Tom Hull: The Best Jazz Albums of 2022

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The Best Jazz Albums of 2022

Initial draft collected on Nov. 4, 2022. The file will be updated as additional worthy records are found (although updating may lag behind the official 2022 list). Last year's list was never frozen (OK, let's say it was frozen on Nov. 4, 2022). There also exists a parallel list of The Best Non-Jazz of 2022.

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 2021 (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, 2021, or were so little known that they received no mention in the 2021 metacritic file. These are marked, e.g., -21, after the label.

New Music

1.		*Tyshawn Sorey + 1 [With Greg Osby]: The Off-Off Broadway Guide to Synergism* (Pi, 3CD) Drummer-led trio, with Aaron Diehl (piano) and Russell Hall (bass), plus alto saxophonist guest, who makes all the difference, not that the rhythm section doesn't keep him going. Osby was something of a star during his 1995-2005 run on Blue Note, but since then has only released one album as sole leader, so I was surprised that Discogs gives him a steady stream of co-leader credits, like this one. He even wrote two songs here, slipped in with 17 "standards and jazz classics," from Cole Porter and Fats Waller to Ornette Coleman, springboards running anywhere from 7:09 to 20:00.
2.		*Dave Rempis/Avreeayl Ra Duo: Bennu* (Aerophonic) Alto/tenor sax and percussion, 21 minutes per side (21:04 for first two pieces, 20:58 for last one). First time either had played in person in several months, so they sort of ease into it, relishing the circumstances. There is a point where they turn it on, as you know they can, but they mostly take it easy, which makes clear how consistently inventive they are.
3.		*Omri Ziegele Where's Africa: That Hat* (Intakt) Swiss saxophonist (alto, also plays nai), group named for a 2005 album with Irène Schweizer, since then he's used the name for several groups, including this trio with Yves Theiler (piano) and Dario Sisera (drums). The African interest shows in the rhythms, but also in the social feel, not least when Ziegele puts down his horn and sings.
4.		*Marta Sanchez: SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum)* (Whirlwind)** Spanish pianist, based in New York, half dozen albums since 2008. Quintet with two saxophonists (Alex LoRe and Roman Filiu), bass, and drums, aside from one cut in the middle that adds Camila Meza (voice and guitar), Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), and Charlotte Greve (synths). I'm reminded of Monk, except where Monk would throw the odd note in to unbalance you, Sanchez keeps changing, twirling off-balance without falling down.
5.		*Rodrigo Amado: Refraction Solo: Live at Church of the Holy Ghost* (Trost)** Tenor saxophonist from Portugal, I've heard 25 of his albums since Lisbon Improvisation Players in 2002, and this is the 12th I've A-listed, including all but one of the last nine. What makes this one improbable is that it's solo -- as much as I love tenor sax, it's hard for any monophonic instrument to satisfy without some rhythm to nudge it along and/or bass for harmonics (or piano for both). Yet this one works: it opens with "Sweet Freedom," a profound (20:54) meditation on Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins -- a quote from the latter always grabs me -- and two shorter pieces don't outstay their welcome (total: 33:41).
6.		*Andrew Cyrille/William Parker/Enrico Rava: 2 Blues for Cecil* (TUM)** Drums, bass, flugelhorn. "Cecil," of course, is Taylor, the late pianist. The title tracks are jointly credited, as are two improvisations, with each contributing additional pieces, ending with a cover of "My Funny Valentine." None of which is especially reminiscent of Taylor.
7.		*Tomas Fujiwara's Triple Double: March* (Firehouse 12)** Drummer, an Anthony Braxton student, runs the Firehouse 12 club and label in New Haven. Second album for his Triple Double group: two each trumpets (Ralph Alessi and Taylor Ho Bynum, latter on cornet), guitars (Mary Halvorson and Brandon Seabrook), and drums (Fujiwara and Gerald Cleaver). Some tremendous talent here, a little rough to start out, with both the horn and guitar jousts fast and furious. Ends with a long and remarkable drum duo, dedicated to Alan Dawson, the patron saint of New England drummers.
8.		*Avram Fefer Quartet: Juba Lee* (Clean Feed)** Alto/tenor saxophonist, also plays bass clarinet, reconvenes a trio that produced one of 2011's best records -- Eilyahu, with Eric Revis (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums) -- and adds Marc Ribot (guitar) for very good measure. *
9.		*Wadada Leo Smith: The Emerald Duets* (TUM, 5CD)** Four sets of trumpet-drums duos, mostly playing Smith's compositions. The one with Han Bennink dates from 2014, the others with Pheeroan akLaff, Andrew Cyrille, and Jack DeJohnette 2019-20, with the latter one lapping over into a fifth disc. DeJohnette and Smith are also credited with a bit of piano. Dive in anywhere.
10.		*Dave Sewelson: Smooth Free Jazz* (Mahakala Music -21)** Baritone saxophonist, pushing 70, longtime member of the Microscopic Septet, also William Parker's big bands, aside from a 1979 album only recently started releasing albums under his own name -- I recommend both Music for a Free World and More Music for a Free World. Quartet, with lap steel guitar (Mike Neer), bass, and drums. Nothing slick or conventionally smooth here: he loves the grit of the low notes, and when he sings "Nature Boy" over an extended vamp, he exhibits a voice to match. The record ends with a 3:12 "radio version," versus the original 19:30. **
11.		*Rob Brown/Juan Pablo Carletti: Fertile Garden* (NoBusiness)** Alto sax and drums duo, two improv pieces (57:08). Brown is an associate of William Parker since the early 1990s -- In Order to Survive, Little Huey, Raining on the Moon, various Quartets (O'Neal's Porch), etc. He is in fine form here, which gives the drummer plenty to work with.
12.		*Luke Stewart's Silt Trio: The Bottom* (Cuneiform) Bassist, from DC, active in a number of groups including Heroes Are Gang Leaders and Irreversible Entanglements. Group debut with Brian Settles (tenor sax) and Chad Taylor (percussion). Taylor's opening rhythm on mbira sets up an enchanting groove, which the sax colors delicately, although later on Settles gets to strut his stuff.
13.		*Manel Fortiá: Despertar* (Segell Microscopi)** Bassist, from Barcelona, based in New York, second album, wrote all the pieces for a trio with Marco Mezquida (piano) and Raphaël Pannier (drums). Pieces long on rhythm, the piano dazzling, even through the exceptional bits (where the others shine).
14.		*David Murray/Brad Jones/Hamid Drake Brave New World Trio: Seriana Promethea* (Intakt) Cover a mass of big type where the small title gets lost, and the "with" used on the Bandcamp page to separate off the bassist and drummer is nowhere to be seen. Opens with bass clarinet before switching to tenor sax. Murray was very prolific, especially with DIW 1985-98, slowed down to about a record/year the following decade (mostly with Justin Time to 2009), then less frequently with Motéma (to 2018). This is his third album on Intakt -- after a duo with Aki Takase and a rather rough one with Dave Gisler and Jaimie Branch -- but his first where he belongs, leading a superb trio.
15.		*Fred Hersch: Breath by Breath* (Palmetto)** Piano trio, with Drew Gress and Jochen Rueckert, plus the Crosby Street String Quartet. The writing for strings caught me by surprise, lovely at first with added layers of complexity, which the piano only adds to.
16.		*Darren Johnston: Life in Time* (Origin)** Canadian trumpet player, based in San Francisco, albums since 2007, most previous ones on avant-labels. Quartet with Geof Bradfield (sax/bass clarinet), who wrote 4 (of 10) songs to Johnston's 6, plus bass and drums. The interaction of the horns is always fresh and spirited.
17.		*Arild Andersen Group: Affirmation* (ECM) Norwegian bassist, started as a George Russell protégé in the late 1960s, has had a long and fruitful career. Quartet here with Marius Neset (tenor sax), Helge Lien (piano), and Håkon Måjset Johansen (drums), the multipart title piece jointly credited, plus his own "Short Story." Remarkable balance and poise.
18.		Thumbscrew: Multicolored Midnight (2021 [2022], Cuneiform): Trio of Mary Halvorson (guitar), Michael Formanek (bass, electronics), and Tomas Fujiwara (drums, vibes), seventh album since 2014. I'm not a fan of everything Halvorson does, but this group is one where she earns her reputation. **
19.		*Mostly Other People Do the Killing: Disasters Vol. 1* (Hot Cup)** Pennsylvania-born bassist first recorded under this group name in 2004, and for many years the pianoless quartet, with its irreverent and often fanciful survey of the jazz tradition, was one of the decade's most consistently exciting groups. Over time, the imposing horn players dropped out -- first Peter Evans (trumpet), then Jon Irabagon (tenor sax) -- as pianist Ron Stabinsky joined. It doesn't seem like the same group as a piano trio, but this batch of Pennsylvania disaster-inspired tunes (most famously from Jonestown to Three Mile Island) is pretty lively. The closing take of "Wilkes-Barre" leaves me with Monk rattling around my head.
20.		*Sun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall Allen: Living Sky* (Omni Sound) Sun Ra died in 1993, so you could count this as a ghost band, but his long-time alto saxophonist is no ghost, still carrying the flame at age 98. The big band is bigger than ever (20 pieces, including a string quartet). Mostly extended vamp pieces, background music that swings gently and/or roils, highlighted by a scratchy alto sax -- presumably Allen, just enough to rough up the edges.
21.		*Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer: Recordings From the Åland Islands* (International Anthem) Chiu, from Los Angeles, plays keyboards, although that's only fourth on his list of occupations, after "community organizer, graphic designer, artist." Bandcamp page shows six other recordings, at least one LP. Honer plays viola, synthesizer, and hand chimes. There is also a bit of guest flute. The Åland Islands are in the Baltic, south of Finland. Although there are bits of field recordings (e.g., birds), this is minimalist ambient music, the sort of thing you might be delighted to find from Jon Hassell.
22.		*Chad Fowler/Ivo Perelman/Zoh Amba/Matthew Shipp/William Parker/Steve Hirsh: Alien Skin* (Mahakala Music) An impromptu session, with three saxophonists -- Fowler plays stritch and saxello, Amba and Perelman tenor, with Amba also on flute -- backed by piano, bass, and drums. Starts off cautiously with a bass solo. Still, impossible to keep this much firepower down. Invigorating when they bust out, intriguing when they hold back a bit.
23.		*The Attic [Rodrigo Amado/Gonçalo Almeida/Onno Govaert]: Love Ghosts* (NoBusiness)** Portuguese tenor saxophonist, one of the best avant players over two decades, third group album (the first I filed under bassist Almeida's name; this one has a new drummer).
24.		*Julieta Eugenio: Jump* (Greenleaf Music)** Tenor saxophonist, from Argentina, based in New York, first album, backed by bass (Matt Dwonszyk) and drums (Jonathan Barber). Eight originals, two standards, tone and phrasing remind me of Coleman Hawkins.
25.		*Samo Salamon/Arild Andersen/Ra Kalam Bob Moses: Pure and Simple* (Samo)** Slovenian guitarist, sends me most of his work, which I'm quite fond of, but rarely this much. The elders on bass and drums are more than inspiring.
26.		*Nat Birchall: Afro Trane* (Ancient Archive of Sound)** British saxophonist (tenor/soprano), first album 1999 but his real string starts around 2009, has embraced Coltrane as thoroughly as anyone in his generation, picking up (to cite two titles) the Cosmic Language and Sacred Dimension, lacking only the intense desire to see how far he can extend the logic. Still, this is hit first title to explicitly cite Trane, appearing after one called Ancient Africa. Third solo album, where he also plays keyboards, bass, and percussion, on three originals (all with "Trane" in the title) and three covers ("Acknowledgement," "India," "Dahomey Dance"). My guess is that he loses a bit of edge in forgoing the band, but the poise and balance pays off big. **
27.		*Jessica Pavone/Lukas Koenig/Matt Mottel: Spam Likely* (577)** Viola/electronics, drums, keytar/3 string guitar (a "keytar" is a lightweight synthesizer on a strap like a guitar). Two pieces (the other is "Binge Listen"), improvs that start with an interesting sound and expand upon it.
28.		*Whit Dickey Quartet: Astral Long Form/Staircase in Space* (Tao Forms)** Drummer, more than a dozen albums since 1998, long association with Matthew Shipp, including a spell in the David S. Ware Quartet. With Rob Brown (alto sax), Mat Maneri (viola), and Brandon Lopez (bass), offers adventurous improvs with superb mix and balance.
29.		*The Ogún Meji Duo: Freedom Suite* (CFG Multimedia) Columbus-based duo of Eddie Bayard (sax) and Mark Lomax II (drums), have a long-term partnership not limited to the seven albums they're released under this name. This takes off from Sonny Rollins' 1958 album. Hard to say how closely this adheres, as Rollins has never had a drummer who can solo like Lomax, and Bayard is one of the few saxophonists up to the task.
30.		*Felipe Salles/Zaccai Curtis/Avery Sharpe/Jonathan Barber: Tiyo's Songs of Life* (Tapestry)** Compositions by Tiyo Attallah Salah-El (1932-2018), né David Riley Jones, fought in Korean War, returned to play saxophone, but wound up spending the last 50 years of his life in jail. Salles is a tenor saxophonist, was born in Brazil, came to US in 1995, teaches at U. Mass., has a half-dozen records. He arranged Salah-El's compositions, radiantly backed by piano, bass, and drums.
31.		*François Carrier/Alexander von Schlippenbach/John Edwards/Michel Lambert: Unwalled* (Fundacja Sluchaj) Alto sax, piano, bass, drums. It seems like Quebec natives Carrier and Lambert have spent much of the last two decades wandering around Europe in search of inspiring piano and bass partners. They finally hit the jackpot in Berlin.
32.		*Gerry Hemingway: Afterlife* (Auricle) Drummer, was part of Anthony Braxton's extraordinary Quartet in the 1980s, also of the long-running BassDrumBone trio with Ray Anderson, and has dozens of significant albums on his own, over 250 in total. Still, none of the others are like this: songs with words, sung or just rapped, over widely varied beats with scattered instrumental colors. Bandcamp page cites 11 contributing musicians with no clue to what or where, since their contributions are just samples applied to the mix. First few second remind me of DJ Shadow. Rest isn't so obvious, but shades from pop to blues, with fanciful rhythm throughout.
33.		*Jeff Parker ETA IVtet: Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy* (Eremite) Guitarist, I still associate him with Chicago but he's moved on to Los Angeles, has worked in avant-jazz and post-rock groups and produced a wide range of albums under his own name. Four tracks here from three dates, ranging 18:00-23:37, are ambient vibe pieces with some meat on their bones, from a quartet with Josh Johnson (alto sax & pedals), Anna Butterss (bass), and Jay Bellerose (drums).
34.		*Miguel Zenón: Música De Las Américas* (Miel Music)** Alto saxophonist, from Puerto Rico, debut 2022, has won a MacArthur fellowship. Quartet with Luis Perdomo (piano), Hans Glawischnig (bass), and Henry Cole (drums), playing the leader's original compositions. Several guest spots, including one vocal, but most dazzling of all is the sax.
