turning the fire up on "West coast cool jazz." Original title and artwork for an album I know from the 2003 CD That Geller Feller. **
11.		Cal Tjader: Catch the Groove: Live at the Penthouse 1963-1967 (Jazz Detective/Elemental, 2CD) Vibraphonist (1925-82), parents were "Swedish American vaudevillians," moved to Bay Area when he was two, learned to play piano and drums, and tap dance, started out in Dixieland bands, was playing drums in Dave Brubeck's group when he got interested in vibes. There are many testimonials in the booklet here, including one by Terry Gibbs on this story, and how Gibbs "showed him some things," although his knack for "Latin kick" came elsewhere. Tjader's groups from 1953 on were widely recorded. At one point, I tried figuring out who had the most jazz albums among artists I had none from, and Tjader was the easy winner. I picked up a record with Stan Getz after that, but Tjader remains a gaping hole in my expertise. So unlike most recent live archival trawls, I have little to compare this with, giving it an air of fresh discovery. This collects six sets, all quintets with piano, bass, drums, and Latin percussion (especially congas), and it's quite delightful.
12.		Melba Liston: Melba Liston and Her 'Bones (1958, Jazz Workshop) Trombonist (1926-99), from Kansas City, started playing in all-female big bands during the war, then broke in with Gerald Wilson, then moved on to Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones, where she became most valued as an arranger. This is the only album she led -- well, aside from her Randy Weston co-credit, Volcano Blues (1993), still the first item showing up when you search her. This combines two sessions, one with Ray Bryant (piano), the other with Kenny Burrell (guitar), bass, drums, and three more trombonists each (Benny Green, Al Grey, and Benny Powell with Burrell; Jimmy Cleveland, Slide Hampton, and Frank Rehak with Bryant). A real delight. **
13.		Shirley Scott: Queen Talk: Live at the Left Bank (1972, Reel to Real) Organ player, probably best known for her work/marriage with Stanley Turrentine, leads a very hot trio here with George Coleman (tenor sax) and Bobby Durham (drums), recorded live at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore. Trio covers three LP sides (73:13), then singer Ernie Andrews joins for the final side (24:58), and he's no less inspired. **
14.		Albert Ayler: More Lost Performances Revisited (1962-67, Ezz-Thetics) Three quintet tracks (22:14) from Newport Festival 1967, one 6:24 medley ("Love Cry/Truth Is Marching In/Our Prayer") from the John Coltrane Funeral (1967), and most importantly, a long 1962 Copenhagen piece, 21:27 with the Cecil Taylor Trio (piano extraordinaire, with Jimmy Lyons on alto sax, Sunny Murray on drums). **
15.		D.B. Shrier: D.B. Shrier Emerges (1967, Omnivore) Tenor saxophonist (1938-2017), from Philadelphia, only released this one five-track album, expanded here with five more live tracks. Opens with a Gigi Gryce bopper, then shows some range by turning in a credible ballad. Then he shows he's paid attention to Coltrane, a bit before everyone else. The extra tracks run hot, as well they should. **
16.		Pharoah Sanders Quartet: Live at Fabrik: Hamburg 1980 (Jazzline) Tenor saxophonist, followed Coltrane into the avant-garde, establishing himself in a series of 1966-73 Impulse records. He struggled businesswise after that, with a half-dozen albums on Theresa disappearing from print, before returning with several masterpieces in the 1990s, remaining a revered figure up to his death in 2022. But he could still tour, and sounds terrific here on four originals (including "The Creator Has a Master Plan") and a standard, backed by John Hicks (piano), Curtis Lundy (bass), and Idris Muhammad (drums). **
17.		Gabe Baltazar Quartet: Birdology (1992, Fresh Sound) Alto saxophonist (1929-2022), from Hawaii, father born in Manila, got a scholarship to Los Angeles in 1946, and an introduction to bebop (meeting Charles Parker in 1948 in New York). After Army and some time back in Hawaii, he played in the Lighthouse All-Stars, and for Stan Kenton and Oliver Nelson. He returned to Hawaii in 1969, and only has a couple of recordings after that -- although give him a side-credit for Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii. This was recorded in Los Angeles with Frank Strazzeri (piano), Andy Simpkins (bass), and Nick Martinis (drums). Two originals (title comes from his own "Birdology 101"), one by the pianist, one from Russ Freeman, the rest songbook standards (highlight: "In the Still of the Night"). **
18.		Les McCann: Never a Dull Moment! Live From Coast to Coast 1966-1967 (Resonance, 3CD) Pianist, from Kentucky, never seemed to get much respect for his distinctive mix of soul jazz and boogie-woogie, but did get an actual hit record in 1969, with Eddie Harris on Swiss Movement (2.5 stars in Penguin Guide, but in my 1K list). This collects five live dates from Seattle (Penthouse) and one from New York (Village Vanguard), where he does his thing, and keeps doing it until he gets really good at it. (Looks like one cut from 1963 belies the subtitle.)
19.		Michel Petrucciani: The Montreux Years (1990-98, BMG/Montreux) The big jazz festival in Switzerland has been an annual affair since 1967. Dozens of artists have released tapes of their performances there, so it's unsurprising that the Foundation itself would want to get into the act. This draws on four performances by the diminuitive French pianist -- who died in 1999, at 37, of a congenital ailment that is impossible to detect in his masterful playing. Selections include duos with bassist Miroslav Vitous, a quartet with synthesizer, a quintet with Steve Grossman on sax, and a sextet with Stefano Di Battista. This winds up being an excellent sampler. **
20.		Barry Altschul/David Izenson/Perry Robinson: Stop Time: Live at Prince Street, 1978 (NoBusiness) Drums, bass, clarinet, joint improv, listed alphabetically, although the drummer is probably the best known these days. Not the greatest sound, but remarkable music.
21.		Albert Ayler Quintet: Lost Performances 1966 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) "From the Filmproduction in Munich & The Concerts Of Rotterdam & Helsinki." While most of the label's "Revisited" series have been pulled from Bandcamp -- more evidence of how US copyright laws are meant to keep you in the dark -- their project to release every scrap Ayler ever recorded is still on track, probably because these, at least, have been cleared by the Estate of Albert Ayler. Quintet with Don Ayler (trumpet), Michel Samson (violin), William Folwell (bass), and Beaver Harris (drums), from their much-bootlegged European tour. The first three studio tracks from Munich are magnificent. The live shots are a bit more ragged, but convey the excitement, and the uniqueness of the violin. **
22.		Per 'Texas' Johansson: Alla Mina Kompisar (1998, Moserobie) Swedish reeds player, second album, plays tenor/baritone sax and clarinets here, with Fredrik Ljunkgvist (four saxes), Johan Lindström (pedal steel guitar), Dan Berglund (bass), and Mikel Ulfberg (drums). **
23.		Brew: Heat/Between Reflections (1998-2019, Clean Feed, 2CD) Trio of Miya Masaoka (koto), Reggie Workman (bass), and Gerry Hemingway (drums). Masaoka was born in Washington DC, lived in Paris, studied in San Francisco, is based in New York, is a master of many traditional Japanese instruments, has appeared on 50+ albums, mostly with free jazz figures. First disc, with two 1998-99 sessions, is deeply compelling. The latter disc is a recent session, considerably lighter.
24.		Alon Nechushtan: For Those Who Cross the Seas (2006, ESP-Disk, 2CD) Israeli pianist, based in New York, has a half-dozen albums, mostly 2011-14. Two live sets here, the first disc called "Astral Voyages," the second "Cosmic Canticles." Band names also appear on front cover, offset just enough to spare me listing them all on the slugline, but worth mentioning here: Roy Campbell (flute/trumpet), Daniel Carter and Sabir Mateen (saxophones/clarinet), William Parker (bass), and Federico Ughi (drums).
25.		Albert Ayler: Summertime to Spiritual Unity Revisited (1964, Ezz-Thetics) Spiritual Unity, the trio album on ESP-Disk with Gary Peacock (bass) and Sunny Murray (drums), is Ayler's masterpiece, so it's tempting to say just leave it at that. This prepends two tracks from a Danish set that was later released as My Name Is Albert Ayler: a 8:46 "Summertime" and a 12:06 "C.T." Not especially great versions, but I guess they do set you up. **
26.		Roy Campbell/William Parker/Zen Matsuura: Visitation of Spirits: The Pyramid Trio Live, 1985 (NoBusiness) Trumpet player (1952-2014), played in various William Parker projects, including Other Dimensions in Music, and later had the Nu Band, with Mark Whitecage. This was an early version of his trio, which did three 1994-2001 studio albums. A bit spotty at first, but terrific when they get going.
27.		Roland Kirk: Live at Ronnie Scott's 1963 (Gearbox) Tenor saxophonist, also credited with stritch, manzello, flute, nose flute, and siren (but surely you knew all that), plays a set (4 songs, 37:53) with a crack local band: Stan Tracey (piano), Malcolm Cecil (bass), Ronnie Stephenson (drums). **
28.		JuJu: A Message From Mozambique (1972, Strut) Afrocentric jazz group founded in San Francisco by saxophonist Plunky Nkabinde (originally James Branch), with other African-sounding names: Ken Shabala (Kent Parker, bass/flute), Lon Moshe (Ron Martin, flute/vibes), Al-Hamel Rasul (Tony Grayson, piano), Babatunde (Michael Lea, congas/drums), and Jalango Ngoma (Dennis Stewart, timbales). A little rough, but could still get filed as spiritual jazz now, but at the time tried to fuse avant with black power community. Group evolved into Oneness of Juju. **

Also added the following older albums after freezing the 2022 year-end file:

1.

Dick Hyman: One Step to Chicago: The Legacy of Frank Teschemacher and the Austin High Gang (1992, Rivermont) Not the easiest cover to parse, starting up top with "George Avakian Presents," ending "featuring Kenny Davern • Dan Levinson (clarinets)," and also lists the band members, with Hyman's name prefaced by "transcribed and directed by." Adding to the confusion, the back cover credits the first six songs to Dick Hyman and His Frank Teschemacher Celebration Band, the next seven to Kenny Davern and His Windy City Stompers, and the finale to "Dick Hyman-Kenny Hyman and Their Combined Bands." Levinson plays clarinet in Hyman's band, but Hyman plays piano in both -- the only other musician to appear in both bands is Dan Barrett (trombone), but on only two of the former's tracks. Teschemacher (1906-32) started played clarinet and alto sax with his Chicago west-side high school chums, a legendary group including Bud Freeman and Jimmy McPartland. Classic jazz, expertly done. **

Honorable Mention

Additional jazz rated B+(***), listed alphabetically.