35.		*Mats Gustafsson & Nu Ensemble: Hidros 8: Heal* (Trost) Swedish saxophonist (all weights plus related instruments, but probably best known for baritone, which he plays here), main group in 1990s was AALY Trio, followed by The Thing since 2000, but he has many more records. First Hidros album in 2001. Group here is a conduction tentet, with Anna Högberg (alto and bari sax), Susana Santos Silva (trumpet), Per-Åke Holmlander (tuba), Hedvig Mollestad (guitar), Massimo Pupillo (bass), plus turntables, electronics, and two drummers, with an intriguing Christof Kurzmann vocal in the middle of the second side, which then sets up the massive ending we've all been waiting for.
36.		*Louis Sclavis: Les Cadences Du Monde* (JMS Productions) French clarinetist, several dozen albums since 1981. Quartet with two cellists (Annabelle Luis and Bruno Ducret) plus percussion (Keyvan Chemirani, on zarb and daf). Upbeat, with a fresh Mediterrean air.
37.		*Billy Mohler: Anatomy* (Contagious Music)** Bassist, second album, freewheeling quartet with two horns -- trumpet (Shane Endsley) and tenor sax (Chris Speed) -- plus drums (Nate Wood).
38.		*Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp: Fruition* (ESP-Disk)** Tenor sax and piano duo, they have well more than a dozen, starting with 1996's Bendito of Santa Cruz, and the obsessive documentation of every encounter can grow numbing. For many years I was sent all of them, and tried my best to figure sort them out. All of Perelman's records are good, and many are outstanding, and same for Shipp. But for me at least, the torrent has slowed down, even as Perelman's ambitions have grown: I never heard last year's 9-CD Brass and Ivory Tales or the Special Edition Box (only 1-CD + Blue-Ray + book, with Shipp) or this year's 2-CD Magic Dust or this week's Reed Rapture (duets with 12 famous saxophonists that would fill up as many CDs). On the other hand, this single (11 tracks, 60:13) really hits the spot.
39.		*Oren Ambarchi/Johan Berthling/Andreas Werliin: Ghosted* (Drag City) Australian experimental musician, mostly plays guitar and drums, many albums since 2008 (Discogs lists 83). The others are Swedish, play bass and drums, also play in jazz groups Angles and Fire! Orchestra (Berthling has much the longer resumé, with over 100 album credits). Four pieces, compelling bass lines with improvised guitar flares, very attractive.
40.		*Ivo Perelman/Joe Morris: Elliptic Time* (Mahakala Music)** 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. **
41.		*Tom Skinner: Voices of Bishara* (Brownswood/International Anthem/Nonesuch) British drummer, debut album, but Discogs offers 100+ side-credits, including Sons of Kemet, Melt Yourself Down, Owiny Sigoma Band, and the Smile. Two star saxophonists (Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings), with cello and bass.
42.		Zoh Amba: O, Sun (Tzadik) Young tenor saxophonist, from Tennessee, first album of many released in 2022 -- I count six in my tracking file -- making her enough of a big deal that she got an in-depth profile in the New York Times. Quartet with Micah Thomas (piano), Thomas Morgan (bass), and Joey Baron (drums), with producer John Zorn joining for one track (alto sax, on "Holy Din"). Some hot streaks, but mostly this is toned down nicely. **
43.		*Hermon Mehari: Asmara* (Komos) Trumpet player, from Eritrea (although Discogs says Kansas City, where he got his degree), has a couple albums -- I was especially taken by his one with Florian Arbenz. Reflects on his war-torn nation here, backed by a band with piano/vibes (Peter Schlamb), bass, and drums, plus Eritrean vocalist Faytinga on two songs. Some terrific trumpet.
44.		*Frank Catalano: Live at Birdland* (Ropeadope) Saxophonist from Chicago, mostly plays tenor, early albums on Delmark (1998-2001) include a joust with Von Freeman. Quartet with Randy Ingram (piano), Julian Smith (bass), and Mike Clark (drums). The result is an old-fashioned sax stomp, the sort of thing a Sonny Stitt, or maybe a George Coleman, might bust loose.
45.		*Kirk Knuffke Trio: Gravity Without Airs* (Tao Forms, 2CD) Cornet player, many albums since 2009, composed 14 pieces here (90:17), backed by Michael Bisio (bass) and Matthew Shipp (piano), who really keep this moving.
46.		*Dave Rempis/Joshua Abrams/Avreeayl Ra + Jim Baker: Scylla* (Aerophonic)** Chicago saxophonist (alto/tenor/baritone), trio with bass and drums, plus piano/electronics. Starts with gentle mbira, takes its sweet time to develop, ends with the raw power you expect.
47.		*Immanuel Wilkins: The 7th Hand* (Blue Note) Alto saxophonist, major debut in 2020, second album, quartet with Micah Thomas (piano), Daryl Johns (bass), and Kweku Sumbry (drums), plus guest spots. Even more ambitious: "hour-long suite comprised of seven movements that strive to bring the quartet closer to complete vesselhood." Impressive chops, but also structure and flow. Once again I underrated him.
48.		Fractal Sextet: Fractal Sextet (Alchemy) Guitarist Stephan Thelen, who has released a couple volumes of Fractal Guitar, got the ball rolling with four compositions, then sent the files around to be developed and detailed by this international coterie: Jon Durant added more guitar, along witih Fabio Anile (keyboard), Colin Edwin (bass guitar), Yogev Gabay (drums), and Andi Pupato (percussion). **
49.		*Owen Broder: Hodges: Front and Center, Vol. 1* (Outside In Music)** Saxophonist, one previous album plus appearances with Anat Cohen and in Cowboys and Frenchmen, mostly plays alto here, plus a bit of baritone on a piece Gerry Mulligan wrote for an album with Johnny Hodges. I wasn't much impressed by his exploration of Appalachian roots music, but this I find thoroughly delightful. I don't even feel the desire to refer back to the classics. *
50.		*Chad Taylor Trio: The Reel* (Astral Spirits) Chicago Underground drummer, not much as leader but a lot of superb co- and side credits. Trio here with Brian Settles (saxophones) and Neil Podgurski (piano). Within a free jazz framework, each member gets chances to show off, an aims to please.
51.		*Vinny Golia/Bernard Santacruz/Cristiano Calcagnile: To Live and Breathe* (Dark Tree)** Soprano sax and piccolo -- I have my reservations about the latter, but they're easily forgotten as this masterful performance continues. With bass and drums that captivate even on their own.
52.		*Moor Mother: Jazz Codes* (Anti-) Philadelphia poet Camae Ayewa, fronts the jazz group Irreversible Entanglements, uses this alias for more hip-hop projects, although the genres are pretty fluid for her, as are melodies and beats. Lots of guests here in her expanding universe, making it more complex than art needs to be, but still not as messy as real life.
53.		*Stephan Thelen: Fractal Guitar 3* (Moonjune) American guitarist, based in Zürich, leads the band Sonar as well as pursuing various solo projects, often tied to mathematical concepts, like the third installment of this series. Each track has 3-5 guitars (Thelen plus Eivind Aarset and Markus Reuter, often Jon Durant) with drums (Manuel Pasquinelli), sometimes keybs, bass, and/or percussion. Patterns: deeply ingrained, finely tuned, just noisy enough.
54.		*Joel Futterman/William Parker/Chad Fowler/Steve Hirsh: The Deep* (Mahakala Music) Piano, bass, sax, drums, playing one 51:56 piece, recorded in one take. Enough going on that the piano explosions stand out even more.
55.		*Kirk Lightsey: Live at Smalls Jazz Club* (Cellar)** Pianist, long career including leadership of The Leaders, was 84 when this was recorded, and has rarely appeared more sprightly. With Mark Whitfield (guitar), Santi Debriano (bass), and Victor Lewis (drums), all of whom help him shine.
56.		*Dave Rempis/Elisabeth Harnik/Michael Zerang: Astragaloi* (Aerophonic)** Alto/tenor saxophonist, in a trio with piano and drums. Harnik is Austrian, has appeared several times with Rempis and Zerang (both from Chicago).
57.		*Mali Obomsawin: Sweet Tooth* (Out of Your Head)** Bassist, from the Wabanaki First Nation of Canada, also sings and plays hand drums, organized her debut albums as three movements, drawing on folk tales and jazz musicians, including co-producer Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet/flugelhorn), saxophonists Noah Campbell and Allison Burik (also bass clarinet), guitarist Miriam Elhajli (also sings), and Savannah Harris (drums).
58.		*Will Bernard: Pond Life* (Dreck to Disk)** Guitarist, started in a group led by Peter Apfelbaum, was part of a band called T.J. Kirk (name-checks James Brown, Thelonious Monk, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk), dozen albums since 1998. I think of him as a mild-mannered fusion guy, but here he's hanging out in a much rougher neighborhood, with Chris Lightcap (bass) and Ches Smith (drums), plus Tim Berne (alto sax) and/or John Medeski (piano/organ, 4 tracks each, 2 in common, so just 2 tracks are trio, which he aces).
59.		*Eri Yamamoto/Chad Fowler/William Parker/Steve Hirsh: Sparks* (Mahakala Music) Japanese pianist, has had a close relationship with Parker (bass) since she moved to New York. Hirsh plays drums, with Fowler playing stritch and saxello, instruments which dial back his sound just enough to make clear how inventive he can be.
60.		*Walt Weiskopf European Quartet: Diamonds and Other Jewels* (AMM)** Big-toned tenor saxophonist, part of a generation of more/less mainstream players who emerged in the 1990s, has never sounded better than with this quartet, formed in 2016 with Carl Winther (piano) and Anders Mogensen (drums), adding Andreas Lang (bass) in 2019.
61.		*Trio Xolo: In Flower, in Song* (577)** Avant sax trio, no one I've ever heard of before: Zachary Swanson (bass, also the composer), Derrick Michaels (tenor sax), Dalius Naujo (drums). Seems like there are dozens of comparable records, but this one kept growing on me.
62.		*Jasper Høiby/Planet B: What It Means to Be Human* (Edition)** Danish bassist, several albums, this is second of a promised four albums, starting with 2020's excellent Planet B, same trio with Josh Arcoleo (sax) and Marc Michel (drums). The bass is the pulse of life, the sax an adventure, the drums play off that. Includes spoken word texts from Grace Lee Boggs, Ruby Sales, and Jane Goodall. **
63.		*Tess Tyler: Fractals [Vol. 1]* (Manners McDade)** Composer, from Bristol, first album (although there's a Vol. 2 out the same day -- the volume numbers aren't on the covers, but referred to on Bandcamp). No credits, but a video shows her playing piano with electronics and a drummer. **
64.		*Marc Copland Quartet: Someday* (InnerVoice Jazz) Pianist, 40-plus albums since 1988, a quartet with Robin Verheyen (tenor/soprano sax; also wrote 2 songs to Copland's 3), Drew Gress (bass), and Mark Ferber (drums). Near-perfect balance.
65.		*Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet: Spirit to All* (Whirlwind) Polish bassist, mostly works through this Quintet -- tenor sax (Marek Pospiezalski), trumpet (Oskar Torok), piano (Joana Duda), and drums (Oba Janicki) -- which over 10+ years has earned the right to go by the initials WMQ. I rarely mention composers because everyone does that these days, but what's outstanding here isn't the individual performances (note-perfect as they are), but the flow and texture.
66.		*The Red Microphone: A Bleeding in Black Leather* (ESP-Disk)** Group formed in 2010, with John Pietaro reading Bertolt Brecht to avant-sax (Ras Moshe and Rocco John Iacovone), bass (Laurie Towers), and percussion (Pietaro), reconvened here with some extras (mostly guitar), with Pietaro reading his own poetry (also published in book form). Several stories stand out, including a history of bebop and one on a New York neighborhood that turns tragic. "Punk Jazz" earns its title. Ivan Julian produced.
67.		*The Zebra Street Band: Shirwku* (Trytone)** Dutch group (well, Amsterdam, more or less): Alistair Payne (trumpet), Salvoandrea Lucifora (trombone/tuba), Andrius Dereviancenko (tenor sax), John Dikeman (baritone sax), plus two drummers (Fabio Galeazzi and Onno Govaert) keeping it bouncy, while the horns riff on brass bands.
68.		*Bennie Maupin/Adam Rudolph: Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef* (Strut) For Yusef Lateef, who had a significant import for both musicians, including a long association with Rudolph. Just a duo here, with Maupin playing various reeds and flutes, and Rudolph keyboards and a long list of percussion. Set up as five movements, the middle drags a bit as if trying to find its way out of something dark and foreboding -- which it eventually does.
69.		*Konrad Agnas/Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Mattias Ståhl/Per Texas Johansson: All Slow Dream Gone* (Moserobie)** Texas -- cover/spine only offers one name each, and that's how he appears -- plays clarinets (including bass and contrabass), an impressive showing over a first-rate rhythm section (drums, bass, vibraphone).
70.		*Josh Sinton's Predicate Quartet: Four Freedoms* (Form Is Possibility)** Leader plays baritone sax, bass clarinet, and alto flute, played in the Steve Lacy tribute group Ideal Bread. Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) is most impressive here, backed by Christopher Hoffman (cello) and Tom Rainey (drums).
71.		*David Greenberger & the Waldameer Players: Today!* (Pel Pel)** Spoken word artist (among other talents), born in Chicago (1954), grew up in Erie, PA, but seems more familiar with Massachusetts these days. Played bass in the band Men & Volts, which connected him with co-producers Sam Kulik, Michael Evans, and Jeff Arnal. Words come from stories told by residents in various senior care homes, and they're often fascinating, even when they wax philosophical ("how is it that we have so much knowledge, and so little wisdom?"; "whatever time is left to you, you have to enjoy it, enjoy every minute"). I've heard a few of these, and they're consistently interesting. If this one is exceptional, it's probably because the music is more than just background.
72.		*Kirk Knuffke/Michael Bisio: For You I Don't Want to Go* (NoBusiness)** Cornet and bass duo. Knuffke has managed to slip easily between mainstream and avant contexts, so singularly it's never clear where this modest, bare bones project fits (not that it matters).
73.		*Satoko Fujii: Hyaku: One Hundred Dreams* (Libra)** Japanese pianist, very prolific since 1995, even went monthly a couple years back for her 60th birthday. Counts this as her 100th album, and I'm not about to check her math. She rounded up eight frequent collaborators for this, but unlike most nonets, this is light on horns (two trumpets, tenor sax, and bassoon), with double drums and Ikue Mori electronics. A single piece in five parts, but it doesn't feel arranged -- more like a series of do-you-thing solo spots. So it's not one of her more compelling statements, but offers a nice synopsis of a remarkable career (including some of the piano that caught our ears in the first place).
74.		*Kalí Rodríguez-Peña: Mélange* (Truth Revolution)** Trumpet player, from Cuba, moved to New York in 2014, a lot of print in the package that I'm having trouble reading, but seems to be his first album. Impressive trumpet, crackling rhythm, scattered vocals. I doubt I'll hear a better Latin jazz album this year.
75.		*Jacob Sacks/David Ambrosio/Vinnie Sperrazza: Trio Trio Meets Sheila Jordan* (SteepleChase) Label founded in 1972 in Denmark by Nils Winther, drawing mainly on American bebop expats and tourists, and remains a major outlet for mainstream players, especially Americans. But they have virtually no web presence, so it's often hard to get discographical details. The singer is 92, and hasn't recorded much lately, so one wonders when this was recorded [March 2021]. One also wonders about the artist attribution, but Trio or "trioTrio" is so generic I decided to go with the musician names, also on the cover. Jordan is not in her best voice, and the songs are old ones, not that I mind her hearing her memoir of "The Bird" again, and I still get a kick out of "all God's children got bebop." The clincher is a brave and touching reading of her 1984 title song, "The Crossing."

Also added the following older albums after freezing the 2021 year-end file:

Cooper-Moore & Stephen Gauci: Conversations Vol. 1 (577 -20)
Piano and tenor sax duo, collecting six improv pieces (41:47), with another volume kept back in reserve (released 2022). The first sax notes fly awkwardly, but once the piano kicks in, Gauci finds his track. **

Honorable Mention

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

Melissa Aldana: 12 Stars (Blue Note) **
Joey Alexander: Origin (Mack Avenue) **
Taru Alexander: Echoes of the Masters (Sunnyside) **
Zoh Amba: Bhakti (Mahakala Music) **
Oren Ambarchi: Shebang (Drag City) **
Chad Anderson: Mellifluous Excursions Vol. 1: Where You Been (Mahakala Music) **
Angles: A Muted Reality (Clean Feed) **
Florian Arbenz/João Barradas/Tineke Postma/Rafael Jerjen: Conversation #5: Elemental (Hammer) **
Florian Arbenz: Conversation #6 & #7 (Hammer) **
Florian Arbenz/Jorge Vistel/Wolfgang Puschnig/Oren Marshall/Michael Arbenz: Conversation #8: Ablaze (Hammer) **
Jeff Arnal/Curt Cloninger: Drum Major Instinct (Mahakala Music) **
Dmitry Baevsky: Kid's Time (Fresh Sound New Talent) **
Barcelona Art Orchestra: Ragtime Stories (UnderPool) **
Edwin Bayard/Dean Hulett/Mark Lomax II: Trio Plays Mingus (CFG Multimedia) **
Karl Berger/Kirk Knuffke: Heart Is a Melody (Stunt) **
Karl Berger/Max Johnson/Billy Mintz: Sketches (Fresh Sound) **
Tim Berne/Matt Mitchell: One More, Please (Intakt) **
Steven Bernstein's MTO Feat. Catherine Russell: Good Time Music (Community Music Vol. 2) (Royal Potato Family) **
Steven Bernstein & the Hot 9: Manifesto of Henryisms (Community Music, Vol. 3) (Royal Potato Family) **
Bi Ba Doom: Graceful Collision (Astral Spirits) **
Michael Bisio Quartet: MBefore (Tao Forms)
Black Flower: Magma (Sdban Ultra) **
Ran Blake: Looking Glass (A-Side -21) **
Jane Ira Bloom: Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1 (self-released) **
Blue Lines Trio: Chance and Change (Casco) **
Andrew Boudreau: Neon (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Bouvier: Blachant (Renewell)
The Kevin Brady Electric Orchestra: Plan B (Ubuntu Music -21) **
Staffan Bråsjö: Stratosfar (self-released) **
Breath of Air: Breath of Air (Burning Ambulance) **
Patricia Brennan: More Touch (Pyroclastic)
Jakob Bro/Joe Lovano: Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian (ECM) **
Anna Butterss: Activities (Colorfield) **
Steve Cardenas/Ben Allison/Ted Nash: Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley (Sunnyside) **
Frank Carlberg Trio: Reflections 1952 (577) **
Daniel Carter/Evan Strauss/5-Track/Sheridan Riley: The Uproar in Bursts of Sound and Silence (577)
Chris Castino & Chicken Wire Empire: Fresh Pickles (self-released)
Rob Clearfield & Quin Kirchner: Concentric Orbits (Astral Spirits) **
Dan Clucas/Kyle Motl/Nathan Hubbard: Daydream and Halting (FMR)
Max Cooper: Unspoken Words (Mesh) **
Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini: Auburn Whisper (GroundUP)
Caleb Wheeler Curtis: Heat Map (Imani)
Tomasz Dabrowski: Tomasz Dabrowski & the Individual Beings (April) **
Craig Davis: Tone Paintings: The Music of Dodo Marmarosa (MCG Jazz) **
Eli Degibri: Henri and Rachel (Degibri) **
Randal Despommier: A Midsummer Odyssey (Sunnyside)
Charlotte Dos Santos: Morfo (Because Music) **
Dave Douglas Quintet: Songs of Ascent: Book 1 -- Degrees (Greenleaf Music)
Dezron Douglas: Atalaya (International Anthem) **
Billy Drummond and Freedom of Ideas: Valse Sinistre (Cellar)
Paul Dunmall Quintet: Yes Tomorrow (Discus) **
Trevor Dunn Trio-Convulsant Avec Folie à Quatre: Seances (Pyroclastic)
Jens Düppe: Ego_D (Enja/Yellowbird) **
Signe Emmeluth/Dag Erik Knedal Andersen/Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard: The A-Z of Microwave Cookery (Astral Spirits) **
Espen Eriksen Trio Featuring Andy Sheppard: In the Mountains (Rune Grammofon) **
John Escreet: Seismic Shift (Whirlwind)
Hugo Fernandez: Ozean (Origin)
Ricky Ford: The Wailing Sounds of Ricky Ford: Paul's Scene (Whaling City Sound) **
Forest Chorus: Forest Chorus (Orenda) **
Chad Fowler/Matthew Shipp: Old Stories (Mahakala Music, 2CD) **
Chad Fowler/William Parker/Anders Griffen: Broken Unbroken (Mahakala Music) **
Chad Fowler/William Parker/Anders Griffen: Thinking Unthinking (Mahakala Music) **
Paolo Fresu/Dino Rubino/Marco Bardoscia/Daniele Di Bonaventura: Ferlinghetti (Tuk Music) **
Erik Friedlander: A Queen's Firefly (Skipstone)
Satoko Fujii & Joe Fonda: Thread of Light (FSR)
Anthony Fung: What Does It Mean to Be Free? (self-released)
Joel Futterman/Steve Hirsh: Warp & Weft (Mahakala Music -2CD -21) **
Charlie Gabriel: Eighty-Nine (Sub Pop) **
James Gaiters Soul Revival: Understanding Reimagined (self-released)
Noah Garabedian: Consider the Stars Beneath Us (Outside In Music)
Jacob Garchik: Assembly (Yestereve)
Giacomo Gates: You (Savant) **
Binker Golding: Dream of a Dogwood Wild Boy (Gearbox) **
Onno Govaert + Martina Verhoeven/Dirk Serries: Twofold (A New Wave of Jazz) **
Gordon Grdina: The Music of Tim Berne: Oddly Enough (Attaboygirl)
Gordon Grdina's Haram With Marc Ribot: Night's Quietest Hour (Attaboygirl)
Gordon Grdina/Mark Helias/Matthew Shipp: Pathways (Attaboygirl) [**]
Keith Hall: Made in Kalamazoo: Trios and Duos (Zoom Out)
Mary Halvorson: Amaryllis (Nonesuch) **
Scott Hamilton: Talk to Me, Baby (Blau) **
Heart of the Ghost: Summons (No Quarter) **
John Hébert: Sounds of Love (Sunnyside) **
Heroes Are Gang Leaders: LeAutoRoiOgraphy (577)
Art Hirahara: Verdant Valley (Posi-Tone) **
Steve Hirsh/Zoh Amba/Luke Stewart: An Unlikely Place (Mahakala Music) **
Julia Hülsmann Quartet: The Next Door (ECM) **
Jon Irabagon: Rising Sun (Irabbagast) **
Javon Jackson: The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni (Solid Jackson)
Song Yi Jeon/Vinicius Gomes: Home (Greenleaf Music)
Gisle Røen Johansen: Kveldsragg (Jazzaggression) **
Max Johnson Trio: Orbit of Sound (Unbroken Sounds) **
Jones Jones: Just Justice (ESP-Disk)
Sheila Jordan: Live at Mezzrow (Cellar Live) **
Keith Kirchoff/Dominic Lash/Steve Noble: Christian Wolff: Exercises and Explorations (Spoonhunt -21) **
Anders Koppel: Mulberry Street Symphony (Cowbell Music, 2CD) **
Sarathy Korwar: Kalak (The Leaf Label) **
Mike Kuhl/Dave Ballou/John Dierker/Luke Stewart: Kraft (Out of Your Head) **
Landaeus Trio: A Crisis of Perception (Clean Feed) **
Brian Landrus: Red List (Palmetto)
The Adam Larson Trio: With Love, From Chicago (Outside In Music)
Ingrid Laubrock + Andy Milne: Fragile (Intakt) **
Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Counterfeit Mars (Relative Pitch) **
Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone: Xaybu: The Unseen (Pi)
Urs Leimgruber/Christy Doran/Bobby Burri/Fredy Studer: OM 50 (Intakt) **
Michael Leonhart Orchestra: The Normyn Suites (Sunnyside)
Janel Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash (Cuneiform) **
James Brandon Lewis Quartet: MSM Molecular Systematic Music Live (Intakt, 2CD) **
Yaroslav Likhachev Quartet: Occasional Sketches (Clean Feed) **
Magnus Lindgren/Georg Breinschmid: Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XIII: Celebrating Mingus 100 (ACT) **
Lisbeth Quartett: Release (Intakt) **
Mark Lomax, II: Prismatic Reflections No. 1 (CFG Multimedia) **
Brandon Lopez/Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: No Es La Playa (Intakt) **
Brian Lynch and Spheres of Influence: Songbook Vol. 2: Dance the Way U Want To (Holistic MusicWorks, 2CD)
Doug MacDonald and the L.A. All-Star Octet: Overtones (DMAC Music)
Ruben Machtelinckx + Arve Henriksen: A Short Story (Aspen Edities) **
João Madeira/Wagner Ramos: Meristema (4darecord)
Rudi Mahall/Michael Griener: Jazzpreis (Astral Spirits) **
Tony Malaby's Sabino: The Cave of Winds (Pyroclastic)
Pete Malinverni: On the Town: Pete Malinverni Plays Leonard Bernstein (Planet Arts)
Michael Marcus: Abstractions in Lime Caverns (ESP-Disk)
Denman Maroney/Scott Walton/Denis Fournier: O KOΣMOΣ META (RogueArt)
Jim McNeely/Frankfurt Radio Big Band: Rituals (Double Moon) **
Francisco Mela and Zoh Amba: Causa Y Efecto Vol. 1 (577) **
Francisco Mela/Shinya Lin: Motions Vol. 1 (577) **
Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: For the Love of Fire and Water (RogueArt)
Xose Miguélez: Contradictio (Origin)
Tyler Mitchell Featuring Marshall Allen: Dancing Shadows (Mahakala Music) **
Carlo Mombelli: Lullaby for Planet Earth (Clap Your Hands)
Tony Monaco: Four Brothers (Chicken Coup)
Dado Moroni/Jesper Lundgaard/Lee Pearson: There Is No Greater Love (Storyville) **
Jamal Moss: Thanks 4 the Tracks U Lost (Modern Love) **
Fred Moten/Brandon López/Gerald Cleaver: Moten/López/Cleaver (Reading Group) **
Kyle Motl: Hydra Nightingale (Infrequent Seams)
Louis Moutin/Jowee Omicil/François Moutin: M.O.M. (Laborie Jazz)
Kim Nalley Band With Houston Person: I Want a Little Boy (Kim Nalley Productions)
Qasim Naqvi/Wadada Leo Smith/Andrew Cyrille: Two Centuries (Red Hook) **
Judy Niemack: What's Love (Sunnyside) **
Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity: Elastic Wave (ECM) **
Timothy Norton: Visions of Phaedrus (Truth Revolution) **
Oz Noy/Ugonna Okegwo/Ray Marchica: Riverside (Outside In Music)
The Nu Band: In Memory of Mark Whitecage: The Nu Band Live at the Bop Shop (Not Two) **
The OGJB Quartet: Ode to O (TUM)
Miles Okazaki: Thisness (Pi)
Oxbow & Peter Brötzmann: An Eternal Reminder of Not Today: Live at Moers (Trost) **
Keith Oxman: This One's for Joey (Capri)
Houston Person: Reminiscing at Rudy's (HighNote)
Ethan Philion: Meditations on Mingus (Sunnyside)
Marek Pospieszalski Quartet: Dürer's Mother (Clean Feed) **
Dafnis Prieto Featuring Luciana Souza: Cantar (Dafnison Music) **
Punkt. Vrt. Plastik: Zurich Concert (Intakt) **
Flora Purim: If You Will (Strut)
Enrico Rava/Fred Hersch: The Song Is You (ECM) **
The Red Microphone: And I Became of the Dark (ESP-Disk -21) **
Joshua Redman/Brad Mehldau/Christian McBride/Brian Blade: Long Gone (Nonesuch) **
Susan Reed: Thousands of Ways (OA2)
Dave Rempis/Tomeka Reid/Joshua Abrams: Allium (Aerophonic)
Eve Risser/Red Desert Orchestra: Eurythmia (Clean Feed) **
Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Trio D'ÉTÉ: Turning Point (5Passion) **
Harvie S & Roni Ben-Hur With Sylvia Cuenca: Wondering (Dot Time)
Samo Salamon: Dolphyology: Complete Eric Dolphy for Solo Guitar (Samo, 2CD)
Samo Salamon/Sabir Mateen: Joy and Sorrow (Klopotec) **
Samo Salamon/Cene Resnik/Urban Kusar: Takt Ars Sessions Vol. 3 (Samo) **
Frank Paul Schubert/Kazuhisa Uchihashi/Klaus Kugel: Black Holes Are Hard to Find (Nemu)
Seabrook Trio: In the Swarm (Astral Spirits) **
Dave Sewelson/William Parker/Steve Hirsch: The Gate (Mahakala Music) **
Collin Sherman: Suitable Benchmarks of Reform (Ex-Tol) **
Collin Sherman: Organism Made Luminous (Blujazz)
Matthew Shipp Trio: World Construct (ESP-Disk)
Matthew Shipp/Mark Helias: The New Syntax (RogueArt)
Idit Shner & Mhondoro: Heat Wave (OA2)
Josh Sinton/Tony Falco/Jed Wilson: Adumbrations (Form Is Possibility)
Carol Sloane: Live at Birdland (Club 44) **
Alexander Smalls: Let Us Break Bread Together (Outside In Music)
Hal Smith's Jazzologists: I Scream, You Scream, Everybody Wants Ice Cream (self-released -21) **
Wadada Leo Smith: String Quartets Nos. 1-12 (TUM, 7CD)
Günter Baby Sommer & the Lucaciu 3: Karawane (Intakt) **
Sonic Liberation Front and the Sonic Liberation Singers: Justice: The Vocal Works of Oliver Lake (High Two)
Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Mesmerism (Yeros7 Music) **
SSWAN [Jessica Ackerley/Patrick Shiroishi/Chris Williams/Luke Stewart/Jason Nazary]: Invisibility Is an Unnatural Disorder (577)
Ståhls Trio: Källtorp Sessions Volume Two (Moserobie -21)
Pat Thomas & XT (Seymour Wright/Paul Abbott/Will Holder): Akisakila/Attitudes of Preparation (Mountains, Oceans, Trees) (Edition Gamut) **
Mark Turner: Return From the Stars (ECM) **
Oded Tzur: Isabela (ECM) **
Lisa Ullén/Elsa Bergman/Anna Lund: Space (Relative Pitch) **
Kobe Van Cauwenberghe: Ghost Trance Septet Plays Anthony Braxton (El Negocito) **
Kalia Vandever: Regrowth (New Amsterdam) **
Liba Villavecchia Trio: Zaidan (Clean Feed) **
Will Vinson: Tripwire (Whirlwind) **
Skip Walker: Tina's Contemplation: A Reflection on the Genius of Tina Brooks (Skip Walker Music) **
Walking Cliché Sextet: Micro-Nap (Endectomorph Music)
WeFreeStrings: Love in the Form of Sacred Outrage (ESP-Disk)
Fabian Willmann Trio: Balance (CYH)
Deanna Witkowski: Force of Nature (MCG Jazz)
Jeong Lim Yang: Zodiac Suite: Reassured (Fresh Sound) **
John Yao's Triceratops: Off-Kilter (See Tao)