1. Cannonball Adderley Quintet: In Concert: Falkoner Centret, Copenhagen, Denmark, April 13, 1961 (SteepleChase) **
2. Fred Anderson: The Milwaukee Tapes, Vol. 2 (1980, Corbett vs. Dempsey) **
3. The Birth of Bop: The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection (1944-49, Craft, 2CD) **
4. Walter Bishop Jr.: Bish at the Bank: Live in Baltimore (1966-67, Reel to Real) **
5. Anthony Branker & Ascent: Spirit Songs (2004, Origin)
6. Peter Brötzmann/Sabu Toyozumi: Triangle: Live at Ohm, 1987 (NoBusiness)
7. The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Live From the Northwest, 1959 (Brubeck Editions) **
8. Baikida E.J. Carroll: Orange Fish Tears (1974, Souffle Continu) **
9. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy: Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse!) **
10. Eddie Lockjaw Davis Quartet: All of Me (1983, SteepleChase) **
11. Miles Davis: Miles Davis With Tadd Dameron Revisited: Live 1949 at the Royal Roost NYC & in Paris at Festival Internationale De Jazz (Ezz-Thetics) **
12. Miles Davis: Turnaround: Rare Miles From the Complete On the Corner Sessions (1972-73, Columbia/Legacy) **
13. Elton Dean/Steve Miller/Pip Pyle: Home Brewed (1976, British Progressive Jazz '22) **
14. Jean-Marc Foussat: Abattage (1973-81, Fou)
15. Joel Futterman: Inneraction (1984, Mahakala Music) **
16. Eric Ghost: Secret Sauce (1975, Jazz Room '22) **
17. Dizzy Gillespie: Portrait of Jenny (1970, BBE) **
18. Milford Graves With Arthur Doyle & Hugh Glover: Children of the Forest (1976, Black Editions Archive) **
19. Johnny Griffin: Live at Ronnie Scott's (1964, Gearbox)
20. Tubby Hayes: No Blues: The Complete Hopbine '65 (Jazz in Britain) **
21. Johnny Hodges Septet: In Concert: Falkoner Central, Copenhagen, March 17, 1961 (SteepleChase) **
22. Kim Dae Hwan/Choi Sun Bae: Korean Fantasy (1999, NoBusiness)
23. J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan Volume 4: The Nippon Columbia Label 1968-1981 (BBE) **
24. Keith Jarrett: Solo-Concerts Bremen/Lausanne (1973, ECM) **
25. The Jazz Doctors: Intensive Care: Prescriptions Filled [The Billy Bang Quartet Sessions 1983/1984] (1983-84, Cadillac) **
26. Clifford Jordan: Drink Plenty Water (1974, Harvest Song)
27. Jan Lundgren Trio/Herb Geller: Stockholm Get-Together! (1994, Fresh Sound) **
28. Don Menza & Sam Noto: Steppin': Quartet Live (1980, Fresh Sound) **
29. Charles Mingus: Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings (1973-79, Rhino)
30. Jouk Minor/Josef Traindl/Jean Querlier/Christian Lété/Dominique Regef: Enfin La Mer (1978, NoBusiness) **
31. Paul Moer Trio: Plays the Music of Elmo Hope (1991, Fresh Sound) **
32. Wes Montgomery: The Complete Full House Recordings (1962, Craft, 2CD) **
33. Wes Montgomery/Wynton Kelly Trio: Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings (Resonance, 2CD) **
34. Amina Claudine Myers: Song for Mother E (1979, Leo) **
35. Phineas Newborn Jr.: A World of Piano! (1961, Craft) **
36. Jack Nimitz Quartet: Confirmation (1995, Fresh Sound) **
37. Mike Osborne: Starting Fires: Live at the 100 Club 1970 (British Progressive Jazz) **
38. Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra: 60 Years (The Village) **
39. Charlie Parker: The Long Lost Bird Live Afro-Cubop Recordings (1945-54, RockBeat) **
40. Evan Parker: NYC 1978 (Relative Pitch) **
41. Bill Perkins: Perk Plays Prez: Bill Perkins Recreates the Historic Solos of Lester Young (1995, Fresh Sound) **
42. Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky: Luten at Jazzwerkstatt Peitz (2011, Jazzwerkstatt) **
43. Mark Reboul/Roberta Piket/Billy Mintz: Seven Pieces/About an Hour/Saxophone, Piano, Drums (2004, ESP-Disk)
44. Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah [Expanded Edition] (1976-77, Luaka Bop) **

Also added the following older albums after freezing the 2022 year-end file:

• None.

Notes

Additional new jazz records rated B+(**) or below (listed alphabetically by artist).