Also added the following older albums after freezing the 2021 year-end file:

John Blum/Jackson Krall: Duplexity (Relative Pitch -20) **
Mats Eilertsen: Hymn for Hope (Hemli -21) **
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Rolf-Erik Nystrøm: El Sistema (Sonic Transmissions -21) **
Milford Graves/Jason Moran: Live at Big Ears (Yes -21) **

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.		*William Parker: Universal Tonality* (2002, Centering/AUM Fidelity, 2CD)** From 1994-2006, Parker recorded a number of albums with his big band, the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. This isn't credited as such, but the 17 musicians here overlap considerably, but this seems more star-laden (two violinists: Billy Bang and Jason Kao Hwang), with vocalist Loreena Conquest featured, reminding us: "Hope is relentless/ it never dies."
2.		*Horace Silver Quintet: Live New York Revisited* (1964-66, Ezz-Thetics) Pianist, original leader of the Jazz Messengers, which under Art Blakey invented hard bop. Silver continued with his own quintet, writing some of the most indelible melodies in jazz, especially during this period (this offers two takes of "Afrian Queen," one each of: "Song for My Father," "The Natives Are Restless Tonight," "Que Pasa," "The Tokyo Blues," and "Señor Blues"). With Joe Henderson a tour de force on tenor sax, Carmell Jones or Woody Shaw on trumpet, plus bass and drums.
3.		Cecil Taylor: The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert: The Town Hall, NYC November 4, 1973 (1973, Oblivion) At the time, the definitive avant-garde pianist, leading a strong quartet with Andrew Cyrille (drums), Jimmy Lyons (alto sax), and Sirone (bass). Three pieces: "Autumn/Parade" weighing in at 88:00, and two versions of "Spring of Two Blue-J's," first part done solo, second quartet. **
4.		*Dave Brubeck Trio: Live From Vienna 1967* (Brubeck Editions)** As one who usually listens to Brubeck records for Paul Desmond's gorgeous alto sax, it's easy to forget how brilliant a pianist the leader could be, so this is a wake up call. Brubeck rarely made trio records, and this one was an accident: Desmond missed the flight to the last stop of a tour, so the rest -- Eugene Wright (drums) and Joe Morello (drums) -- went on as a trio, their set shifted to mostly standards. Opens with a rousing "St. Louis Blues" followed by Brubeck's "One Moment Worth Years." Second side gets even hotter with Brubeck extemporizing on "Swanee River," and wrapping up with "Take the A Train."
5.		*Thelonious Monk Quartet: Live Five Spot 1958 Revisited* (Ezz-Thetics)** More cherry-picking among the newly copyright-free classics. This is the same music Riverside picked for two LPs: Thelonious in Action and Misterioso, remastered with minor edits to fit a single CD. Johnny Griffin plays tenor sax, with Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. Robert Christgau cites a Griffin solo on Misterioso as life-changing, but I'd be hard-pressed to tell you which, but note that the other album was the one where he got a "featuring" credit. [NB: Lonehill Jazz has its own competing Complete Live at the Five Spot 1958, including additional non-album material on 2-CD. This album is basically the first disc plus one cut from the second.] **
6.		*George Russell: Ezz-thetics & The Stratus Seekers Revisited* (Ezz-Thetics) Two important albums by one of the most important figures in jazz history. The former, the namesake for this Swiss reissue label, is a sextet with Eric Dolphy (alto sax/bass clarinet) and Don Ellis (trumpet), David Baker (trombone), Steve Swallow (bass), and Joe Hunt (drums). The latter acknowledges that it takes two saxophonists to replace Dolphy. The albums are hard to peg, easy to underestimate, rich and varied and always a step ahead of you.
7.		*Horace Tapscott Quintet: Legacies of Our Grandchildren* (1995, Dark Tree)** French label named for Tapscott's greatest album, but nearly everything he does rises to that standard, as each new discovery of an old tape reaffirms. Saxophonist Michael Session is terrific here, trombonist Thurman Green holds up his end, and the piano is frequently miraculous. Only doubt arises with the vocals on two pieces, but why fault Dwight Trible for being too passionate?
8.		*Miles Davis Quintet: Live Europe 1960 Revisited* (Ezz-Thetics)** Part of a Norman Granz package tour, his last tour with John Coltrane, backed by Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb, with five long takes of four songs ("So What" opens and closes), total 75:23. Material has been reissued a number of times, most definitively in Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series Vol. 6 (4-CD), which like this is superb throughout. **
9.		*Sam Rivers: Caldera [Sam Rivers Archive Project, Volume 6]* (2002, NoBusiness)** Featuring Doug Matthews (acoustic & electric bass, bass clarinet) and Anthony Cole (drums, tenor sax, piano), a trio that had been playing together since 1994. Rivers himself plays tenor & soprano sax, flute, and piano, plus gets a vocals credit. Opens with piano, finds new and varied combinations, what improvisation is all about.
10.		*Miles Davis Quintets: Stockholm Live 1967 & 1969 Revisited* (Ezz-Thetics)** Two live sets on one 79:41 CD, the first with the legendary 1960s quintet (Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams) in top form, the second retaining Shorter but swapping in a younger and ultimately even more famous rhythm section (Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette) -- the latter a brief and somewhat uncomfortable feint toward the avant-garde, before Shorter left and Davis invented fusion. The Stockholm concerts were part of longer European tours, which Legacy compiled into terrific 3-CD boxes as the first two volumes of their Bootleg Series. So this is either redundant, or a perfectly fine introduction. **
11.		*Pat Matshikiza/Kippie Moketsi: Tshona!* (1975, As-Shams) South African jazz, leaders play piano and alto sax, backed by bass (Alec Khaoli) and drums (Sipho Mabuse), with Basil Coetzee (tenor sax) on the side. The longer pieces are classics of township jive, especially "Umgababa."
12.		John Sinclair Presents: Detroit Artists Workshop: Community, Jazz and Art in the Motor City 1965-1981 (Strut/Art Yard) I tend to think of Sinclair as a political figure, but aside from consorting with Yippies and co-founding the White Panthers and the Rainbow People Party, and spending way too much time in jail -- he was notorious enough that a "John Sinclair Freedom Rally" to protest his sentence was headlined by John Lennon and Stevie Wonder -- he's mostly viewed as a poet with a long connection to music (starting with the MC5). Unclear exactly what his role in these groups/tracks is, other than archivist and author of the booklet. Group leaders include Donald Byrd, Charles Moore, and Bennie Maupin. While I'm impressed by the horns, the rhythm is what finally won me over. **
13.		*Ornette Coleman: New York Is Now & Love Call Revisited* (1968, Ezz-Thetics -21)** Two 1968 albums, the end of Coleman's brief 1960s fling with Blue Note, still best remember for his live trio sets, At the "Golden Circle" Stockholm: Volume One and Two. This was a quartet, with Dewey Redman (tenor sax) plus Coltrane's former bass-drums duo, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. Not always top drawer material, but often amazing anyway. **
14.		*John Coltrane: Favorites [Naima/My Favorite Things/A Love Supreme] Revisited* (1963-65, Ezz-Thetics)** Live Quartet tracks (with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones): his most famous composition, his most signature standard, and his most inspired album, adding up to 76:24. The latter is the same Antibes performance that has been reissued many times, including as the 2nd disc in the 2002 Deluxe Edition of A Love Supreme. This all strikes me as terribly redundant, but it's hard to complain while listening -- especially the latter, which strikes me as both more faithful and more adventurous than last year's archive find (A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle). **
15.		*ICP Orchestra: 30 Yr Jubileum 1997: Day 2* (ICP) A much longer set (114:28), opening with three songs by guest Cor Fuhler (piano/organ/keyolin), with Louis Moholo (drums) and Roswell Rudd (trombone) also sitting in. After that, it's a kaleidoscope of Mengelberg pieces (with a Moholo co-credit).
16.		*The Pyramids: AOMAWA: The 1970s Recordings* (1973-76, Strut, 4CD) Saxophonist Bruce Baker, originally from Chicago, better known since 2012 as Idris Ackamoor, founded this Afrocentric, Sun Ra-influenced group in Antioch, Ohio, in the early 1970s as part of Cecil Taylor's Black Music Ensemble.
17.		*Anthony Williams: Life Time & Spring Revisited* (1964-65, Ezz-Thetics) Drummer, died young at 51 but started young too, playing professionally with Sam Rivers at 13, Jackie McLean at 16, joining Miles Davis's second legendary quintet when he was 17, and recording these two Blue Note albums (total 77:21) before he turned 20. They're a bit mixed, but tenor saxophonist Rivers stellar on most (7/10) tracks, with Wayne Shorter joining in on three. Two other tracks feature Herbie Hancock, one of those with Bobby Hutcherson. The other one is a 5:00 drum exercise.
18.		*Koichi Matsukaze Trio Featuring Ryojiro Furusawa: At the Room 427* (1975, BBE) Japanese saxophonist, plays alto and tenor, leads a trio with Koichi Yamazaki (bass) and Furusawa (drums), the 9th album in the label's J Jazz Masterclass Series, originally released in 1976 on ALM. Exceptional freebop.
19.		*Andrew Hill: Point of Departure to Compulsion!!!!! Revisited* (1964-65, Ezz-Thetics)** Two of the pianist's Blue Note albums squeezed onto a single CD. Point of Departure has long been counted as a high point, with saxophonists Eric Dolphy ad Joe Henderson, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Richard Davis (bass) and Tony Williams (drums). The later album may have been picked to fit -- a tight squeeze at 79:47, helped by using a couple alternate takes -- but is another essential album, with John Gilmore (tenor sax/bass clarinet), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), bass, drums, percussion (including African thumb piano). I'm not a big fan of the label's reissuing of albums that are already widely available, but I can't quarrel with the music. **
20.		*Bill Evans: Morning Glory: The 1973 Concert at the Teatro Gran Rex, Buenos Aires* (Resonance) Piano trio, with Eddie Gomez (bass) and Marty Morell (drums). Typically superb, bass solos included. Package reportedly includes 2-CD, extensive booklet.
21.		*Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1963-1964* (Elemental, 2CD)** Pianist, born 1930 in Pittsburgh as Frederick Jones, converted to Islam in 1950, shortly before his first records, which became popular and plentiful from 1958 on. This collects two trio sets, with either Richard Evans or Jamil Nasser on bass, and Chuck Lampkin on drums. I give this one a slight edge: it's a bit more sprightly, but he's always entertaining.
22.		*Ahmad Jamal: Live in Paris* (1971, Transversales Disques) Newly uncovered "lost tapes" from a live performance, three fairly long piano trio pieces (39:44), with Jamil Nasser (bass) and Frank Gant (drums). These are "excerpts from the full performance," but they are superb throughout.
23.		*Miles Davis Quintet: 2nd Session 1956 Revisited* (Ezz-Thetics)** When Davis signed with Columbia, he still owed Prestige four albums, which the Quintet -- John Coltrane (tenor sax), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums) -- knocked out in two sessions, one on May 11, the other on October 26, 1956. The albums were slowly released, up to mid-1961, to capitalize on Columbia's publicity. This singles out the latter session, most of which was released on the first two albums (Cookin' and Relaxin'), plus one track from the other two (Workin' and Steamin'), plus a take of "'Round Midnight" (the title of their Columbia debut). **
24.		*Don Ayler: In Florence 1981* (Railroad Town Music) Trumpet player, brother of saxophonist Albert Ayler, played in many of his brother's 1960s bands, quit after Albert died in 1970, and didn't play until the late 1970s. This live septet is the only thing recorded under his name: originally released on three LPs. It's basically six 15:41-17:27 pieces (107:02, including an extra spoken bit), performed by a mostly obscure septet -- only name I recognize is bassist Richard Willimams (he did a stretch with Sun Ra), but saxophonists Frank Doblekar and Abdul Rahim Mustafa (Donald Strickland) are honorary Aylers, and the guitar and piano can emerge from the cracks. Nice to hear them keep the faith.
25.		*Don Cherry: Where Is Brooklyn? & Eternal Rhythm Revisited* (1966-68, Ezz-Thetics) Two albums that originally appeared in 1969, but were recorded two years apart: the first a blistering American quartet with Pharoah Sanders (tenor sax), Henry Grimes (bass), and Ed Blackwell (drums), a synthesis of the Coleman and Coltrane strands in avant-jazz; the second a mostly European nonet following his move to Sweden -- the only other American present was guitarist Sonny Sharrock, with vibes, gamelan, and bells among the extra percussion. Both have been trimmed slightly to fit on a single CD (79:51).

Also added the following older albums after freezing the 2021 year-end file:

None.

Honorable Mention

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

Pepper Adams With the Tommy Banks Trio: Live at Room at the Top (1972, Reel to Real, 2CD)
Albert Ayler Quartet With Don Cherry: European Recordings Autumn 1964 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) **
Derek Bailey: Domestic Jungle (1990s, Scatter) **
Blue Notes: Blue Notes in Concert (1977, Ogun) **
Peter Brötzmann/Milford Graves/William Parker: Historic Music Past Tense Future (2002, Black Editions) **
Peter Brötzmann/Fred Van Hove/Han Bennink: Jazz in Der Kammer Nr. 71: Deutsches Theater/Berlin/GDR/04/11/1974 (Trost) **
Jean-Charles Capon/Philippe Maté/Lawrence "Butch" Morris/Serge Rahoerson (1977, Souffle Continu -21) **
Ornette Coleman: Genesis of Genius: The Contemporary Albums (1958-59, Craft) **
John Coltrane Quartet: Song of Praise: New York 1965 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) **
Miles Davis: Live: What It Is: Montreal 7/7/83 (Columbia/Legacy) **
Elton Dean Quartet: On Italian Roads: Live at Teatro Cristallo, Milan, 1979 (British Progressive Jazz) **
Ellery Eskelin/Gerry Hemingway: From the Archives: Live at the Stone in NYC, 2010 (Auricle) **
Bill Evans: Inner Spirit: The 1979 Concert at the Teatro General San Martín, Buenos Aires (Resonance) **
Ella Fitzgerald: Ella at the Hollywood Bowl: The Irving Berlin Songbook (1958, Verve) **
Hal Galper: Ivory Forest Redux (1979, Origin)
Lionel Hampton Orchestra: 1958: The Mess Is Here Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) **
Frank Kimbrough: 2003-2006: Lullabluebye/Play (Palmetto, 2CD)
Dexter Gordon: Soul Sister (1962-63, SteepleChase) **
Tubby Hayes Quartet: The Complete Hopbine '69 (Jazz in Britain, 2CD -21) **
ICP Orchestra: 30 Yr Jubileum 1997: Day 1 (ICP) **
ICP Orchestra: 30 Yr Jubileum 1997: Day 3 (ICP) **
Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1965-1966 (Elemental, 2CD)
Elvin Jones: Revival: Live at Pookie's Pub (1967, Blue Note) **
Malik's Emerging Force Art Trio: Time and Condition (1982, Moved-by-Sound) **
Charles Mingus: The Lost Album: From Ronnie Scott's (1972, Resonance, 3CD)
Pat Matshikiza Featuring Kippie Moketsi: Sikiza Matshikiza (1976, As-Shams) **
Thelonious Monk: Celebrating 75 Years of His Firt Recordings Revisited (1947-52, Ezz-Thetics) **
Michel Petrucciani: Solo in Denmark (1990, Storyville) **
Akira Sakata/Takeo Moriyama: Mitochondria (Trost) **
Bernardo Sassetti Trio: Culturgest 2007 (Clean Feed) **
Sun Ra Arkestra: Nothing Is . . . Completed & Revisited (1966, Ezz-Thetics) **
Sun Ra Arkestra/Salah Ragab/The Cairo Jazz Band: Sun Ra Arkestra Meets Salah Ragab in Egypt (1983, Strut) **
Yuji Takahashi/Sabu Toyozumi: The Quietly Clouds and a Wild Crane (1998, NoBusiness)
Horace Tapscott Quintet: The Quintet (1969, Mr Bongo) **
Buddy Tate & White Label: Tate's Delight (1982, Storyville) **
Cecil Taylor: With (Exit) to Student Studies Revisited (1966, Ezz-Thetics) **
Gebhard Ullmann/Steve Swell/Hilliard Greene/Barry Altschul: We're Playing in Here? (2007, NoBusiness)
Mal Waldron: Searching in Grenoble: The 1978 Solo Piano Concert (Tompkins Square) **

Also added the following older albums after freezing the 2021 year-end file:

None.