1. Arooj Aftab/Vijay Iyer/Shahzad Ismaily: Love in Exile (Verve) ** [B+(**)]
2. Ambrose Akinmusire: Beauty Is Enough (Origami Harvest) ** [B+(*)]
3. Ambrose Akinmusire: Owl Song (Nonesuch) ** [B+(*)]
4. Akmee: Sacrum Profanum (Nakama '22) ** [B+(**)]
5. Susan Alcorn/Patrick Holmes/Ryan Sawyer: From Union Pool (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(*)]
6. Susan Alcorn/Septeto Del Sur: Canto (Relative Pitch) [B+(**)]
7. Susan Alcorn/José Lencastre/Hernâni Faustino: Manifesto (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
8. Constantine Alexander: Firetet (self-released) [B+(**)]
9. Eric Alexander: A New Beginning: Alto Saxophone With Strings (HighNote) ** [B+(**)]
10. Jim Alfredson: Family Business (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
11. Aline's Etoile Magique: Eclipse (Elastic) [B+(**)]
12. Don Aliquo: Growth (Ear Up) [B+(**)]
13. Lina Allemano/Axel Dörner: Aphelia (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(*)]
14. Lina Allemano: Canons (Lumo) ** [B+(*)]]
15. The Harry Allen Orchestra: With Roses (Triangle7) ** [B]
16. Joe Alterman: Joe Alterman Plays Les McCann: Big Mo & Little Joe (Joe Alberman Music) ** [B+(**)]
17. Zoh Amba/Chris Corsano/Bill Orcutt: The Flower School (Palilalia) ** [B+(*)]
18. Roxana Amed/Frank Carlberg: Los Trabajos Y Las Noches (Sony Music Latin) [B+(*)]
19. Ray Anderson: Marching On (Double Moon '22) ** [B+(**)]
20. Florian Arbenz: Conversation #10: Inland (Hammer) ** [B+(**)]
21. Vicente Archer: Short Stories (Cellar) [B+(**)]
22. JoVia Armstrong & Eunoia Society: Inception (Black Earth Music) [B]
23. Artchipel Orchestra With Jonathan Coe: Suspended Moment: The Music of Jonathan Coe (British Progressive Jazz) ** [B+(**)]
24. Artemis: In Real Time (Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
25. Christian Artmann: The Middle of Life (Sunnyside) [B]
26. Dave Askren/Jeff Benedict: Denver Sessions (Tapestry) [B+(**)]
27. Atlantic Road Trip: One (Calligram) [B+(**)]
28. AVA Trio: Ash (Tora, EP) ** [B+(*)]
29. Jeff Babko/David Piltch: The Libretto Show (Tudor Tones) [B+(*)]
30. John Bailey: Time Bandits (Freedom Road) [B+(**)]
31. Jalen Baker: Be Still (Cellar) [B+(*)]
32. David Bandrowski & the Rhumba Defense: French Onion Superman (self-released '22) ** [B+(**)]
33. Richard Baratta: Off the Charts (Savant) ** [B+(**)]
34. Matt Barber: The Song Is You (MB) [B+(*)]
35. Bruce Barth Trio: Dedication (Origin '22) ** [B+(**)]
36. Michael Bates: Metamorphoses: Variations on Lutoslawski (Anaklasis) ** [B+(**)]
37. Carlos "Bechegas"/Joao Madeira/Ulrich Mitzlaff: Open in Finder (4DaRecord) ** [B+(*)]
38. Beholder Quartet: Omni Present (Sachimay, EP) ** [B+(*)]
39. Tor Einar Bekken/Inga-Mei Steinbru: Jungle One Jungle Two Jungle Blues (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
40. Benny Benack III: Third Time's the Charm (La Reserve/Bandstand Presents) ** [B+(**)]
41. Espen Berg: The Hamar Concert (NXN) ** [B+(**)]
42. Jerry Bergonzi: Extra Extra (Savant) ** [B+(*)]
43. Berlioz: Jazz Is for Ordinary People (self-released, EP) ** [B+(*)]
44. Sarah Bernadette: Sad Poems on My Phone (Blujazz, EP) [B]
45. Tim Berne/Hank Roberts/Aurora Nealand: Oceans And (Intakt) ** [B]
46. João Barradas: Solo II: Live at Festival D'Aix-En-Provence (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
47. Gordon Beeferman/Michael Evans/Michael Foster/Shelley Hirsch: Glow (Tripticks Tapes) ** [B+(*)]
48. Will Bernard & Beth Custer: Sky (Dreck to Disk) [B+(*)]
49. Carlos Bica: Playing With Beethoven (Clean Feed) ** [B]
50. Adam Birnbaum: Preludes (Chelsea Music Festival) [B+(**)]
51. John Bishop: Antwerp (Origin) [B+(**)]
52. Michael Bisio/Timothy Hill: Inside Voice/Outside Voice (Origin) [B+(*)]
53. Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band: Kings Highway (Stoner Hill) ** [B+(*)]
54. Johnathan Blake: Passage (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
55. Michael Blake: Dance of the Mystic Bliss (P&M) [B+(*)]
56. Jaap Blonk/Damon Smith/Ra Kalam Bob Moses: Rune Kitchen (Balance Point Acoustics) ** [B+(*)]
57. Blue Cranes: My Only Secret (Jealous Butcher/Beacon Sound) [B]
58. Bowmanville: Bowmanville (StonEagleMusic) [B+(**)]
59. Don Braden: Earth Wind and Wonder Volume 2 (self-released) ** [B]
60. Patrick Brennan Sonic Openings: Tilting Curvaceous (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
61. Peter Brötzmann/Heather Leigh/Fred Lonberg-Holm: Naked Nudes [Brötz 80th at ADA 2021] (Trost) ** [B+(*)]
62. Kyle Bruckmann/Tim Daisy/Phillip Greenlief/Lisa Mezzacappa: Semaphore (Relay) ** [B+(**)]
63. Peter Bruun/Søren Kjærgaard/Josas Westergaard: Th&emacron;saurós (ILK '22) ** [B+(*)]
64. Paul Brusger: A Soul Contract (SteepleChase) ** [B+(*)]
65. Jane Bunnett and Maqueque: Playing With Fire (True North/Linus Entertainment) ** [B+(*)]
66. Ludovica Burtone: Sparks (Outside In Music) [B+(**)]
67. John Butcher/Pat Thomas/Dominic Lash/Steve Noble: Fathom (577) ** [B+(*)]
68. John Butcher/Dominic Lash/Emil Karlsen: Here and How (Bead) ** [B+(**)]
69. Butcher Brown: Solar Music (Concord Jazz) ** [B]
70. Dee Byrne: Outlines (Whirlwind) ** [B+(**)]
71. Calcanhar: Jump (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
72. Ann Hampton Callaway: Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration (Palmetto) ** [B+(**)]
73. Jim Campilongo/Steve Cardenas: New Year (Sunnyside) ** [B]
74. Canadian Jazz Collective: Septology: The Black Forest Session (HGBS Blue) [B+(*)]
75. Daniel Carter/Leo Genovese/William Parker/Francisco Mela: Shine Hear Vol. 1 (577) ** [B+(**)]
76. Andre Carvalho: Lost in Translation Vol. II (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
77. Joe Chambers: Dance Kobina (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
78. Joan Chamorro & Friends: Jazz House Sessions With Scott Hamilton (Associació Sant Andreu Jazz Band) ** [B+(**)]
79. Charlie & the Tropicales: Presents for Everyone! (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
80. Ed Cherry: Are We There Yet? (Cellar) ** [B+(**)]
81. Chicago Edge Ensemble: The Individualists (Lizard Breath) ** [B+(**)]
82. Billy Childs: The Winds of Change (Mack Avenue) ** [B+(**)]
83. Chory Thicket [Christy Doran/Ronan Guilfoyle/Gerry Hemingway]: A Breath of Time (Auricle) ** [B+(**)]
84. Cigar Box Serenaders: Spasm (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
85. Scott Clark: Dawn & Dusk (Out of Your Head) [B+(**)]
86. Avishai Cohen & Abraham Rodriguez Jr.: Iroko (Naïve/Believe) ** [B+(*)]
87. Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet: Emergence (PlayOn) [B+(*)]
88. Tom Collier: Boomer Vibes Volume 1 (Summit) [B+(*)]
89. The Chick Corea Elektric Band: The Future Is Now (Candid) ** [B+(*)]
90. Patrick Cornelius: Book of Secrets (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
91. Mario Costa/Cuong Vu/Benoît Delbecq/Bruno Chevillon: Chromosome (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
92. Sylvie Courvoisier & Cory Smythe: The Rite of Spring/Spectre D'Un Songe (Pyroclastic) [B+(**)]
93. Theo Croker: Live in Paris (Masterworks, EP '22) ** [B+(*)]
94. Theo Croker: By the Way (Masterworks, EP) ** [B+(*)]
95. Andrew Cyrille: Music Delivery/Percussion (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
96. Maria Da Rocha/Ernesto Rodrigues/Daniel Levin/João Madeira: Hoya (Creative Sources) [B+(**)]
97. Claire Daly With George Garzone: VuVu for Frances (Daly Bread) ** [B+(**)]
98. Harold Danko: Trillium (SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
99. Christie Dashiell: Journey in Black (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
100. Jesse Davis: Live at Smalls Jazz Club (Cellar) ** [B+(**)]
101. Angel Bat Dawid: Requiem for Jazz (International Anthem) ** [B]
102. Michael Dease: The Other Side: The Music of Gregg Hill (Origin) [B+(*)]
103. Michael Dease: Swing Low (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
104. Orhan Demir: Solo Guitar: Freedom in Jazz Vol. 2 (Hittite '20) [B+(**)]
105. Alabaster DePlume: Come With Fierce Grace (International Anthem) ** [B+(**)]
106. Aaron Diehl & the Knights: Zodiac Suite (Mack Avenue) ** [B-]
107. John Dierker/Jeff Arnal: Astral Chronology (Mahakala Music, EP) ** [B+(**)]
108. Marike van Dijk Nonet: Stranded (Brooklyn Jazz Underground/ZenneZ) ** [B+(**)]
109. Mike Dillon & Punkadelick: Inflorescence (Royal Potato Family) ** [B+(*)]
110. Dinner Party: Enigmatic Society (Sounds of Crenshaw, EP) ** [B]
111. Dragonchild: Dragonchild (FPE) ** [B+(**)]
112. Dry Thrust: The Less You Sleep (Trost) ** [B+(*)]
113. Antoine Drye With Strings: Retreat to Beauty (Oblation Vol. 3: Providence!) (Cellar Music) ** [B+(*)]
114. Paul Dunmall Ensemble: It's a Matter of Fact (Discus Music): [bc]: B+(**)
115. Paul Dunmall New Quartet: World Without (577) ** [B+(**)]
116. Nick Dunston: Skultura (Fun in the Church) ** [B]
117. Hilario Duran and His Latin Jazz Big Band: Cry Me a River (Alma) ** [B+(**)]
118. Jeremy Dutton: Anyone Is Better Than Here (self-released) [B+(**)]
119. Mia Dyberg Trio: Timestretch (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
120. Silke Eberhard/Céline Voccia: Wild Knots (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(**)]
121. Michael Echaniz: Seven Shades of Violet (Rebiralost) (Ridgeway) [B+(*)]
122. Rachel Eckroth: One (Blackbird Sessions) [B+(*)]
123. Vince Ector Organotomy Trio +: Live @ the Side Door (Cabo Verde) [B+(**)]
124. Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Spirit Gatherer: Tribute to Don Cherry (Spiritmuse) ** [B+(*)]
125. Kurt Elling/Charlie Hunter/Neal Smith: SuperBlue: Guilty Pleasures (Edition, EP) ** [B+(*)]
126. Kurt Elling/Charlie Hunter: SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree (Edition) ** [B]
127. Andy Emler MegaOctet: No Rush! (La Buissonne) ** [B+(**)]
128. The End: Why Do You Mourn (Trost) ** [B+(**)]
129. Enji: Ulaan (Squama) ** [B]
130. Espen Eriksen Trio/Andy Sheppard: As Good as It Gets (Rune Grammofon) ** [B+(**)]
131. Ilhan Ersahin/Dave Harrington/Kenny Wollesen: Your Head You Know (Nublu, EP) ** [B+(*)]
132. Wayne Escoffery: Like Minds (Smoke Sessions) ** [B-]
133. Gabriel Espinosa: Bossas and Boleros (Zoho) [B-]
134. Falkner Evans: Through the Lines (CAP) [B+(**)]
135. Orrin Evans: The Red Door (Smoke Sessions) ** [B]
136. Joe Farnsworth: In What Direction Are You Headed? (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(*)]
137. Alan Ferber Nonet: Up High, Down Low (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
138. My World (Arbors) ** [B+(**)]
139. Sammy Figueroa: Something for a Memory (Busco Tu Recuerdo) (Ashé) [B+(**)]
140. Five-Way Split: All the Way (Ubuntu Music) ** [B+(*)]
141. Ingebrigt Håker Flaten & Paal Nilssen-Love: Guts & Skins (PNL) ** [B+(**)]
142. Béla Fleck/Zakir Hussain/Edgar Meyer: As We Speak (Thirty Tigers) ** [B+(*)]
143. Flying Pooka! [Dani Oore & Florian Hoefner]: The Ecstasy of Becoming (Alma) [B+(*)]
144. Greg Foat & Eero Koivistoinen: Feathers (Jazzaggression) ** [B+(*)]
145. Roberto Fonseca: La Gran Diversión (3ème Bureau/Wagram) ** [B+(**)]
146. Anat Fort Trio: The Berlin Sessions (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
147. Sullivan Fortner: Solo Game (Artwork) ** [B+(*)]
148. Aldo Fosko Collective: This One Time (Hitchtone) [B+(**)]
149. Michael Foster: The Industrious Tongue of Michael Foster (Relative Pitch -22) ** [B+(*)]
150. Chad Fowler/George Cartwright/Kelley Hurt/Christopher Parker/Luke Stewart/Steve Hirsh/Zoh Amba: Miserere (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
151. Mimi Fox Organ Trio: One for Wes (Origin) [B+(*)]
152. Caesar Frazier: Tenacity (As We Speak) (TrackMerchant -22) ** [B+(*)]
153. Caesar Frazier: Live at Jazzcup (Stunt) ** [B+(**)]
154. George Freeman: The Good Life (HighNote) ** [B+(**)]
155. Paulo Fresu/Omar Sosa: Food (Tuk Music) ** [B+(**)]
156. Eric Friedlander: She Sees (Skipstone) ** [B+(*)]
157. Frog Squad: Special Noise (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(*)]
158. Satoko Fujii: Torrent: Piano Solo (Libra) [B+(**)]
159. Arina Fujiwara: Neon (self-released) [B+(*)]
160. Champian Fulton: Meet Me at Birdland (Champian) [B+(**)]
161. Funkwrench Blues: Soundtrack for a Film Without Pictures (Need to Know) ** [B+(*)]
162. The Garden of Joy: Bouncin' Around (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
163. George Gee Swing Orchestra: Winter Wonderland (self-released) [B+(**)]
164. Sam Gendel: Cookup (Nonesuch) ** [B]
165. Leo Genovese/Demian Cabaud/Marcos Cavaleiro: Estrellero (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
166. Max Gerl: Max Gerl (JMI) [B+(*)]
167. Paul Giallorenzo Trio: Play (Delmark) ** [B+(*)]
168. Lafayette Gilchrist: Undaunted (Morphius) ** [B+(**)]
169. Bára Gisladottir: Silva (Sono Luminus) [B+(**)]
170. Frode Gjerstad With Matthew Shipp: We Speak (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(**)]
171. GoGo Penguin: Everything Is Going to Be OK (XXIM) ** [B+(**)]
172. Vinny Golia/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter: No Refunds (Unbroken Sounds) ** [B+(**)]
173. Brad Goode: The Unknown (Origin) [B+(**)]
174. The Sofia Goodman Group: Secrets of the Shore (Joyous) [B+(*)]
175. Darrell Grant's MJ New: Our Mr. Jackson (Lair Hill) [B+(**)]
176. Skip Grasso: Becoming (Barking Coda Music) [B]
177. Frank Gratkowski/Simon Nabatov: Tender Mercies (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
178. Devin Gray: Most Definitely (Rataplan) [B+(**)]
179. Gordon Grdina/Mat Maneri/Christian Lillinger: Live at the Armoury (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
180. Gabriel Guerrero & Quantum: Equilibrio (Origin) [B+(**)]
181. Mats Gustafsson & Ensemble E: EE Opus One (Trost) ** [B]
182. Mats Gustafsson: Hidros 9: Mirrors (Trost) ** [B+(*)]
183. Noah Haidu: Standards (Sunnyside) [B+(**)]
184. Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View (Gondwana) ** [B+(**)]
185. Hands & Tongues: 3 Meta-Dialogues (4DaRecord) [B-]
186. Allan Harris: Live at Blue Llama Jazz Club (Love Productions/Live at Blue Llama) [B+(**)]
187. Kevin Harris & the Solution: Jazz Gumbo (Blujazz) [B-]
188. Lafayette Harris Jr.: Swingin' Up in Harlem (Savant) ** [B+(*)]
189. Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr.: Congo Square Suite (Truth Revolution) ** [B]
190. Fritz Hauser & Pedro Carneiro: Pas De Deux (Clean Feed) ** [B]
191. Alexander Hawkins Trio: Carnival Celestial (Intakt) ** [B+(*)]
192. Louis Hayes: Exactly Right! (Savant) ** [B+(**)]
193. Kevin Hays/Ben Street/Billy Hart: Bridges (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(**)]
194. Thomas Heberer/Ken Filiano/Phil Haynes: Spontaneous Composition (Corner Store Music '22) ** [B+(**)]
195. Aaron Yale Heisler: The Bechet Century: A Centenary Celebration of the Music of Sidney Bechet (2nd Bechet Century) ** [B+(**)]
196. Mette Henriette: Drifting (ECM) ** [B]
197. Carlos Henriquez: A Nuyorican Tale (self-released) [B+(**)]
198. Nitai Hershkovits: Call on the Old Wise (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
199. Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra: Open Spaces: Folk Songs Reimagined (Cellar) [B+(*)]
200. Anthony Hervey: Words From My Horn (Outside In Music) ** [B+(**)]
201. Scott Hesse Trio: Intention (Calligram) [B+(**)]
202. HIIT: For Beauty Is Nothing but the Beginning of Terror (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
203. Lisa Hilton: Coincidental Moment (Ruby Slippers) ** [B+(**)]
204. Art Hirahara: Echo Canyon (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
205. Keigo Hirakawa: Pixel (Origin) [B+(**)]
206. Hiromi's Sonicwonder: Sonicwonderland (Telarc) ** [B+(*)]
207. William Hooker: Flesh and Bones (Org Music) ** [B+(**)]
208. Munir Hossn/Ganavya: Sister, Idea (Ropeadope) ** [B+(*)]
209. François Houle Genera Sextet: In Memoriam (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
210. David Ian: Vintage Christmas Trio Melody (Prescott) [B]
211. Illegal Crowns: Unclosing (Out of Your Heads) [B+(**)]
212. Mikko Innanen/Stefan Pasborg/Cedric Piromalli: Can You Hear It? (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
213. I.P.A.: Grimsta (Cuneiform) ** [B+(**)]
214. Christoph Irniger Pilgrim: Ghost Cat (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
215. Ayumi Ishito: Ayumi Ishito & the Spacemen Vol. 2 (577) ** [B+(*)]
216. José James: On & On (2023, Rainbow Blonde) ** [B+(*)]
217. Val Jeanty/Candice Hoyes/Mimi Jones: Nite Bjuti (Whirlwind) ** [B+(**)]
218. Russ Johnson Quartet: Reveal (Calligram) [B+(**)]
219. Mike Jones Trio: Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You're Doing? (Capri) [B+(**)]
220. Rickie Lee Jones: Pieces of Treasure (BMG/Modern) ** [B-]
221. Stephen Jones & Ben Haugland: Road to No-Where (OA2) [B+(**)]
222. Anders Jormin/Lena Willemark: Pasado En Claro (ECM) ** [B+(**)]
223. Barb Jungr and Her Trio: My Marquee (Marquee) ** [B+(**)]
224. Kaisa's Machine: Taking Shape (Greenleaf Music) [B+(**)]
225. Bobby Kapp: Synergy: Bobby Kapp Plays the Music of Richard Sussman (Tweed Boulevard) [B+(**)]
226. Ryan Keberle's Collectiv Do Brasil: Considerando (Alternate Side) [B+(**)]
227. Jason Keiser: Shaw's Groove (OA2) ** [B+(*)]
228. Sunny Kim/Vardan Ovsepian/Ben Monder: Liminal Silence (Earshift Music) [C+]
229. Izumi Kimura/Cora Venus Lunny: Invisible Resistances (Fairpoint -22) ** [B+(*)]
230. Guillermo Klein Quinteto: Telmo's Tune (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
231. Tony Kofi & Alina Bzhezhinska: Altera Vita (For Pharoah Sanders) (BBE, EP) ** [B]
232. Koma Saxo: Post Koma (We Jazz) ** [B+(*)]
233. Toshinori Kondo/Massimo Pupillo/Tony Buck: Eternal Triangle (I Dischi Di Angelica '22) ** [B+(*)]
234. Benjamin Koppel/Scott Colley/Brian Blade: Perspective (Cowbell Music) ** [B+(**)]
235. Sarathy Korwar: KAL (Real World) (The Leaf Label) ** [B+(**)]
236. Karina Kozhevnikova & Krugly Band: Polyphonic Circle (Leo)** [B+(**)]
237. Russell Kranes/Alex Levine/Sam Weber/Jay Sawyer: Anchor Points (OA2) [B+(**)]
238. Andrew Krasilnikov: Bloody Belly Comb Jelly (Rainy Days) [B]
239. Alexey Kruglov: Synchronization of Time (Leo '22) ** [B]
240. Marie Kruttli: Transparence (Intakt) ** [B+(*)]
241. Nils Kugelmann: Stormy Beauty (ACT) ** [B+(**)]
242. John La Barbera Big Band: Grooveyard (Origin) [B+(*)]
243. Julian Lage: The Layers (Blue Note, EP) ** [B+(**)]
244. Oliver Lake/Mathias Landæus/Kresten Osgood: Spirit (Sfär) ** [B+(**)]
245. Large Unit: New Map (PNL '22) ** [B+(**)]
246. Large Unit: Clusterfuck (PNL '22) ** [B+(**)]
247. David Larsen: The Peplowski Project (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
248. The Adam Larson Trio: With Love, From Kansas City (Outside In Music '22) ** [B+(**)]
249. The Adam Larson Trio: With Love, From New York (Outside In Music) ** [B+(**)]
250. Las Vegas Boneheads: Sixty and Still Cookin' (Curt Miller Music) [B]
251. Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes (Intakt) ** [B+(*)]
252. Bill Laurance & Michael League: Where You Wish You Were (ACT) ** [B+(**)]
253. Le Boeuf Brothers: Hush (Soundspore) [B+(**)]
254. Joëlle Léandre: Zurich Concert (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
255. Jeff Lederer With Mary LaRose: Schoenberg on the Beach (Little (i) Music) [B+(*)]
256. Jeff Lederer/Morningside Tone Collective: Balls of Simplicity: Jeff Lederer Notated Works 1979-2021 (Little (i) Music) ** [B+(**)]
257. Mike LeDonne/Eric Alexander/Jeremy Pelt/Vincent Herring/Kenny Washington/Peter Washington: The Heavy Hitters (Cellar) [B+(**)]
258. Gordon Lee Quartet: How Can It Be? (PJCE) [B+(**)]
259. Jamie Leonhart: The Illusion of Blue (Side A) (self-released, EP '22) ** [B-]
260. Jamie Leonhart: The Illusion of Blue (Side B) (self-released -EP -22) ** [B-]
261. Janel Leppin: The Brink (Shiny Boy Press) ** [B+(*)]
262. Asbjørn Lerheim/Roger Arntzen/Michiyo Yagi/Tamaya Honda: Chrome Hill Duo Meets Dojo: Live at Aketa No Mise (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
263. Gregory Lewis: Organ Monk Going Home (Sunnyside) ** [B+(*)]
264. Mark Lewis: Sunlight Shines In (Audio Daddio) [B+(**)]
265. Max Light: Henceforth (SteepleChase) [B+(**)]
266. Johan Lindström/Norrbotten Big Band: Johan Lindström & Norrbotten Big Band (Moserobie) [B+(**)]
267. Zack Lober: No Fill3r (Zennez) [B+(*)]
268. Location Location Location [Michael Formanek/Anthony Pirog/Mike Pride]: Damaged Goods (Cuneiform) ** [B+(*)]
269. Joe Locke: Makram (Circle 9) ** [B+(*)]
270. Damon Locks/Rob Mazurek: New Future City Radio (International Anthem) ** [B+(*)]
271. Dave Lombardo: Rites of Percussion (Ipecac) ** [B+(**)]
272. Fred Lonberg-Holm/Tim Daisy: Current 23 (Relay) ** [B+(**)]
273. Luis Lopes Abyss Mirrors: Echoisms (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
274. Brandon Lopez: Vilevilevilevilevilevilevilevile (Tao Forms) [B+(**)]
275. Brandon Lopez Trio: Matanzas (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(**)]
276. Cecilia Lopez & Ingrid Laubrock: Maromas (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(**)]
277. Harold López-Nussa: Timba a la Americana (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
278. Alex LoRe & Weirdear: Evening Will Find Itself (Whirlwind) * [B+(**)]
279. Joe Lovano Trio Tapestry [Marilyn Crispell/Carmen Castaldi]: Our Daily Bread (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
280. Lage Lund: Most Peculiar (Criss Cross) ** [B+(**)]
281. Doug MacDonald: Big Band Extravaganza (DMAC Music) [B+(**)]
282. Doug MacDonald Trio: Edwin Alley (DMAC Music) [B+(**)]
283. Madre Vaca: Knights of the Round Table (Madre Vaca) ** [B+(*)]
284. Manzanita Quintet: Osmosis (Origin) [B+(*)]
285. Hannah Marks: Outsider, Outlier (Out of Your Head) [B+(*)]
286. Gabriela Martina: Homage to Grämilis (self-released) [B+(*)]
287. Astghik Martirosyan: Distance (Astghik Music) [B+(*)]
288. Sean Mason: The Southern Suite (Blue Engine) ** [B+(*)]
289. Bill Mays: Autumn Serenade (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
290. Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra: Lightning Dreamers (International Anthem) ** [B+(**)]
291. Brian McCarthy Nonet: After|Life (Truth Revolution) ** [B+(**)]
292. Donny McCaslin: I Want More (Edition) ** [B]
293. John Paul McGee: A Gospejazzical Christmas (Jazz Urbano) [B]
294. Sarah McKenzie: Without You (Normandy Lane Music) [B+(*)]
295. Dave McMurray: Grateful Deadication 2 (Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
296. Joe McPhee/Mette Rasmussen/Dennis Tyfus: Oblique Strategies (Black Truffle) ** [B]
297. Joe McPhee & John Edwards: Tell Me How Long Has Trane Been Gone (For James Baldwin and John Coltrane) (Klanggalerie '22) ** [B+(**)]
298. Brad Mehldau: Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles (Nonesuch) ** [B]
299. Vince Mendoza/Metropole Orkest: Olympians (Modern) ** [B-]
300. Mercury [Nicolas Caloia & Lori Freedman]: Skin (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
301. Lyia Meta: Always You (self-released) ** [B]
302. Pat Metheny: Dream Box (Modern) ** [B+(*)]
303. Metropolitan Jazz Octet: The Bowie Project (Origin) [B]
304. Colette Michaan: Earth Rebirth (Creatrix Music) [B+(*)]
305. Sei Miguel: The Original Drum (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
306. Sei Miguel Unit Core: Road Music (Clean Feed) ** [B]
307. Palle Mikkelborg/Jakob Bro/Marilyn Mazur: Strands: Live at the Danish Radio Concert Hall (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
308. Dominic Miller: Vagabond (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
309. Steve Million: Perfectly Spaced (Calligram) [B+(**)]
310. Roscoe Mitchell Orchestra and Space Trio: At the Fault Zone Festival (Wide Hive) ** [C+]
311. Noshir Mody: A Love Song (self-released) [B+(*)]
312. Andrew Moorhead: Interleaved (OA2) [B]
313. Willie Morris: Conversation Starter (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
314. Todd Mosby: Land of Enchantment (MMG) [B]
315. Joshua Moshe: Inner Search (La Sape) ** [B+(**)]
316. Simon Moullier: Isla (self-released) [B+(**)]
317. Simon Moullier: Inception (Fresh Sound New Talent) ** [B+(**)]
318. Move: The City (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
319. MUEJL [Michel Stawicki/Uygur Vural/Elisabetta Lanfredini/João Madeira/Luiz Rocha]: By Breakfast (4DaRecord) [B+(*)]
320. Mat Muntz: Phantom Islands (Orenda) ** [B-]
321. Michael Musillami Trio: Block Party (Playscape '22) ** [B+(**)]
322. Wolfgang Muthspiel: Dance of the Elders (ECM) ** [B+(**)]
323. Simon Nabatov 3+2: Verbs (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
324. Naya Bazz [Rez Abbasi/Josh Feinberg]: Charm (Whirlwind) [B+(**)]
325. The Necks: Travel (Northern Spy) ** [B+(**)]
326. The New Wonders: The New Wonders (Turtle Bay) ** [B+(**)]
327. Sam Newsome/Dave Liebman: Soprano-Logues (Some New Music) ** [B+(*)]
328. Sam Newsome & Jean-Michel Pilc: Cosmic Unconsciousness Unplugged (Some New Music) ** [B+(**)]
329. Lucas Niggli Sound of Serendipity Tentet: Play! (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
330. Nostalgia 77: The Loneliest Flower in the Village (Jazzman) ** [B+(**)]
331. Thandi Ntuli With Carlos Niño: Rainbow Revisited (International Anthem) ** [B+(**)]
332. Aymée Nuviola: Havana Nocturne (Worldwide) [B+(**)]
333. Atle Nymo Trio: Circle Steps (Arc) ** [B+(**)]
334. Kevin O'Connell Quartet Featuring Adam Brenner: Hot New York Minutes (Ignoramus Music) [B+(**)]
335. Arturo O'Farrill: Legacies (Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
336. Linda May Han Oh: The Glass Hours (Biophilia) ** [B]
337. Okonski: Magnolia (Colemine) ** [B+(*)]
338. Omawi [Marta Warelis/Onno Govaert/Wilbert De Joode]: Waive (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(**)]
339. Matt Otto: Umbra (Origin) [B+(**)]
340. Endea Owens and the Cookout: Feel Good Music (BassBae Music) ** [B+(**)]
341. Øyvindland Med Eirik Hegdal & Erik Johannessen: Nonett (Øra Fonogram) ** [B+(**)]
342. Engin Özşahin: Conversations in Chaos (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
343. Afonso Pais/Tomás Marques: The Inner Colours of Bogin's Outline (Clean Feed) ** [B]
344. The Palomar Trio [Dan Levinson/Mark Shane/Kevin Dorn]: The Song in Our Soul (Turtle Bay) ** [B+(**)]
345. Emile Parisien/Roberto Negro: Les Métanuits (ACT) ** [B+(**)]
346. Christopher Parker & the Band of Guardian Angels: Yeah Yeah! (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
347. Evan Parker/Matthew Wright Trance Map+ Peter Evans/Mark Nauseef: Etching the Ether (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
348. Gretchen Parlato/Lionel Loueke: Lean In (Edition) ** [B+(*)]
349. Bruno Parrinha: Da Erosão (4DaRecord) [B+(*)]
350. Emanuele Parrini/Samo Salamon/Vasco Trilla: Eating Poetry (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
351. Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra: Hold Your Fire (Neuklang) ** [B+(*)]
352. Jeb Patton: Preludes (Cellar Music) ** [B+(**)]
353. Nicholas Payton: Drip (PayTone) ** [B]
354. Hery Paz: Jardineros (577) ** [B+(**)]