Notes

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

Alex Acuña: Gifts (Le Coq) ** [B+(**)]
Claudia Acuña: Duo (Ropeadope) [B+(*)]
Ahanes: Petrichor (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
[Ahmed]: Ahad/Wahid (A Cheeseboard Production, EP) ** [B+(*)]
Kyle Aho: Rituals (OA2) [B]
Akmee: Sacrum Profanum (Nakama) ** [B+(**)]
Akusmi: Fleeting Future (Tonal Union) ** [B+(**)]
Mike Allemana: Vonology (Ears & Eyes) [B+(*)]
Brandon Allen: The Stanley Turrentine Project (Ubuntu Music) ** [B+(**)]
Harry Allen: My Reverie by Special Request (TYR1102) ** [B+(**)]
Harry Allen & Dave Blenkhorn: Play the Music of Phil Morrison (GAC) ** [B+(*)]
JD Allen: Americana Vol. 2 (Savant) [B+(**)]
Wayne Alpern: Secular Rituals (Henri Elkan) [B+(**)]
Franco Ambrosetti: Nora (Enja) ** [B+(*)]
Roxana Amed: Unánime (Sony Music Latin) [B+(**)]
Anteloper: Pink Dolphins (International Anthem) ** [B+(**)]
JoVia Armstrong & Eunoia Society: The Antidote Suite (Black Earth Music) ** [B+(**)]
Lynne Arriale Trio: The Lights Are Always On (Challenge) [B+(**)]
The Bad Plus: The Bad Plus (Edition) ** [B+(**)]
Jon Balke/Siwan: Hafla (ECM) ** [B]
Balance: Conjure (Two Rooms) ** [B+(**)]
Lucian Ban: Ways of Disappearing (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Richard Baratta: Music in Film: The Sequel (Savant) [B+(*)]
Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead: Poetic (Vision Ahead) [B+(*)]
Barcelona Clarinet Players: Fantasias Barcelónicas: A Tribute to Paquito D'Rivera (Sunnyside) ** [B+(*)]
Bruce Barth Trio: Dedication (Origin) ** [B+(**)]
Basher: Doubles (Sinking City) ** [B+(*)]
Battle Trance: Green of Winter (New Amsterdam) ** [B+(*)]
Quentin Baxter Quintet: Art Moves Jazz (BME) [B+(*)]
The Baylor Project: The Evening: Live at Apparatus (Be a Light) ** [B+(**)]
Aaron Bazzell: Aesthetic (self-released) [B+(**)]
Martin Bejerano: #Cubanamerican (Figgland) [B+(**)]
Kristin Berardi: The Light & the Dark (Earshift Music) [B+(*)]
Sasha Berliner: Onyx (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
Tim Berne/Gregg Belisle-Chi: Mars (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
Sarah Bernstein: Veer Quartet (New Focus) [B]
Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra: Popular Culture (Community Music Vol. 4) (Royal Potato Family, EP) ** [B+(**)]
Camille Bertault & David Helbock: Playground (ACT) ** [B+(**)]
Binker & Moses: Feeding the Machine (Gearbox) ** [B+(**)]
David Binney: A Glimpse of the Eternal (Criss Cross) ** [B+(*)]
David Binney: Tomorrow's Journey (Ghost Note) ** [B+(**)]
Jeb Bishop/Pandelis Karayorgis/Damon Smith: Duals (Driff/Balance Point Acoustics, 3CD) ** [B+(**)]
Bliss Quintet: Dramaqueen (Jazzland) ** [B+(*)]
Blue Moods: Myth & Wisdom (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
Blue Reality Quartet!: Ella's Island (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
Nathan Borton: Each Step (OA2) [B+(**)]
Surya Botofasina: Everyone's Children (Spiritmuse) ** [B+(*)]
Bobby Bradford & Friends: Jackie Robinson: Stealing Home (Cryptogramophone) ** [B+(**)]
Wolfert Brederode: Ruins and Remains (ECM) ** [B+(**)]
Bright Dog Red: Under the Porch (Ropeadope) ** [B+(*)]
Alan Broadbent Trio: Like Minds (Savant) ** [B+(**)]
Bobby Broom: Keyed Up (Steele) [B+(**)]
James Brown: Song Within the Story (NGP) [B+(**)]
Dan Bruce's :Beta Collective: Time to Mind the Mystics (Shifting Paradigm) [B+(**)]
Sarah Buechi/Franz Hellmueller/Rafael Jerjen: Moon Trail (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
Scott Burns/John Wojciechowski/Geof Bradfield: Tenor Time (Afar Music) [B+(*)]
Burton/McPherson Trio: The Summit Rock Session at Seneca Village (Giant Step Arts) [B+(**)]
Butcher Brown: Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey (Concord Jazz) ** [B+(**)]
Chris Byars: Rhythm and Blues of the 20s (SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
Alina Bzhezhinska & HipHarpCollective: Reflections (BBE) ** [B+(*)]
Sergio Carolino: Below 0 (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
Tito Carrillo: Urbanessence (Origin) ** [B+(*)]
Terri Lynne Carrington: New Standards Vol. 1 (Candid) ** [B+(**)]
Daniel Carter/Matthew Shipp/William Parker/Gerald Cleaver: Welcome Adventure! Vol. 2 (577) ** [B+(**)]
Daniel Carter/Patrick Holmes/Matthew Putnam/Hilliard Greene/Federico Ughi: Telepatica (577) ** [B+(*)]
George Cartwright/Dave King/Josh Granowski: Stick Insect (Mahakala Music -21) ** [B+(**)]
George Cartwright/Steve Hirsh/Chad Fowler/Christopher Parker/Kelley Hurt: Notice That There (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
Hugo Carvalhais: Ascetica (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
Dan Cavanagh and James Miley With John Hollenbeck: Another Life (S/N Alliance) [*] [B+(**)]
Erich Cawalla: The Great American Songbook (BluJazz) [B]
Kevin Cerovich: Aging Millennial (CVJ) [B]
Raven Chacon/Tatsuya Nakatini/Carlos Santistevan: Inhale/Exhale (Other Minds) ** [B+(*)]
Brian Charette: Jackpot (Cellar) ** [B+(*)]
Charming Hostess: The Ginzburg Geography (Tzadik) [B+(**)]
Cyrus Chestnut: My Father's Hands (HighNote) [B+(*)]
Chicago Soul Jazz Collective Meets Dee Alexander: On the Way to Be Free (JMarq) ** [B+(*)]
Corey Christiansen: Standards (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
Mike Clark/Leon Lee Dorsey Featuring Mike LeDonne: Blues on Top (Jazz Avenue 1) [B+(**)]
Gerald Clayton: Bells on Sand (Blue Note) ** [B]
Trish Clowes: A View With a Room (Greenleaf Music) ** [B+(**)]
Club D'Elf: You Never Know (Face Pelt) ** [B+(**)]
Jeff Coffin: Between Dreaming and Joy (Ear Up) [B+(**)]
Anat Cohen: Quartetinho (Anzic) ** [B+(**)]
Avishai Cohen: Naked Truth (ECM) ** [B+(**)]
Avishai Cohen Trio: Shifting Sands (Naïve) ** [B+(**)]
Emmet Cohen: Uptown in Orbit (Mack Avenue) ** [B+(**)]
Louis Cole: Quality Over Opinion (Brainfeeder) ** [B+(*)]
Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few: Lift Every Voice (Division 81, EP) ** [B+(*)]
Tom Collier: The Color of Wood (Summit) [B]
Columbia Icefield [Nate Wooley]: Ancient Songs of Burlap Heroes (Pyroclastic) [B+(**)]
The Comet Is Coming: Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam (Impulse!) ** [B+(**)]
Cool Sweetness Sextet: Shoehorn Shuffle (Storyville) ** [B+(*)]
Gustavo Cortiñas: Kind Regards: Saludos Afectuosos (Pesato Candente) [B+(*)]
Roxy Coss: Disparate Parts (Outside In Music) ** [B+(**)]
George Cotsirilos Quartet: Refuge (OA2) [B+(*)]
Jon Cowherd Trio: Pride and Joy (Le Coq) ** [B+(*)]
Tommy Crane: We're All Improvisers Now (Whirlwind) ** [B+(*)]
Theo Croker: Love Quantum (Masterworks) ** [B+(*)]
Theo Croker Quartet: Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XII: Sketches of Miles (ACT) ** [B+(**)]
Theo Croker: Live in Paris (Masterworks, EP) ** [B+(*)]
Stephan Crump: Rocket Love (Papillon Sounds) ** [B+(**)]
Duduka Da Fonseca & Quarteto Universal: Yes!!! (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Daggerboard: Daggerboard & the Skipper (Wide Hive) [B+(*)]
Amalie Dahl: Dafnie (Sonic Transmissions) ** [B+(**)]
Dandy Dandie: Hypnos & Morphée (Yolk Music) ** [B+(*)]
Harold Danko: Rite Notes (SteepleChase) ** [B+(*)]
Steve Davis: Bluesthetic (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(*)]
Mark De Clive-Lowe & Friends: Freedom: Celebrating the Music of Pharoah Sanders (Soul Bank) ** [B+(**)]
Michael Dease: Best Next Thing (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(*)]
Jeff Denson/Romain Pilon/Brian Blade: Finding Light (Ridgeway) [B+(*)]
Alabaster DePlume: Gold: Go Forward in the Courage of Your Love (International Anthem) ** [B+(**)]
Tetel Di Babuya: Meet Tetel (Arkadia) [B+(**)]
Whit Dickey Quartet: Root Perspectives (Tao Forms) [B+(**)]
Chris Dingman: Journeys Vol. 1 (self-released) ** [B+(*)]
John Dikeman/Stefan Gonzalez/Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Jonathan F Horne: Texas Butt Biters (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(*)]
John Dikeman/Peter Ajtai/Nicolas Field: The Throes (Orbit577) ** [B+(*)]
Do'a: Higher Grounds (Outside In Music) [B+(*)]
Domi & JD Beck: Not Tight (Apeshit/Blue Note) ** [B-]
Armen Donelian: Fresh Start (Sunnyside) [B+(**)]
Donkeyazz: Play the Blues (Singo -21) [C]
Dopolarians: Sunday Morning Sermon (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
Dopolarians: Blues for Alvin Fielder: Live at Crosstown Arts, Memphis (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
Tashi Dorji/Susie Ibarra: Master of Time (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(**)]
Dave Douglas: Secular Psalms (Greenleaf Music) [B+(*)]
Kit Downes/Petter Eldh/James Maddren: Vermillion (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
Hamid Drake: Dedications: Black Cross Solo Sessions 6 (Corbett vs. Dempsey) ** [B+(**)]
Kaja Draksler/Susana Santos Silva: Grow (Intakt) ** [B]
Bill Easley: Diversitonic (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Ebi Soda: Honk If You're Sad (Tru Thoughts) ** [B+(*)]
Yelena Eckemoff: I Am a Stranger in This World (L&H Production, 2CD) [B+(*)]
Kelly Eisenhour: I Just Found Out About Love (BluJazz) [B+(**)]
Kahil El'Zabar Quartet: A Time for Healing (Spiritmuse) ** [B+(**)]
Eliane Elias: Quietude (Candid) ** [B+(**)]
Kurt Elling: SuperBlue: The London Sessions (Edition, EP) ** [B+(*)]
Sture Ericson/Pat Thomas/Raymond Strid: Bagman Live at Cafe Oto (577) [B+(**)]
Ilhan Ersahin/Dave Harrington/Kenny Wollesen: Invite Your Eye (Nublu) ** [B+(*)]
John Escreet/Pera Krstajic/Anthony Fung: Cresta (self-released) ** [B+(*)]
Esthesis Quartet: Esthesis Quartet (Orenda) [B]
Eubanks Evans Experience: EEE (Imani) [B+(*)]
Extended: Without Notice (self-released) [B+(**)]
Ezra Collective: Where I'm Meant to Be (Partisan) ** [B+(**)]
Fade In: Live Fast, Die a Legend (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
Fazer: Plex (City Slang) ** [B+(**)]
Steven Feifke: The Role of the Rhythm Section (La Reserve) ** [B+(*)]
Steven Feifke/Dijon Watson: Steven Feifke and Dijon Watson Present: Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra (Cellar) [B+(*)]
Mané Fernandes: Enter the Squigg (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
Amina Figarova: Joy (AmFi) [B+(*)]
Jean Fineberg: Jean Fineberg & JAZZphoria (Pivotal) [B+(**)]
Nick Finzer: Out of Focus (Outside In Music -21) ** [B+(*)]
Tim Fitzgerald: Tim Fitzgerald's Full House (Cellar) [B+(*)]
William Flynn: Seaside (OA2) [B+(**)]
Chris Forsyth: Evolution Here We Come (No Quarter) ** [B+(**)]
Al Foster: Reflections (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(*)]
Michael Foster: The Industrious Tongue of Michael Foster (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(*)]
Ronnie Foster: Reboot (Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
Chad Fowler/Christopher Parker: Park Hill Saudade (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
The Grace Fox Big Band: Eleven O Seven (Next Level/Blue Collar) [B+(**)]
Free Form Funky Freqs: Hymn of the 3rd Galaxy (Ropeadope) ** [B+(*)]
David Francis: Sings Songs of the Twenties (Blujazz, EP) [B]
Caesar Frazier: Tenacity (As We Speak) (TrackMerchant) ** [B+(*)]
David Friend & Jerome Begin: Post- (New Amsterdam) ** [B+(*)]
Matthew Fries: Lost Time (Xcappa) [B+(**)]
Bill Frisell: Four (Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
Satoko Fujii: Hajimeru (Libra, EP -21) ** [B+(*)]
Dai Fujikura/Jan Bang: The Bow Maker (Punkt) ** [B+(*)]
Yuko Fujiyama/Graham Haynes/Ikue Mori: Quiet Passion (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
Steve Gadd/Eddie Gomez/Ronnie Cuber: Center Stage (Leopard) ** [B+(*)]
Asher Gamedze With Xristian Espinoza and Alan Bishop: Out Side Work: Two Duets (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(**)]
Runhild Gammelsæter & Lasse Marhaug: Higgs Boson (Ideologic Organ) ** [B+(**)]
Gato Libre: Sleeping Cat (Libra) ** [B+(*)]
Marshall Gilkes: Cyclic Journey (Alternate Side) ** [B+(*)]
Amos Gillespie: Unstructured Time (self-released) [B+(*)]
Arun Ghosh: Seclused in Light (Camoci -2CD) ** [B+(*)]
Dave Gisler Trio With Jaimie Branch and David Murray: See You Out There (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
Robert Glasper: Black Radio III (Loma Vista) ** [B+(*)]
GoGo Penguin: Between Two Waves (XXIM, EP) ** [B+(**)]
Lincoln Goines: The Art of the Bass Choir (Origin) ** [B+(*)]
Larry Goldings/Peter Bernstein/Bill Stewart: Perpetual Pendulum (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(**)]
Cameron Graves: Live From the Seven Spheres (Mack Avenue) ** [B-]
Micah Graves: Pawns (self-released) [B-]
Gordon Grdina's Nomad Trio: Boiling Point (Astral Spirits) [**] [B+(**)]
Michael Grossman/Jai Morris-Smith: Curious Music (Research/Astral Spirits) ** [B]
Mark Guiliana: The Sound of Listening (Edition) ** [B+(**)]
Tord Gustavsen Trio: Opening (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
Michael Hackett/Tim Coffman Sextet: Western Skies (Summit) [B+(*)]
Keiji Haino: My Lord Music, I Most Humbly Beg Your Indulgence in the Hope That You Will Do Me the Honour of Permitting This Seed Called Keiji Haino to Be Planted Within You (Purple Tap/Black Editions) ** [B+(*)]
Matt Hall: I Hope to My Never (Summit) [B+(*)]
Matthew Halsall: The Temple Within (Gondwana, EP) ** [B+(**)]
Mary Halvorson: Belladonna (Nonesuch) ** [B+(*)]
Tigran Hamasyan: Stand Art (Nonesuch) ** [B+(*)]
Scott Hamilton: Classics (Stunt) ** [B+(**)]
Connie Han: Secrets of Inanna (Mack Avenue) ** [B+(*)]
Hard Bop Messengers: Live at the Last Hotel (Pacific Coast Jazz) ** [B+(*)]
Hard Rubber Orchestra: Iguana (Redshift) ** [B+(*)]
Darryl Harper: Chamber Made (Stricker Street) [B+(*)]
Tom Harrell: Oak Tree (HighNote) [B+(**)]
Craig Harris: Managing the Mask (Aquastra) -- [bc]
Jo Harrop: The Heart Wants (Lateralize -21) ** [B+(**)]
Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra: Smash! (Next Level) [B]
Alexander Hawkins/Mirror Canon: Break a Vase (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
Thomas Heberer/Ken Filiano/Phil Haynes: Spontaneous Composition (Corner Store Music) **
Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen (Blue Note) ** [B]
Oscar Hernández & Alma Libre: Visión (Ovation) ** [B+(*)]
Conrad Herwig: The Latin Side of Mingus (Savant) ** [B+(**)]
High Pulp: Pursuit of Ends (Anti-) ** [B+(*)]
Marquis Hill: New Gospel Revisited (Edition) ** [B+(**)]
Lisa Hilton: Life Is Beautiful (Ruby Slippers) ** [B+(*)]
Art Hirahara: Ascent (Posi-Tone, EP) ** [B+(*)]
Ari Hoenig Trio: Golden Treasures (Fresh Sound New Talent) ** [B+(*)]
Hinda Hoffman Meets Soul Message: People (Know You Know) [B+(*)]
Mike Holober & Balancing Act: Don't Let Go (Sunnyside, 2CD) ** [B+(**)]
Honolulu Jazz Quartet: Straight Ahead: The Honolulu Jazz Quartet Turns 20 (HJQ) [B]
I Am [Isaiah Collier & Michael Shekwoaga Ode]: Beyond (Division 81) ** [B+(**)]
Shawneci Icecold Quartet: Coldtrane (Underground 45 -21) [B+(**)]
Shawneci Icecold/Daniel Carter/Brandon Lopez: Toro (Underground45 -21) ** [B+(*)]
Shawneci Icecold/Daniel Carter: Familiar Roads (Underground45 -21) ** [B]
Shawneci Icecold/Fred Lonberg-Holm: Sepphoris (Underground45) [B+(**)]
Shawneci Icecold/Shuishan Yu: Flowing Water: Music for Guqin & Harpsichord (Underground45) [B+(**)]
Dieter Ilg: Dedication (ACT) ** [B+(**)]
Dieter Ilg: Ravel (ACT) ** [B+(*)]
Amanda Irarrázabal/Miriam van Boer Salmón: Fauces (577) [B]
Ulf Ivarsson/Bill Laswell: Nammu (Ropeadope) ** [B+(**)]
Ethan Iverson: Every Note Is True (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
Brian Jackson: This Is Brian Jackson (BBE) ** [B+(*)]
Keefe Jackson/Oscar Jan Hoogland/Joshua Abrams/Mikel Patrick Avery: These Things Happen (Astral Spirits, EP) ** [B+(**)]
Keefe Jackson/Jim Baker/Julian Kirshner: Routines (Kettle Hole) ** [B]
Christian Jacob: New Jazz Standards Vol. 5: The Music of Carl Saunders (Summit) [B+(**)]
Josean Jacobo Trio: Herencia Criolla (self-released) [B+(**)]
Eric Jacobson: Discover (Origin) ** [B+(**)]
Bob James Trio: Feel Like Making Live! (Evolution) ** [B]
Keith Jarrett: Bordeaux Concert (ECM) ** [B+(**)]
Jazzanova: Strata Records: The Sound of Detroit (BBE) ** [B]
Aubrey Johnson & Randy Ingram: Play Favorites (Sunnyside) [B]
Calvin Johnson Jr.: Notes of a Native Son (self-released) [B+(*)]
George V Johnson Jr: Walk Spirit Talk Spirit (Your Majesty) ** [B+(**)]
Eugenie Jones: Players (Open Mic, 2CD) [B+(**)]
Willie Jones III: Fallen Heroes (WJ3 -21) ** [B+(*)]
Samara Joy: Linger Awhile (Verve) ** [B+(**)]
Jupiter: The Wild East (Moserobie) [B+(*)]
Laura Jurd: The Big Friendly Album (Big Friendly) ** [B+(**)]
Kaleiido: Elements (Exopac) ** [B+(*)]
Benji Kaplan: Something Here Inside (Wise Cat) [B+(*)]
Tony Karapetyan Trio: Point of View (Jazzist) ** [B+(*)]
Ryan Keberle Collectiv Do Brasil: Sonhos Da Esquina (Alternate Side) [B+(**)]
Geoffrey Keezer & Friends: Playdate (MarKeez) [B+(*)]
Eva Kess: Inter-Musical Love Letter (Unit) [B+(*)]
Calvin Keys: Blue Keys (Wide Hive) ** [B+(**)]
Stan Killian: Brooklyn Calling (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Izumi Kimura/Cora Venus Lunny: Invisible Resistances (Fairpoint) ** [B+(*)]
Kind Folk: Head Towards the Center (Fresh Sound New Talent) [B+(**)]
Sam Kirmayer: In This Moment (Cellar) ** [B]
Milen Kirov: Spatium (Independent Creative Sound and Music) [B+(*)]
Kristina Koller: Get Out of Town (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
Masayo Koketsu: Fukiya (Relative Pitch) ** [B]
Toshinori Kondo x DJ Motive: Zen (Mohawks) ** [B+(*)]