355. Jeremy Pelt: The Art of Intimacy Vol. 2: His Muse (HighNote) ** [B+(*)]
356. People of Earth: People of Earth (Truth Revolution Recording Collective) ** [B+(**)]
357. Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp: Tryptych II (SMP '22) ** [B+(**)]
358. Ivo Perelman/Nate Wooley: Polarity 2 (Burning Ambulance) ** [B+(**)]
359. Rich Perry: Progression (SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
360. Scott Petito: Many Worlds (Planet Arts) [B]
361. Jean-Michel Pilc: Symphony (Justin Time) ** [B+(*)]
362. Ted Piltzecker: Vibes on a Breath (OA2) [B+(*)]
363. Pink Monads: Multiple Visions of the Now (4DaRecord) [B+(**)]
364. Augusto Pirodda Septet: The Monkey and the Monk (El Negocito '22) **
365. Anthony Pirog: The Nepenthe Series Vol. 1 (Otherly Love) ** [B+(*)]
366. Marek Pospieszalski: No Other End of the World Will There Be: Based on the Works of Polish Female Composers of the 20th Century (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
367. Tineke Postma: Aria (Edition) ** [B+(**)]
368. Simona Premazzi: Wave in Gravity: Solo Piano (PRE) [B+(**)]
369. Noah Preminger/Kim Cass: The Dank (Dry Bridge, EP) ** [B+(**)]
370. Eddie Prevost/NO Moore/James O'Sullivan/Ross Lambert: Chord (Shrike) ** [B+(*)]
371. Darden Purcell: Love's Got Me in a Lazy Mood (Origin) [B+(**)]
372. Bruno Råberg: Solo Bass: Look Inside (Orbis Music) [B+(*)]
373. Rachael & Vilray: I Love a Love Song (Nonesuch) ** [B+(*)]
374. Nate Radley & Gary Versace: Snapshots (SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
375. Zoe Rahman: Colour of Sound (Manushi) ** [B+(*)]
376. Joakim Rainer Trio: Light.Sentence (Sonic Transmissions) ** [B+(**)]
377. Mason Razavi: Six-String Standards (OA2) [B+(**)]
378. Jason Rebello/Tim Garland: Life to Life (Whirlwind) ** [B+(**)]
379. Red Hot + Ra: Nuclear War: A Tribute to Sun Ra Volume 1 (Red Hot Org) ** [B+(**)]
380. Joshua Redman: Where Are We (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
381. Eric Reed: Black, Brown, and Blue (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(**)]
382. Marc Ribot/Ceramic Dog: Connection (Knockwurst) ** [B+(**)]
383. Xavier Richardeau: A Caribbean Thing (Continuo Jazz) ** [B+(*)]
384. Doug Richards Orchestra: Through a Sonic Prism: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim (self-released) [B+(**)]
385. Logan Richardson: Holy Water (Wax Industry) ** [B]
386. Mike Richmond: Turn Out the Stars (SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
387. Diego Rivera: Love & Peace (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
388. Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (Constellation) ** [B+(**)]
389. Sebastian Rochford/Kit Downes: A Short Diary (ECM) ** [B]
390. Ernesto Rodrigues/Fred Lonberg-Holm/Flak/João Madeira/José Oliveira: The Giving Tree Moving On (Creative Sources) [B+(**)]
391. Ernesto Rodrigues/João Madeira/Hernâni Faustino: No Strings Attached (Creative Sources) ** [B+(**)]
392. Ernesto Rodrigues/Dirk Serries/Joao Madeira/Jose Oliveira: Dripping (Creative Sources) ** [B+(*)]
393. The Rodriguez Brothers: Reunited: Live at Dizzy's Club (RodBros Music) [B+(*)]
394. Jason Roebke: Four Spheres (Corbett vs. Dempsey) ** [B+(**)]
395. Aksel Røed's Other Aspects: Do You Dream in Colours? (Is It Jazz?) ** [B+(**)]
396. Rent Romus/Heikki Koskinen: Itkuja Suite, Invocations on Lament (Edgetone) [B+(*)]
397. Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: A Thousand Pebbles (One Trick Dog) [B+(*)]
398. Kurt Rosenwinkel: Undercover: Live at the Village Vanguard (Heartcore) ** [B+(**)]
399. Brandon Ross: Of Sight and Sound (Sunnyside) ** [B+(*)]
400. Sam Ross: Live at the Mira Room, Vol. II (self-released) [B+(**)]
401. Jim Rotondi Quintet: Over Here (Criss Cross) ** [B+(**)]
402. Rudy Royston Flatbed Buggy: Day (Greenleaf Music) [B+(*)]
403. Andreas Røysum Ensemble: Mysterier (Motvind) ** [B+(**)]
404. Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Borrowed Flowers (Top Stop Music) [B+(**)]
405. Markus Rutz: Storybook (Jmarq) [B+(**)]
406. Jerome Sabbagh: Vintage (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
407. Taiko Saito: Tears of a Cloud (Trouble in the East) [B+(*)]
408. Naoko Sakata: Infinity (Pomperipossa) ** [B+(*)]
409. Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble: Home Is Here (Tapestry) [B+(**)]
410. Cécile McLorin Salvant: Mélusine (Nonesuch) ** [B+(*)]
411. Brandon Sanders: Compton's Finest (Savant) [B+(**)]
412. Jeff Sanford's Cartoon Jazz Orchestra: Playland at the Beach (Little Village) ** [B+(**)]
413. Arman Sangalang: Quartet (Calligram) [B+(**)]
414. Mehmet Ali Sanlikol & Whatsnext?: Turkish Hipster (Dunya) [B]
415. Joe Santa Maria: Echo Deep (Orenda) [B-]
416. Fie Schouten/Vincent Courtois/Guus Janssen: Vostok: Remote Islands (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(**)]
417. Nicky Schrire: Nowhere Girl (Anzic) ** [B+(*)]
418. Laura Schuler Quartett: Sueños Paralelos (Antidrò) ** [B+(**)]
419. Jacques Schwarz-Bart: The Harlem Suite (Ropeadope) ** [B+(*)]
420. John Scofield: Uncle John's Band (ECM) ** [B+(**)]
421. Dave Scott: Song for Alice (SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
422. Kendrick Scott: Corridors (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
423. Scree: Jasmine on a Night in July (Ruination) ** [B]
424. Brandon Seabrook: Brutalovechamp (Pyroclastic) [B+(**)]
425. The Selva: Camarão-Girafa (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
426. Sara Serpa & André Matos: Night Birds (Robalo Music) [B]
427. Dave Sewelson/Stephen Moses/Jochem van Dijk/Steve Holtje: Orca Uprising (MechaBenzaiten) ** [B]
428. Shakti: This Moment (Abstract Logix) ** [B+(*)]
429. Matthew Shipp: The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
430. Louis Siciliano: Ancient Cosmic Truth (Musica Presente, EP) ** [B+(**)]
431. Todd Sickafoose: Bear Proof (Secret Hatch) [B+(**)]
432. Apostolos Sideris: Past-Presented (Parallel) ** [B+(*)]
433. Edward Simon: Femininas: Songs of Latin American Women (ArtistShare) * [B+(*)]
434. Alex Sipiagin: Mel's Vision (Criss Cross) ** [B+(**)]
435. Lauritz Skeidsvoll & Isach Skeidsvoll Duo: Chanting Moon, Dancing Sun: Live at Molde International Jazz Festival (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
436. SLUGish Ensemble: In Solitude (Slow & Steady) [B+(**)]
437. Peter Smith Trio: Dollar Dreams (Real Magic) [B+(**)]
438. Steve Smith and Vital Information: Time Flies (Wounded Bird, 2CD) [B+(**)]
439. Walter Smith III: Return to Casual (Blue Note) ** [B]
440. Emilio Solla/Antonio Lizana: El Siempre Mar (Tiger Turn) [B+(*)]
441. Something Blue: Personal Preference (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(*)]
442. Sonar With David Torn and J. Peter Schwalm: Three Movements (7d) ** [B+(**)]
443. Alan Sondheim: Galut: Ballads of Wadi-Sabi (ESP-Disk) [B+(**)]
444. Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente: Cometa (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
445. Sparks Quartet [Eri Yamamoto/Chad Fowler/William Parker/Steve Hirsh]: Live at Vision Festival XXVI (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
446. Speakers Corner Quartet: Further Out Than the Edge (OTIH) ** [B+(**)]
447. Russ Spiegel: Caribbean Blue (Ruzztone Music) [B+(**)]
448. Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis: Calibrating Friction (New Amsterdam) ** [B+(*)]
449. Jason Stein/Damon Smith/Adam Shead: Hum (2022 [2023], Irritable Mystic): [bc]: B+(**)
450. Elias Stemeseder/Christian Lillinger: Penumbra (Plaist '22) **< [B+(**)]/li>
451. Bobo Stenson Trio: Sphere (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
452. Sultan Stevenson: Faithful One (Whirlwind) ** [B+(**)]
453. Marcus Strickland Twi-Life: The Universe's Wildest Dream (Strick Music) ** [B+(*)]
454. Superposition: Glaciers (Kettle Hole) [B+(**)]
455. Rob Sussman: Top Secret Lab (Sus4music) [B+(*)]
456. Rajna Swaminathan: Apertures (Ropeadope) ** [B+(**)]
457. Veronica Swift: Veronica Swift (Mack Avenue) ** [B-]
458. Aki Takase: Carmen Rhapsody (BMC) ** [B+(**)]
459. Aki Takase/Alexander von Schlippenbach: Four Hands Piano Pieces (Trost) ** [B]
460. David Tamura + Toadal Package: Final Entrance (JPN) ** [B+(**)]
461. Natsuki Tamura/Ittetsu Takemura: Lightning (Libra '22) ** [B+(**)]
462. Gregory Tardy: In His Timing (WJ3) ** [B+(*)]
463. Eldad Tarmu: Tarmu Jazz Quartet (Queen of Bohemia) [B+(**)]
464. Techno Cats: The Music of Gregg Hill (Cold Plunge) ** [B+(*)]
465. Emilio Teubal: Futuro (Not Yet) ** [B+(**)]
466. Rachel Therrien Latin Jazz Project: Mi Hogar (Outside In Music) [B+(**)]
467. Thollem/Terry Riley/Nels Cline: The Light Is Real (Other Minds) ** [B+(*)]
468. Micah Thomas: Reveal (Artwork) ** [B+(**)]
469. Rich Thompson: Who Do You Have to Know? (Origin) [B+(*)]
<
470. Kris Tiner/Tatsuya Nakatini: The Magic Room (Epigraph) [B+(**)]
471. A Tonic for the Troops: Realm of Opportunities (Odin) ** [B+(**)]
472. Ralph Towner: At First Light (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
473. Trespass Trio Feat. Susana Santos Silva: Live in Oslo (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
474. Trio Grande: Urban Myth (Whirlwind) [B+(**)]
475. Triogram: Triogram (Circle Theory Media) [B+(**)]
476. Gianluigi Trovesi: Stravaganze Consonanti (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
477. True Stomach of a Bird [Ulf Mengersen/Lina Allemano/Kamil Korolczuk]: Computation Intensive Spontaneousness (self-released) ** [B+(*)]
478. Erik Truffaz: Rollin' (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
479. Erik Truffaz: Clap! (Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
480. Juanma Trujillo: Contour (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
481. Dara Starr Tucker: Dara Starr Tucker (Green Hill Productions) [B+(**)]
482. Brad Turner Quintet: The Magnificent (Cellar) [B+(*)]
483. Mark Turner Quartet: Live at the Village Vanguard (Giant Step Arts) ** [B+(**)]
484. Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington: Bicoastal Collective: Chapter Six (OA2) [B]
485. U SCO: Catchin' Heat (New Atlantis) ** [B+(**)]
486. Jeremy Udden: Wishing Flower (Sunnyside) ** [B+(*)]
487. Ulaan Passerine: Sun Spar (Worstward '22) ** [B]
488. Sachal Vasandani & Romain Collin: Still Life (Edition '22) ** [B-]
489. Vin Venezia: The Venetian (Innervision) [B+(**)]
490. Alex Ventling/Hein Westgaard: In Orbit (Nice Things) ** [B+(**)]
491. Fay Victor: Blackcity Black Black Is Beautiful (Northern Spy) ** [B+(**)]
492. Albert Vila Trio: Reality Is Nuance (Fresh Sound New Talent) ** [B+(**)]
493. David Virelles: Carta (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
494. Maddie Vogler: While We Have Time (Origin) [B+(**)]
495. Greg Ward's Rogue Parade: Dion's Quest (Sugah Hoof) [B-]
496. Bill Warfield and the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra: Time Capsule (Planet Arts) ** [B+(**)]
497. Nadia Washington: Hope Resurgence (New) * [B-]
498. Web Web x Mar Herre: Web Max II (Compost) ** [B+(*)]
499. Anna Webber/Matt Mitchell: Capacious Aeration (Tzadik) ** [B+(**)]
500. Anna Webber: Shimmer Wince (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
501. Alex Weiss: Most Don't Have Enough (Ears & Eyes) [B+(*)]
502. Ben Wendel: All One (Edition) [B]
503. Bobby West: Big Trippin' (Soulville Sound) ** [B+(*)]
504. Buster Williams: Unalome (Smoke Sessions) ** [B]
505. Simón Willson: Good Company (Fresh Sound New Talent) [B+(**)]
506. Gaia Wilmer Large Ensemble: Folia: The Music of Egberto Gismonti (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
507. Dan Wilson: Things Eternal (Brother Mister/Mack Avenue) ** [B+(**)]
508. Ben Winkelman: Heartbeat (OA2) [B]
509. Joe Wittman: Trio Works (self-released) [B+(**)]
510. Joe Wittman/Vito Dieterle/Jesse Breheney/Josh Davis: Night Out (self-released) ** [B+(*)]
511. John Wojciechowski: Swing of the Pendulum (Afar Music) [B+(**)]
512. Warren Wolf: Chano Pozo: Origins (self-released) ** [B+(*)]
513. Lizz Wright: Holding Space: Live in Berlin (Blues & Greens '22) ** [B+(**)]
514. Peter Xifaras: Fusion (Music With No Expiration) [B+(*)]
515. Eri Yamamoto: Colors of the Night Trio (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)
516. Miki Yamanaka: Shades of Rainbow (Cellar Music) ** [B+(**)]
517. Libby York: Dreamland (OA2) ** [B+(**)]
518. Jacob Young/Mats Eilertsen/Audun Kleive: Eventually (ECM) ** [B+(**)]
519. Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Jazz Is Dead 16: Phil Ranelin & Wendell Harrison (Jazz Is Dead) ** [B+(**)]
520. Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Jazz Is Dead 17: Lonnie Liston Smith (Jazz Is Dead) ** [B+(*)]
521. Adrian Younge: Jazz Is Dead 18: Tony Allen (Jazz Is Dead) ** [B+(*)]
522. Brandee Younger: Brand New Life (Impulse) ** [B+(*)]
523. Dhafer Youssef: Street of Minarets (Back Beat Edition) ** [B+(**)]
524. Jeppe Zeeberg: Occasionally, Good Things Do Happen (self-released) ** [B-]
525. Denny Zeitlin: Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin (Sunnyside) ** [B]
526. John Zorn: 444 (Tzadik) ** [B]
527. John Zorn: Multiplicites II: A Repository of Non-Existent Objects (Tzadik) ** [B+(**)]
528. John Zorn/Bill Laswell: Memoria (Tzadik) ** [B+(*)]
529. John Zorn: Quatrain (Tzadik) ** [B+(*)]
530. John Zorn: Full Fathom Five (Tzadik) ** [B+(**)]
531. John Zorn: Nothing Is as Real as Nothing (Tzadik) ** [B+(**)]
532. John Zorn: Parrhesiastes (Tzadik) ** [B+(**)]
533. Nicole Zuraitis: How Love Begins (Outside In Music) [B+(*)]

Additional reissued/archival jazz records rated B+(**) or below (listed alphabetically by artist).

1. Chantal Acda & Bill Frisell: Live at Jazz Middelheim (2017, self-released) ** [B+(*)]
2. Cannonball Adderley Quintet: Berliner Jazztage, November 2nd 72 (Lantower) ** [B+(**)]
3. Hasaan Ibn Ali: Reaching for the Stars: Trios/Duos/Solos (1962-65, Omnivore) ** [B+(**)]
4. Geri Allen/Kurt Rosenwinkel: A Lovesome Thing (2012, Motéma Music) ** [B+(**)]
5. Dorothy Ashby: With Strings Attached (1957-65, New Land) ** [B+(*)]
6. Axolotl: Abrasive (1981, Souffle Continu) ** [B+(*)]
7. Albert Ayler Trio: 1964 Prophecy Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) ** [B+(**)]
8. Derek Bailey & Paul Motian: Duo in Concert (1990-91, Frozen Reeds) ** [B+(**)]
9. Chet Baker: Blue Room: The 1979 Vara Studio Sessions in Holland (Jazz Detective, 2CD) [B+(**)]
10. Basie All Stars: Live at Fabrik Vol. 1: Hamburg 1981 (Jazzline) ** [B+(**)]
11. Eddie Bert Sextet: The Human Factor (1987, Fresh Sound) ** [B+(**)]
12. John Blum: Nine Rivers (2013, ESP-Disk) [B+(**)]
13. John Butcher & Gerry Hemingway: Roulette - New York City (2005) (Auricle) ** [B+(**)]
14. George Cartwright: The Ghostly Bee (2005, Mahakala Music) ** [B+(*)]
15. George Cartwright: A Tenacious Slew (2007, Mahakala Music) ** [B+(*)]
16. Graham Collier Music: Smoke-Blackened Walls & Curlews (1970, British Progressive Jazz) ** [B+(*)]
17. Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis With Shirley Scott: Cookin' With Jaws and the Queen: The Legendary Prestige Albums (1958, Craft) ** [B+(**)]
18. Miles Davis Quintet: In Concert at the Olympia Paris 1957 (Fresh Sound) ** [B+(**)]
19. Steve Davis: Meets Hank Jones, Vol. 1 (2008, Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(**)]
20. Les DeMerle Sound 67: Once in a Lifetime (1967, Origin) [B+(**)]
21. Dave Douglas and Elan Mehler: If There Are Mountains (2019, Greenleaf Music) ** [B+(*)]
22. Don Ellis: How Time Passes (1960, Candid) ** [B+(**)]
23. Bill Evans: Treasures: Solo, Trio & Orchestral Recordings From Denmark (1965-1969) (Elemental, 2CD) ** [B+(**)]
24. Bill Evans: Tales: Live in Copenhagen (1964) (Elemental Music) ** [B+(**)
25. Dredd Foole and the Din: Songs in Heat 1982 (Corbett vs. Dempsey) ** [B+(*)]
26. Alan Goldsher: The Complete Pocket Sessions (2019, Gold Note) ** [B-]
27. Jeff Johnson: My Heart (1991, Origin) [B+(**)]
28. Joy: Joy (1976, Cadillac) ** [B+(*)]
29. Kenneth Kiesler/University of Michigan Opera Theatre: James P. Johnson: De Organizer/The Dreamy Kid (Excerpts) (2006, Naxos) ** [B+(*)]
30. Late Night Count Basie (2023, Primary Wave) ** [B+(**)]
31. Paul Lytton/Erhard Hirt: Borne on a Whim: Duets, 1981 (Corbett vs. Dempsey) ** [B+(**)]
32. Roberto Magris & the JM Horns: High Quote (2012 [2023], JM) [B+(*)]
33. Wynton Marsalis: Plays Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Hot Sevens (2006, Blue Engine) ** [B]
34. Evan Parker/X-Jazz Ensemble: A Schist Story (2012, JACC '22) ** [B+(*)]
35. The Dave Pell Octet: Plays Again (1984, Fresh Sound) ** [B+(**)]
36. Oscar Peterson: Con Alma: Live in Lugano, 1964 (Mack Avenue) ** [B+(**)]
37. Abbey Rader/Davey Williams: In One Is All (1999, Abray) ** [B+(**)]
38. Luis Russell: At the Swing Cats Ball: Newly Discovered Recordings From the Closet: Volume 1 1938-1940 (Dot Time) ** [B+(*)]
39. Nina Simone: You've Got to Learn (1966, Verve) ** [B+(*)]
40. Dick Sisto: Falling in Love (1994, SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
41. Frank Strazzeri and His Woodwinds West: Somebody Loves Me (1994, Fresh Sound) ** [B+(**)]
42. Luther Thomas: 11th Street Fire Suite (1978, Corbett vs. Dempsey) ** [C+]
43. Barbara Thompson: First Light (1971-72, Jazz in Britain) ** [B]
44. Stanley Turrentine: Mr. Natural (1964, Blue Note Tone Poet) ** [B+(**)]
45. Abdul Wadud: By Myself: Solo Cello (1977, Gotta Groove) ** [B+(**)]
46. WaJazz: Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol II: Deep, Heavy and Beautiful Jazz From Japan 1962-1985: The King Records Masters (Universounds) ** [B]
47. Bernie Worrell/Cindy Blackman Santana/John King: Spherical (1994, Infrequent Seams) ** [B+(**)]
48. As-Shams Archive Vol. 1: South African Jazz, Funk & Soul 1975-1982 (As-Shams-The Sun) ** [B+(**)]