Toshinori Kondo/Massimo Pupillo/Tony Buck: Eternal Triangle (I Dischi Di Angelica) ** [B+(*)]
Konjur Collective: Blood in My Eye (A Soul Insurgent Guide) (Cow:Music/Astral Spirits) ** [B+(**)]
Ted Kooshian: Hubub! (Summit) [B+(**)]
Boris Kozlov: First Things First (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
Martin Küchen: Utopia (Thanatosis Produktion) ** [B]
Martin Küchen/Agustí Fernández/Zlatko Kaucic: The Steps That Resonate (Not Two) ** [B+(**)]
Clemens Kuratle Ydivide: Lumumba (Intakt) ** [B+(*)]
Benjamin Lackner: Last Decade (ECM) ** [B+(**)]
Julian Lage: View With a Room (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio: Cold as Weiss (Colemine) ** [B+(*)]
Pablo Lanouguere Quintet: Altar (Piano Piano) [B+(**)]
Travis Laplante: Wild Tapestry (Out of Your Head) [B+(**)]
Joy Lapps: Girl in the Yard (self-released) [B+(**)]
Large Unit: New Map (PNL) ** [B+(**)]
Large Unit: Clusterfuck (PNL) ** [B+(**)]
The Adam Larson Trio: With Love, From Kansas City (Outside In Music) ** [B+(**)]
Laufey: Everything I Know About Love (AWAL) ** [B+(**)]
Bill Laurance: Affinity (Flint Music) ** [B+(*)]
Ant Law & Alex Hitchcock: Same Moon in the Same World (Outside In Music) ** [B+(**)]
Azar Lawrence: New Sky (Trazar) ** [B+(*)]
Gerard Lebik/John Edwards/Paul Lovens: Lepomis Gibbosus (Fundacja Sluchaj -21) ** [B+(*)]
José Lencastre: Inner Voices (Burning Ambulance) ** [B+(*)]
George Lernis: Between Two Worlds (Dunya) [B+(*)]
Yosef Gutman Levitt: Upside Down Mountain (self-released) [B+(**)]
Ramsey Lewis: The Beatles Songbook [The Saturday Salon Series: Volume One] (Steele) [B+(*)]
Dave Liebman: Trust and Honesty (Newvelle) ** [B+(**)]
Carol Liebowitz/Adam Lane/Andrew Drury: Blue Shift (Line Art) [B+(**)]
Linus + Nils Økland/Niels Van Heertum/Ingar Zach: Light as Never (Aspen Edities) ** [B+(*)]
Darren Litzie: My Horizon (Summit) [B+(*)]
Charles Lloyd: Trios: Chapel (Blue Note) ** [B]
Charles Lloyd: Trios: Ocean (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
Russ Lossing: Folks (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Igor Lumpert's Innertextures: I Am the Spirit of the Earth (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
Dana Lyn: A Point on a Slow Curve (In a Circle) ** [B+(*)]
M Feat. Ben Stapp/Fred Lonberg-Holm/Marco Colonna/Steve Swell: Broken Songs (Fundacja Sluchaj) ** [B+(**)]
Harold Mabern: Mabern Plays Coltrane (Smoke Sessions -21) ** [B+(*)]
Yuko Mabuchi: Caribbean Canvas (Vista) [B+(**)]
Joe Magnarelli: New York Osaka Junction (SteepleChase) ** [B+(*)]
Roberto Magris: Duo & Trio: Featuring Mark Colby (JMood) [B+(**)]
Rudresh Mahanthappa: Animal Crossing EP (Whirlwind, EP) ** [B+(**)]
Majamisty Trio: Wind Rose (Majamisty) ** [B+(*)]
Nduduzo Makhathini: In the Spirit of Ntu (Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
Jeremy Manasia Trio: Butcher Block Ballet (Blujazz) [B+(*)]
Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra: In the Valley (Stricker Street) [B+(*)]
Ben Markley Big Band With Ari Hoenig: Ari's Fun House (OA2) [B]
Stephen Martin: High Plains (OA2) [B+(*)]
Dmitri Matheny: Cascadia (Origin) [B+(*)]
Joanna Mattrey/Gabby Fluke-Mogul: Oracle (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(**)]
Mazam: Pilgrimage (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
Marilyn Mazur's Shamania: Rerooting (Clap Your Hands) [B+(**)]
John McCowen: Models of Duration (Dinzu Artefacts/Astral Spirits) ** [B]
Makaya McCraven: In These Times (International Anthem) ** [B+(**)]
Fergus McCreadie: Forest Floor (Edition) ** [B+(**)]
Joe McPhee & Tomeka Reid: Let Our Rejoicing Rise (Corbett vs. Dempsey) ** [B+(**)]
Brad Mehldau: Jacob's Ladder (Nonesuch) ** [B]
Meridian Odyssey: Earthshine (Origin) [B+(*)]
Paul Messina: Blue Fire (GVAP Music -21) [B-]
Raul Midón: Eclectic Adventurist (Artistry/Mack Avenue) ** [B+(*)]
Allison Miller/Carmen Staaf: Nearness (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
John Minnock: Simplicity (Dot Time) [B+(*)]
Abel Mireles: Amino (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Charnett Moffett Trio: Live (Motema, EP -21) ** [B+(**)]
Tumi Mogorosi: Group Theory: Black Music (Mushroom Hour Half Hour/New Soil) ** [B]
Per Møllehøj/Kirk Knuffke/Thommy Andersson: 'S Wonderful (Stunt) ** [B+(**)]
Hedvig Mollestad & Trondheim Jazz Orchestra: Maternity Beat (Rune Grammofon) ** [B+(*)]
Marc Mommaas: The Impressionist (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
T.S. Monk: Live: Two Continents One Groove (Storyville) ** [B+(*)]
Joyce Moreno: Brasileiras Canções (Biscoito Fino) ** [B+(**)]
Ben Morris: Pocket Guides (OA2) [B-]
Samuel Mösching: Ethereal Kinks (Bronzeville Music) [B]
Ra Kalam Bob Moses/Damon Smith: Purecircle (Balance Point Acoustics) ** [B+(**)]
Moskus: Papirfuglen (Hubro) ** [B+(**)]
Tobin Mueller: Prestidigitation (self-released) [B-]
Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge: Jazz Is Dead 011 (Jazz Is Dead) ** [B+(*)]
Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge: Jazz Is Dead 012: Jean Carne (Jazz Is Dead, EP) ** [B+(*)]
Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge: Jazz Is Dead 14: Henry Franklin (Jazz Is Dead) ** [B+(*)]
Kjetil Mulelid Trio: Who Do You Love the Most? (Rune Grammofon) ** [B+(**)]
Michael Musillami Trio: Block Party (Playscape) ** [B+(**)]
Jasmine Myra: Horizons (Gondwana) ** [B+(*)]
Sana Nagano: Anime Mundi (577) [B+(**)]
Nakama: New World (Nakama) ** [B+(**)]
Randy Napoleon: Puppets: The Music of Gregg Hill (OA2) [B]
Josh Nelson/Bob Bowman Collective: Tomorrow Is Not Promised (Steel Bird Music) [B+(**)]
Sean Nelson's New London Big Band: Social Hour! (MAMA) [B]
Vadim Neselovskyi: Odesa: A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Maggie Nicols: Are You Ready? (Otoroku) ** [B+(*)]
Lucas Niggli/Matthias Loibner: Still Storm (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
Elsa Nilsson: Atlas of Sound: Coast Redwoods: 41°32'09.8"N 124°04'35.5"W (Ears & Eyes) [B]
Carlos Niño & Friends: Extra Presence (International Anthem) ** [B+(*)]
Yu Nishiyama: A Lotus in the Mud (Next Level) [B+(*)]
Lina Nyberg Band: Anniverse (Hoob) ** [B]
Bill O'Connell: A Change Is Gonna Come (Savant) [B+(**)]
OK:KO: Liesu (We Jazz) ** [B+(**)]
Matt Olson: Open Spaces (OA2) [B+(**)]
Oort Smog: Every Motherfucker Is Your Brother (AKP) ** [B+(**)]
Michael Orenstein: Aperture (Origin) [B+(**)]
Margaux Oswald: Dysphotic Zone (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
Oùat: Elastic Bricks (Umlaut) ** [B+(**)]
Jason Palmer: Con Alma (SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
Jason Palmer: Live From Summit Rock in Seneca Village (Giant S
Emile Parisien: Louise (ACT) [B+(**)]
Christopher Parker & the Band of Guardian Angels: Soul Food (Mahakala Music -21) ** [B+(**)]
Jeff Parker: Forfolks (International Anthem -21) ** [B+(*)]
John Patitucci Trio: Live in Italy (Three Faces) **
Ben Patterson: The Way of the Groove (Origin) [B]
Jessica Pavone: . . . Of Late (Astral Spirits) ** [B]
Nicholas Payton: The Couch Sessions (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(**)]
Rich Pellegrin: Passage: Solo Improvisations II (OA2) [B+(*)]
Jeremy Pelt: Soundtrack (HighNote) ** [B+(**)]
Sergio Pereira: Finesse (Sedajazz) [B+(*)]
Ivo Perelman/Tim Berne/Tony Malaby/James Carter: (D)IVO (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(**)]
Danilo Perez: Crisálida (Mack Avenue) ** [B]
Rich Perry: Everything Happens (SteepleChase) ** [B+(**)]
Eric Person Featuring Houston Person: Blue Vision (Distinction) ** [B+(**)]
Dierk Peters: Spring (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Barre Phillips/György Kurtág Jr.: Face à Face (ECM) ** [B]
Mathis Picard: Live at the Museum (Outside In Music) [B+(**)]
Enrico Pieranunzi: Something Tomorrow (Storyville) ** [B+(**)]
Samora Pinderhughes: Grief (Ropeadope) ** [B]
Chris Pitsiokis: Art of the Alto (Relative Pitch) ** [B+(*)]
Kerry Politzer: In a Heartbeat (P.Ice) [B+(**)]
Marek Pospieszalski: Polish Composers of the 20th Century (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
Potsa Lotsa XL & Youjin Sung: Gaya (Trouble in the East) ** [B+(*)]
Noah Preminger/Max Light: Songs We Love (SteepleChase) ** [B+(*)]
Shawn Purcell: 180 (Origin) [B]
Harish Raghavan: In Tense (Whirlwind) ** [B]
Kristjan Randalu/New Wind Jazz Orchestra: Sisu (Whirlwind) ** [B]
RedGreenBlue: The End and the Beginning (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(*)]
Ishmael Reed: The Hands of Grace (Reading Group) ** [B+(**)]
Rufus Reid Trio and the Sirius Quartet: Celebration (Sunnyside) ** [B-]
Jussi Reijonen: Three Seconds [Kolme Toista] (Challenge) [B+(**)]
Revelators Sound System: Revelators (37d03d) ** [B+(*)]
Howard Riley/Keith Tippett: Journal Four (NoBusiness) [B+(**)]
Diego Rivera: Mestizo (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
Rick Rosato: Homage (self-released, EP) [B+(*)]
Jeremy Rose: Face to Face (Earshift Music) ** [B+(**)]
Jeremy Rose & the Earshift Orchestra: Disruption! The Voice of the Drums (Earshift Music) [B+(**)]
André Rosinha Trio: Triskel (Nischo) ** [B+(**)]
Joel Ross: The Parable of the Poet (Blue Note) ** [B+(**)]
Daniel Rotem: Wise One: Celebrating the Music of John Coltrane (self-relased) ** [B+(**)]
Gonzalo Rubalcaba/Aymée Nuviola: Live in Marciac (5 Passion) [B+(**)]
Rich Ruth: I Survived, It's Over (Third Man) ** [B]
Jackie Ryan: Recuerdos De Mi Madre (Open Art) [B+(**)]
Cécile McLorin Salvant: Ghost Song (Nonesuch) ** [B+(**)]
Emiliano Sampaio Jazz Symphonic Orchestra: We Have a Dream (Alessa) ** [B+(**)]
The Angelica Sanchez Trio: Sparkle Beings (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Antonio Sanchez: Shift (Bad Hombre Vol. II) (Warner) ** [B]
Satoyama: Sinking Island (Auand) ** [B+(**)]
Doug Scarborough: The Color of Angels (Origin) [B+(**)]
Scary Goldings: Scary Goldings IV (Pockets -21) ** [B+(*)]
J. Peter Schwalm & Stephan Thelen: Transneptunian Planets (RareNoise) * [B+(**)]
Silvan Schmid: Augmented Space (Ezz-Thetics -21) ** [B]
John Scofield: John Scofield (ECM) ** [B+(*)]
Secret People: Secret People (Out of Your Head) [B+(**)]
Aaron Seeber: First Move (Cellar) [B+(**)]
Sara Serpa: Intimate Strangers (Biophilia -21) * [B+(**)]
SFJazz Collective: New Works Reflecting the Moment (SFJazz) ** [B+(*)]
Shabaka: Afrikan Culture (Impulse, EP) ** [B]
Kenny Shanker: Vortex (Wise Cat) [B+(**)]
Elliott Sharp/Eric Mingus: Songs From a Rogue State (Zoar) ** [B+(*)]
Wayne Shorter/Terri Lyne Carrington/Leo Genovese/Esperanza Spalding: Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival (Candid) ** [B+(**)]
Ben Sidran: Swing State (Nardis) [B+(**)]
Linda Sikhakhane: Isambulo (Ropeadope) ** [B+(**)]
André B. Silva: Mt. Meru (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
Jared Sims: Against All Odds (Origin) [B+(**)]
Charlton Singleton: Crossroads (BME) [B+(**)]
James Singleton: Malabar (Sinking City) ** [B+(**)]
Josh Sinton: B. (Form Is Possibility -21) ** [B+(**)]
Josh Sinton: Steve Lacy's Book of Practitioners, Vol. 1 "H" (FIP) [B+(**)]
Alex Sipiagin: Ascent to the Blues (Posi-Tone) ** [B+(**)]
Harry Skoler: Living in Sound: The Music of Charles Mingus (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Steve Slagle: Ballads: Into the Heart of It (Panorama) ** [B+(*)]
Ches Smith: Interpret It Well (Pyroclastic) [B+(**)]
Hal Smith's Jazzologists: Black Cat on the Fence (self-released -21) ** [B+(**)]
Hal Smith's New Orleans Night Owls: Early Hours (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
Walter Smith III/Matthew Stevens/Kris Davis/Dave Holland/Terri Lyne Carrington: In Common III (Whirlwind) [B+(**)]
The Smudges: Song and Call (Cryptogramophone) [B+(*)]
Cory Smythe: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Pyroclastic) [B]
Torben Snekkestad/Søren Kjaergaard: Another Way of the Heart (Trost) ** [B+(*)]
Miró Henry Sobrer: Two of Swords (Patois) [B+(**)]
Somi: Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba (Salon Africana) [B+(*)]
Günter Baby Sommer & Raymond MacDonald: Sounds, Songs & Other Noises (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
Clark Sommers Lens: Intertwine (Outside In Music) [B+(**)]
Space Quartet: Freedom of Tomorrow (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Imágenes Latinas (Ovation) [B+(*)]
Spinifex: Beats the Plague (Trytone -21) [B+(**)]
Jason Stein/Damon Smith/Adam Shead: Volumes & Surfaces (Balance Point Acoustics) ** [B+(**)]
Elias Stemeseder: Piano Solo (Intakt) ** [B+(**)]
Grant Stewart Quartet With Bruce Harris: The Lighting of the Lamps (Cellar) [B+(**)]
Luke Stewart: Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier Vol. 1 (Astral Spirits -21) ** [B+(*)]
Luke Stewart: Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier Vol. 2 (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(*)]
John Stowell/Dave Glenn & the Hawcaptak Quartet: Violin Memory (Origin) [B+(*)]
Dave Stryker: As We Are (Strikezone) [B+(*)]
Melissa Stylianou: Dream Dancing (Anzic) ** [B+(**)]
Tierney Sutton: Paris Sessions 2 (BFM Jazz) ** [B]
Survival Unit III: The Art of Flight: For Alvin Fielder (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(*)]
Wil Swindler's Elevenet: Space Bugs: Live in Denver (OA2) [B]
Jamaaladeen Tacuma/Mary Halvorson: Strings & Things (Jam-All Productions) ** [B+(**)]
Natsuki Tamura: Summer Tree (Libra) [B+(*)]
Natsuki Tamura/Ittetsu Takemura: Lightning (Libra) ** [B+(**)]
Tarbaby Feat. Oliver Lake: Dance of the Evil Toys (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
Ziv Taubenfeld's Full Sun: Out of the Beast Came Honey (Clean Feed) ** [B+(**)]
TEIP Trio: TEIP Trio (Sonic Transmissions) ** [B+(*)]
There Be Monsters: Rubikon (Klopotec) ** [B+(*)]
Thollem: Obstacle Illusion (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(*)]
Ben Thomas Tango Project: Eternal Aporia (Origin) [B+(*)]
Micah Thomas: Piano Solo (LP345) ** [B+(**)]
Pat Thomas: Pat Thomas Plays the Duke (New Jazz and Improvised Music) ** [B+(*)]
Bernardo Tinoco & Tom Maciel: NoMad Nenúfar (Clean Feed) ** [B+(*)]
Xiomara Torres: La Voz Del Mar (Patois) [B+(*)]
Vasco Trilla/Liba Villavecchia: Asebeia (FMR -21) ** [B+(*)]
Trombone Shorty: Lifted (Blue Note) ** [B]
Tuba Skinny: Magnolia Stroll (self-released) ** [B+(**)]
Steve Turre: Generations (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(**)]
Tess Tyler x Spindle Ensemble: Fractals [Vol. 2] (Manners McDade) ** [B+(*)]
Ulaan Passerine: Sun Spar (Worstward) ** [B]
Matt Ulery: Become Giant (Woolgathering) [B+(**)]
Gebhard Ullmann/Gerhard Gschlössl/Johannes Fink/Jan Leipnitz/Michael Haves: Gulfh of Berlin (ESP-Disk -21) [B+(**)]
UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra: Last Dance: New Music for Jazz Orchestra by Ed Partyka (Neuklang) ** [B+(*)]
The United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note: The 2022 Jazz Heritage Series (self-released) [B-]
Chucho Valdés & Paquito D'Rivera Reunion Sextet: I Missed You Too! (Sunnyside) ** [B+(**)]
Jordan VanHemert: Nomad (Origin) [B+(*)]
Sachal Vasandani & Romain Collin: Still Life (Edition) ** [B-]
Phil Venable: Bassworks, Vol. 1 (Soul City Sounds) ** [B+(*)]
Piet Verbist: Secret Exit to Another Dimension (Origin) [B+(*)]
Andrés Vial: When Is Ancient? (Chromatic Audio) [B+(**)]
Luis Vicente/Seppe Gebruers/Onno Govaert: Room With No Name (Fundacja Sluchaj) ** [B+(*)]
Erlend Viken/Jo Berger Myhre/Thomas Strønen: Djupet (OK World) ** [B+(**)]
Daniel Villarreal: Panamá 77 (International Anthem) ** [B+(**)]
David Virelles: Nuna (Pi) [B+(**)]
Eric Vloeimans & Will Holshouser: Two for the Road (V-flow/Challenge) [B+(*)]
Bilana Voutchkova/Susana Santos Silva: Bagra (Relative Pitch) ** [B]
Wako: Ut Av Det Nye (Øra Fonogram) ** [B+(**)]
Chris Walden: Missa Iubileum Aureum (Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass) (Origin) [C-]
Devin Brahja Waldman & Hamid Drake: Mediumistic Methodology (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(**)]
Walking Cliché Sextet: Suite Chase Reflex (self-released, EP -21) ** [B+(*)]
Johannes Wallmann: Precarious Towers (Shifting Paradigm) ** [B+(**)]
Doug Wamble: Blues in the Present Tense (Halcyonic) ** [B+(**)]
RA Washington/Jah Nada: In Search of Our Father's Gardens (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(*)]
John Wasson's Strata Big Band: Chronicles (MAMA) [B-]
Bobby Watson: Back Home in Kansas City (Smoke Sessions) ** [B+(*)]
Katharina Weber: In Marta's Garden: Piano Solo (Intakt) ** [B+(*)]
Corey Weeds With Strings: What Is There to Say? (Cellar -21) ** [B+(*)]
Cory Weeds Quartet: Just Coolin' (Cellar) ** [B+(**)]
Dan Weiss Trio: Dedication (Cygnus) [B+(**)]
Bugge Wesseltoft: Be Am (Jazzland) ** [B+(*)]
Brodie West Quintet: Meadow of Dreams (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(*)]
Chris Williams/Patrick Shiroishi: Sans Soleil II (Astral Spirits) ** [B+(*)]
The Dave Wilson Quartet: Stretching Supreme (Dave Wilson Music -21) ** [B+(**)]
Martin Wind/New York Bass Quartet: Air (Laika) [B+(*)]
Lizz Wright: Holding Space: Live in Berlin (Blues & Greens) ** [B+(**)]
Eri Yamamoto Trio: A Woman With a Purple Wig (Mahakala Music) ** [B+(*)]
Jason Yeager: Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite (Sunnyside) [B+(**)]
Yellowjackets: Parallel Motion (Mack Avenue) ** [B]
Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Jazz Is Dead 13: Katalyst (Jazz Is Dead) ** [B+(*)]
John Zorn: Multiplicities: A Repository of Non-Existent Objects (Tzadik) ** [B+(*)]
Black Lives: From Generation to Generation (Jammin' Colors, 2CD) [B+(**)]