Recommended but Unheard Jazz Records

New jazz records I haven't heard estimated to have a 2% (or better) chance of making the A-list if/when I finally hear them. Also unheard records that got votes in Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll, regardless of their prospects.

Limited sampling grades may be noted for any record in this section. Bracketed grades refer to older editions of reissues.

1. Zoh Amba: O Life, O Light Vol. 1 (577 '22)
2. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson: Les Jardins Mystiques Vol. 1 (Brainfeeder, 3CD)
3. John Butcher: The Very Fabric (Hitorri)
4. John Butcher: The Art of Noticing (Matchless)
5. Christopher Dell/Christian Lillinger/Jonas Westergaard: Beats II (Plaist)
6. John Dikeman/Pat Thomas/John Edwards/Steve Noble: Volume 2 (577)
7. Marc Ducret: Ici (Ayler)
8. Paul Dunmall/Paul Rodgers/Tony Orrell: That's My Life (577)
9. Jean-Marc Foussat/Urs Leimgruber/Carlos "Zingaro": L'Aile D'Icare (Fou '22)
10. Kate Gentile/International Contemporary Ensemble: Biomei.i (Obliquity) [+]
11. Barry Guy & Friends: Krakow 2018 (Not Two '22)
12. François Houle & Benoît Delbecq: Poise (Afterday)
13. Daunik Lazro/Benjamic Duboc/Mathieu Bec: Standards Combustion (Dark Tree)
14. Shawn Maxwell: Story at Eleven (self-released)
15. Joe McPhee/Evan Parker: Sweet Nothings for Milford Graves (Corbett vs. Dempsey '22)
16. Ivo Perelman/Nate Wooley/Matt Moran/Mat Maneri/Fred Lonberg-Holm/Joe Morris: Seven Skies Orchestra (Fundacja Sluchaj)
17. Marco Antonio Santos: About: Silence (Ears & Eyes)
18. Ian Shaw: Greek Street Friday (Silent Wish)
19. Trickster: Live in Brooklyn (Cygnus)
20. Nate Wooley: Four Experiments (Pleasure of the Text, 3CD)
21. Otomo Yoshihide Special Big Band: Stone Stone Stone (Little Stone)
22. John Zorn: John Zorn's Bagatelles, Vols. 13-16 (Tzadik)

New jazz records that received votes in Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll, but still don't meet my 2% expectation:

1. Sakina Abdou: Goodbye Ground (Relative Pitch '22)
2. Antonio Adolfo: Bossa 65: Celebrating Carlos Lyra and Roberto Menescal (AAM Music)
3. João Almeida/Rodrigo Pinheiro/Vasco Furtado: Linae (Phonogram Unit)
4. Toto Alvarez: La Cuerda Floja (Zoar/Acefalo)
5. Steve Argüelles-Francesco Bigoni-Benoît Delbecq-Francesco Diodati: Weave4 (Parco della Musica)
6. Renesito Avich: Tres (self-released)
7. Wilma Baan: Look at Me Now! (ECN Music)
8. Cyro Baptista: Chama (Ropeadope)
9. Trina Basu & Arun Ramamurthy: Nakshatra (Spinster)
10. Doug Beavers: Luna (Circle 9)
11. Kris Berg: Perspective (Summit)
12. The Brass Monkeys: Lullabite (33 Jazz)
13. Jamie Breiwick: Awake Volume 2: The Music of Don Cherry (Shifting Paradigm)
14. Freddie Bryant: Upper West Side Love Story: A Song Cycle (Tiger Turn)
15. Tony Buck: Environmental Studies (Room40)
16. Bex Burch: There Is Only Love and Fear (International Anthem)
17. Lucia Cadotsch: Aki (Heartcore)
18. Caelan Cardello: Rufus Reid Presents Caelan Cardello (Liam)
19. Yooyoun Cho: A Tadd of Fat Birds (Yooyoun Cho Music)
20. Bruce Cockburn: O Sun O Moon (True North)
21. The Chick Corea Elektrik Band: The Future Is Now (Candid)
22. Christine Correa: Just You Stand and Listen With Me (Sunnyside)
23. Christie Dashiell: Journey in Black (self-released)
24. Anthony Davis-Kyle Motl-Kjell Nordeson: Vertical Motion (Astral Spirits)
25. Deon: Soft Steel (Trytone)
26. Scott Dunn With Claire Martin and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: I Watch You Sleep: Scott Dunn Celebrates Rodney Bennett (Stunt)
27. Lara Eidi: Sun (self-released)
28. Rebecca Coupe Franks: Planets (RCF)
29. Moss Freed Union Division: Micromotives (Discus Music)
30. Jürg Frey (Quatuor Bozzini/Konus Quartett): Continuité, Fragilité, Résonance (Elsewhere)
31. Drazek Fuscaldo: June 22 (Feeding Tube/Astral Spirits)
32. Ray Gallon Trio: Grand Company (Cellar)
33. Ganavya & Munir Hossn: Sister, Idea (Ropeadope)
34. Miha Gantar: Introducing (Clean Feed \'22)
35. Miha Gantar: Amsterdam (Clean Feed)
36. Noah Garabedian: Consider the Stars Beneath Us (Outside In Music)
37. Sally Gates-Trevor Dunn-Greg Fox: Deliriant Modifier (Riverworm)
38. Tania Giannouli: Solo (Rattle)
39. Bebel Gilberto: João (PIAS)
40. Anne Gillis + XT: Our/s Bouture(s) (Art Into Life)
41. Glass Triangle: Blue and Sun-Lights (Relative Pitch)
42. Riccardo Gola: Cosmonautica (Jando)
43. Larry Goldings-Kaveh Rastegar-Abe Rounds: Better (Ropeadope)
44. Jocelyn Gould: Sonic Bouquet (Jocelyn Gould Music)
45. Benny Green: Solo (Sunnyside)
46. Matt Greenwood: Atlas (self-released)
47. Phil Grenadier: Regeneration (Butternotes)
48. Fareed Haque: Casseus! The Music of Frantz Casseus Re-Imagined (Wardude Music)
49. Jan Harbeck Quartet: Balanced (Stunt \'22)
50. Elisabeth Harnik & Zlatko Kaučič: One Foot in the Air (Catalytic Sound)
51. Allan Harris: Live at Blue Llama Jazz Club (Love Productions/Live at Blue Llama)
52. Joel Harrison & Anthony Pirog: The Great Mirage (ASG)
53. Magos Herrera: Aire (Sunnyside)
54. Tony Hymas & Catherine Delaunay: No Borders (Nato)
55. Nikki Iles & the NDR Bigband: Face to Face (Edition)
56. Kazuo Imai Quartet: Has the Future Become the Past (Jinya Disc '22)
57. Janiece Jaffe & Monika Herzig: Both Sides of Joni (Acme)
58. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra/Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: The Jungle: Wynton Marsalis: Symphony No. 4 (Blue Engine)
59. Kenneth Jiminez: Sonnet to Silence (We Jazz)
60. Charlotte Keefe/Right Here, Right Now Quartet: Alive! in the Studio (Discus Music)
61. Kirk Knuffke & Joe McPhee Quartet + 1: Keep the Dream Up (Fundacja Sluchaj)
62. Rickie Lee Jones: Pieces of Treasure (BMG)
63. Joe La Barbera Quintet: World Travelers (Sam First)
64. Clara Lai: Corpos (Phonogram Unit)
65. The Peggy Lee Band: A Giving Way (Songlines)
66. Urs Leimgruber: Air (Creative Works)
67. Kristian Enkerud Lien's Krise: Svartsymra (Sonic Transmissions)
68. Light.Box + Emil Karlsen: The Undanced Dance (Bead)
69. Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim: Starling (self-released)
70. Michelle Lordi: Two Moons (Imani)
71. Bill Lowe and the Signifyin' Natives Ensemble: Sweet Cane: Suites and Other Pedagogical Prompts (Mandorla Music)
72. Mama Terra: The Summoned (Caffala)
73. Simon Mary & Krystal Mundi: Modal Morning (Label Ouest)
74. Mata Atlantica: Retiro E Ritmo (7D Media '22)
75. Ana Carla Maza: Caribe (Persona Editorial)
76. Madison McFerrin: I Hope You Can Forgive Me (MadMcFerrin Music)
77. Roy McGrath: Menjunje (JL)
78. Benet McLean: Green Park (Sea Mammal)
79. Nick Millevoi: Digital Reaction (Ropeadope)
80. Matt Moran-Sarah Elizabeth Charles-Curtis Hasselbring: Audible Spirits (Diskonife)
81. Séverine Morfin: Mad Maple (Garden)
82. Simon Moullier: Inception (Fresh Sound New Talent)
83. Josh Nelson: LA Stories: Live at Sam First (Sam First)
84. Judy Niemack & Jay Clayton: Voices in Flight (GAM)
85. Aymée Nuviola: Havana Nocturne (Worldwide)
86. Bill O\'Connell: Live at Montauk (Savant)
87. Orchestre National de Jazz Montréal: Wayne Shines/Miles Smiles (ONJ)
88. Pierrick Pédron/ Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Pédron Rubalcaba (Gazebo)
89. Barre Phillips & Giancarlo Nino Locatelli: Danze Degli Scorpioni (We Insist!)
90. PJEV/Kit Downes/Hayden Chisholm: Medna Roso (Red Hook)
91. Planet D Nonet: Blues to Be There (Eastlawn)
92. Gregory Porter: Christmas Wish (Blue Note)
93. Reggie Quinerly: The Thousandth Scholar (Redefinition Music)
94. Sofia Rei & Jorge Roeder: Coplas Escondidas (self-released)
95. Alfredo Rodriguez: Coral Way (Mack Avenue)
96. Yvonne Rogers: Seeds (Relative Pitch)
97. Charley Rose Trio: Dada Pulp (Menace)
98. Daniel Rotem: Wave Nature (Colorfield)
99. Kyle Roussel: Nola à la Mode (self-released)
100. Heikki Ruokangas: Karu (Orbit577)
101. Säje: Säje (Säjevoices)
102. Daniel Santiago & Pedro Martins: Movement (Heartcore)
103. The Santiago Big Band & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra: Santiago Brooklyn Santiago (Zoho)
104. Laura Schuler Quartet: Sueños Paralelos (Antidro)
105. Felipe Senna & Câmaranóva: Câmara Brasileira (Maritaca)
106. Sick Boss: Businessless (Drip Audio)
107. Andrew Smiley & Kate Gentile: Flagrances (Obliquity)
108. Cecilia Smith: The Mary Lou Williams Resurgence Project, Vol. 1 (Innova)
109. Soft Machine: Other Doors (MoonJune)
110. Vahagn Stepanyan: A New Chapter (self-released)
111. SurdelSur Ensemble: Hernandez-Sanjuro-Nebbia (Ears & Eyes)
112. Charu Suri: Rags & Ragas (self-released)
113. Susanna: Baudelaire & Orchestra (SusannaSonata)
114. Sam Taylor: Let Go (Cellar '22)
115. Rachel Therrien Latin Jazz Project: Mi Hogar (Outside In Music)
116. Pat Thomas-Phil Minton-Dave Tucker-Roger Turner: Scatter: On a Clear Day Like This (577)
117. Vanessa Thomas: Life Is Like a Song (Lied Center of Kansas)
118. Keith & Julie Tippett: Couple in Spirit/Sound on Stone (Discus Music)
119. Dwight Trible: Ancient Future (Gearbox)
120. Ralph Towner: At First Light (ECM)
121. Vasco Trilla: A Constellation of Anomaly (Thanatosis Produktion)
122. Donald Vega: As I Travel (Imagery)
123. Visions of Nar [Jeremy Rose/Zela Margossian]: Daughter of the Seas (Earshift Music)
124. JD Walter: What the World Needs Now (Arkadia)
125. Paul Wertico: Paul Wertico\'s Drums Without Boundaries (Da Vinci Classics)
126. Lucy Wijnands: Something Awaits (self-released)
127. Dan Wilson: Things Eternal (Brother Mister/Mack Avenue)
128. Martin Wind/Jim McNeely/Ed Neumeister: Counterpoint (Laika)
129. Dustin Wong: Perpetual Morphosis (Hausu Mountain)
130. Jack Wright/Ben Bennett: Augur (Palliative)
131. Ella Zirina: Intertwined (BimHuis)

Reissued/historical jazz records I haven't heard estimated to have a 2% (or better) chance of making the A-list if/when I finally hear them:

1. Art Ensemble of Chicago: Les Stances à Sophie (1970, Play Loud!)
2. Toshiko Akiyoshi: Toshiko's Blues: Quartet & Trios 1953-1958 (Fresh Sound)
3. Jean-Jacques Avenel/Siegfried Kessler/Daunik Lazro: Ecstatic Jazz: Crypte Des Franciscains Béziers 12 Février 1982 (Fou)
4. Peter Brötzmann/Fred Van Hove/Han Bennink [+ Albert Mangelsdorff]: Outspan No 1/2 (1974, CienFuegos)
5. Don Byas: Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944-1946 (Mosaic)
6. Sonny Clark: The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (1957-61, Mosaic)
7. Ornette Coleman Trio: At the Golden Circle Stockholm Revisited (1965, Ezz-Thetics)
8. Ornette Coleman: Ornette at 12/Crisis to Man on the Moon Revisited (1968-69, Ezz-Thetics)
9. Kenny Cox & the Contemporary Jazz Quintet: Multidirection (1969, Third Man/Blue Note)
10. Bill Evans/Scott LaFaro/Paul Motian: Complete Trio Recordings (1959-61, Fingerpoppin')
11. Joe Henderson: The Complete "An Evening With Joe Henderson" (1987, Red)
12. Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Complete Jam Sessions 1950-1957 (Mosaic)
13. Steve Lacy: The Ictus Archives Vol. 1 (1976, Ictus)
14. Loren McMurray: The Moaninest Moan of Them All: The Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray 1920-1922 (Archeophone)
15. Mulgrew Miller: Solo in Barcelona (2004, Storyville)
16. Charles Mingus: At Antibes 1960 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics)
17. Bengt Frippe Nordström: Vinyl Box (1962-68, Ni Vu Ni Connu)
18. Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie/Bud Powell/Charles Mingus/Max Roach: Hot House: The Complete Jazz at Massey Hall Recordings (1953, Craft)
19. Jaco Pastorius: Word of Mouth (1981, Rhino High Fidelity/Warner)
20. Art Pepper: The Complete Maiden Voyage Recordings (1981, Omnivore)
21. Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Jazz in Silhouette (Expanded Edition) (1958, Cosmic Myth)
22. Sun Ra & His Arkestra: Ellingtonia, Vol. 2 (1951-87, Enterplanetary Koncepts)
23. Sam Rivers: Archive Series (1971-2002, NoBusiness)
24. Max Roach: Members, Don't Git Weary (1968, Arc/Atlantic)
25. Sonny Rollins: Go West! The Contemporary Records Albums (1957-58, Craft)
26. Archie Shepp: Derailleur: The 1964 Demo (Triple Point)
27. Nina Simone: Four Women: The Nina Simone Complete Recordings 1964-1967 (Verve)
28. Alan Skidmore: A Supreme Love (1961-2019, Confront)
29. Soft Machine: The Dutch Lesson (1973, Cuneiform)
30. Clifford Thornton: Ketchaoua Revisited [+ Arthur Jones Trio: Scorpio] (1969, Ezz-Thetics)
31. McCoy Tyner: The Montreux Years (1981-2009, BMG)
32. Charlie Watts: Anthology (1978-2001, BMG)
33. John Zorn: Masada: 30th Anniversary Edition: The Complete Studio Master Takes (1994-97, Tzadik)

Reissued/historical jazz records that received votes in Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll, but still don't meet my 2% expectation:

1. Ornette Coleman: Genesis of Genius: The Contemporary Albums (1958-59, Craft '22)
2. Dror Feiler: Maavak (Music & Noise 1980-2023, Volume 1 & 2) (Ideal)
3. Wayne Horvitz/Butch Morris/Bobby Previte Trio: Live Forever, Vol. 2: NYC, Leverkusen 1988-1989 (self-released)
4. Keith Jarrett: Solo-Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne (1973, ECM)
5. Frank Zappa: Funky Nothingness (1970, Zappa)
6. Frank Zappa: Waka Wazoo (1971, Zappa/UMG \'22)