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

Emmanuel Abdul-Rahim: Harlem (1988, Acid Jazz) ** [B+(**)]
Rabih Abou-Khalil: The Flood and the Fate of the Fish (2017-18, Enja) ** [B+(**)]
Geri Allen/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian: Live at the Village Vanguard (Unissued Tracks) (1990, DIW) ** [B+(**)
Ashbury Stabbins Duo: Fire Without Bricks (1976, Corbett vs. Dempsey -21) ** [B+(*)]
Albert Ayler: La Cave Live Cleveland 1966 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics, 2CD) ** [B+(**)]
Albert Ayler Quintet: At Slugs' Saloon 1966 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) ** [B+(*)]
Chet Baker: Tune Up: Live in Paris (1980, Circle) ** [B+(*)]
Jim Black: My Choice (2000-12, Winter & Winter -21) ** [B+(**)]
Donald Byrd: Live: Cookin' With Blue Note at Montreux (1973, Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
Doug Carn: Adam's Apple (1974, Black Jazz/Real Gone Music -21) ** [B+(*)]
Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes (2014-21, In+Out) ** [B+(**)]
Miles Davis: That's What Happened [The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: 1982-1985 (Columbia/Legacy, 3CD) ** [B+(**)]
Ronnie Foster: Two Headed Freap (1972, Blue Note) ** [B+(*)]
Hal Galper Trio: Invitation to Openness: Live at Big Twio (2008, Origin) [B+(**)]
The Jazz Passengers: Reunited (2010, Enja/Yellowbird) ** [B+(**)]
Dickie Landry/Lawrence Weiner: 'Having Been Built on Sand/With Another Base (Basis) in Fact (1978, Unseen Worlds) ** [B+(**)]
Daunik Lazro/Jouk Minor/Thierry Madiot/David Chiésa/Louis-Michel Marion: Sonoris Causa (2003, NoBusiness) [B+(**)]
John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years (1978-2016, BMG) ** [B+(**)]
Kippie Moeketsi/Hal Singer: Blue Stompin' (1977, As-Shams -21) ** [B+(**)]
Sal Mosca: For Lennie Tristano: Solo Piano 1970 & 1997 (Fresh Sound) ** [B+(**)]
Noertker's Moxie: Walking on Blue Eggshells in Billville (2001-20, Edgetone -21) [B+(**)]
Noertker's Moxie: More Fun in Billville (2001-20, Edgetone -21) [B+(**)]
Noertker's Moxie: Pantomime in Billville (2001-20, Edgetone -21) [B+(*)]
Tony Oxley: Unreleased 1974-2016 (Discus Music) ** [B+(*)]
Evan Parker/X-Jazz Ensemble: A Schist Story (2012, JACC) ** [B+(*)]
Oscar Peterson: On a Clear Day: The Oscar Peterson Trio - Live in Zurich, 1971 (Mack Avenue) ** [B+(**)]
Lionel Pillay: Shrimp Boats (1979-80, As-Shams) ** [B+(**)]
Cathy Segal-Garcia & Phillip Strange: Live in Japan (1992, Origin, 2CD) [C+]
Archie Shepp: Fire Music to Mama Too Tight Revisited (1965-66, Ezz-Thetics) ** [B+(**)]
Sirone: Artistry (1978, Moved-by-Sound) ** [B+(*)]
Sun Ra & His Blue Universe Arkestra: Universe in Blue (1971, Cosmic Myth) ** [B+(**)]
Esbjörn Svensson: Home.S. (2008, ACT) [B+(*)]
Mototeru Takagi/Kim Dae Hwan/Choi Sun Bae: Seishin-Seido (1995, NoBusiness) [B+(**)]
Clark Terry Big Bad Band: Live in Holland 1979 (Storyville) ** [B+(*)]
Bo Van De Graaf: Eccentric Music for Audio Hunters (2002-16, Icdisc -21) [B]
Bob Wilber With Dave McKenna and Pug Horton: Original Wilber (1978, Phontastic) ** [B+(*)]
Mainstream Funk: Funk, Soul, Spiritual Jazz 1971-75 (WeWantSounds) ** [B+(**)]

They Shall Not Pass/No Pasaran! [Trost Live Series]

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 (limited sampling grades appear here, but 2% chances drop significantly under ++; unheard Jazz Critics Poll albums also here, even if odds drop under 2%):

Antonio Adolfo: Octet and Originals (AAM Music)
Sophie Agnel/John Butcher: La Pierre Tachée (Ni Vu Ni Connu) -- [bc 1/4]
Noël Akchoté: Music for the Film Loving Highsmith (Ayler) -- [bc 21/48]
Zoh Amba: O Life, O Light Vol. 1 (577) -- [bc 2/4]
Mike Baggetta/Jim Keltner/Mike Watt: Everywhen We Go (Big Ego) -- [bc]
Clint Bahr: Puzzle Box (MoonJune) -- [bc]
Ballister: Chrysopoeia (Aerophonic/Not Two) -- [bc 1/2]
Zach Barocas New Freedom Sound: Eight Freedoms (self-released) -- [bc]
Espen Berg: The Trondheim Concert (NXN)
Jane Ira Bloom/Mark Helias: See Our Way (Radiolegs) [+]
Claus Boesser-Ferrari: The Wind Cries Mary (Acoustic Music)
Amy K. Bormet: Tell Me What It's Like (Strange Woman) -- [bc 1/8]
Boston Modern Orchestra Project/Odyssey Opera: Anthony Davis: X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (BMOP Sound) -- [bc: 11/28]
Lisa Cameron/Damon Smith/Alex Cunningham: Time Without Hours (Storm Cellar)
Catherine Marie Charlton: Simple Gifts: Solo Piano for the Holidays (self-released)
ChimyTina: Constellations (La Reserve) -- [bc]
Evan Christopher: Blues in the Air: The Music of Sidney Bechet (Camille Productions)
Anthony Coleman & Brian Chase: Arcades (Chaikin) -- [bc]
Eliane Correa & La Evolucion: Signo de Fuego (Somas Mas)
Chris Cortez: Live at Blue Bamboo (Blue Bamboo)
Gaston De La Cruz Quinteto: Constelaciones (Discos ICM)
John Dikeman/Pat Thomas/John Edwards/Steve Noble: Volume 1 (577)
Chano Dominguez/Rubem Dantas/Hamilton de Holanda: Chabem (Altafonte)
Dreamstruck [Marilyn Crispell/Joe Fonda/Harvey Sorgen]: With Grace in Mind (Fundacja Sluchaj)
Kurt Elling: SuperBlue: The London Sessions (Edition)
Peter Erskine/Alan Pasqua/Darek Oles: Live in Italy (Fuzzy Music)
Eucalyptus: Moves (Telephone Explosion)
Plínio Fernandes: Saudade (Decca Gold)
Catrin Finch/Seckou Keita: Echo (Bendigedig)
Brent Fischer Orchestra: Pictures at an Exhibition (Clavo)
Michael Formanek Drome Trio: Were We Where We Were (Circular File)
Michael Formanek Quartet: Other Zones (Circular File) -- [bc 1/9]
Lukas Gabric Quartet: Double Standard (Alessa)
Stephen Gauci/Joe Hertenstein Featuring Alexander von Schlippenbach & Jan Roder: Soundlift Berlin-New York (GauciMusic)
Stephen Gauci/Matthew Shipp/William Parker/Francisco Mela: Live at Scholes Street Studio (Gaucimusic) -- bc: 1 excerpt
Sam Gendel: Cicada Lite: Live in Texas (Unseen Worlds)
Pasquale Grasso: Be-Bop! (Sony Masterworks)
Chris Greene Quartet: PlaySpace 2: Play Harder (Single Malt)
Kevin Hays/Bill Stewart: American Ballad (RGT)
Gilad Hekselman: Far Star (Edition)
Maximilian Hering: Nostalgia (Klangraum)
Robin Holcomb: One Way or Another, Vol. 1 (Songlines) -- [bc]
Hyper.Object: Inter.Independence (Phonogram Unit) -- [bc 2/6]
Joscan Jacozo: Herencia Criolla (self-released)
Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw: Threnody: The Music of Jim McNeely (JOC)
Joyfultalk: Familiar Science (Constellation)
Kase + Klassik: Live at the Opera House (B Side) -- [bc]
Jas Kayser: Jas 5ive (Jazz Re:freshed)
King Klavé: King Klavé (Klavé's Paradise) -- [bc]
Kosmos Trio: Brev Til En Ven (April) -- [bc 3/8]
Meschiya Lake & the New Movement: Looking the World Over (Sungroove) -- [bc]
Mary LaRose: Out There [Music of Eric Dolphy] (Little (i) Music) -- [bc]
Joëlle Léandre & Paul Lovens: Off Course (Fou) -- [bc]
John Lee: The Artist (Celar) -- [bc]
Noah Lemish: Twelve (TPR) -- [bc]
Carmen Lundy: Fade to Black (Afrasia Productions)
René Lussier: Au Diable Vert (ReR Megacorp/Circum-Disc) -- [bc 2/9]
Zela Margossian Quintet: The Road (Ropeadope)
Matters Unknown: We Aren't Just (New Soil) -- [bc]
Joe McCarthy\'s Afro Bop Alliance Big Band: The Pan American Nutcracker Suite (Angel Face)
Fergus McCreadie: Forest Floor (Edition)
Francisco Mela and Zoh Amba: Causa Y Efecto Vol. 1 (577) -- [bc 3/5]
Nicole Mitchell & Fabio Paolozzi: Medusae (Don Giovanni) - [bc]
Tommaso Moretti: Inside Out (Bace) -- [bc]
Mountain Coast: Phases (Shifting Paradigm)
MuniMuni's: MuniMuni's 33 (MuniMuni's) -- [bc]
Nate Najar: Jazz Samba Pra Sempre (BlueLine)
Ana Nelson: Bridges (Ana Nelson Musi)
Maggie Nichols: Are You Ready? (Otoroku)
Night Is Alive: Old New Borrowed & Blue (Night Is Alive)
Nodes [Andrew Rathbun]: Incubated Dilemma Machine (Koshkil) -- [bc]
Nadje Noordhuis: Full Circle (Newvelle)
Thandi Ntuli: Bik Elijah & the Children of Meroe (Next Music)
The Nu Band: Renual (Not Two)
Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra: Fandango at the Wall in New York (Tiger Turn)
Oort Smog: Every Motherfucker Is Your Brother (AKP) -- [bc]
Orlando Furioso [Vicente H. Atria]: Orlando Furioso (Aguirre) -- [bc]
Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos/Rebecca Martin/Larry Grenadier: After Midnight (CARA)
Kresten Osgood: Plays the Organ for You (April)
PAKT [Percy Jones/Alex Skolnick/Kenny Grohowski/Tim Motzer]: Live in Buffalo, December 15, 2021 (Moonjune)
Jeff Parker/Eric Revis/Nasheet Waits: Eastside Romp (RogueArt) -- [bc 3/7]
Aaron Parks/Matt Brewer/Eric Harland: Volume One (self-released) -- [bc]
Aaron Parks/Matt Brewer/Eric Harland: Volume Two (self-released) -- [bc]
Benjamin Petit: Dear John (Art District)
Donatas Petreikis: Another Spirit (Muzika)
The Philadelphia Experiment [Uri Caine/Christian McBride/Ahmir Thompson/DJ Logic]: Live at Newport Jazz 2017 (Newport Jazz)
A Pride of Lions [Joe McPhee/Daunik Lazro/Joshua Abrams/Guillaume Séguron/Chad Taylor]: No Questions No Answers (RogueArt)
Gene Pritsker's Sound Liberation: Let's Save the World Suite (Composers Concordance))
PUBLIQuartet: What Is American (Bright Shiny Things) -- [bc]
Anna Laura Quinn: Open the Door (Outside In Music) -- [bc]
Sam Reider: Petrichor (Slow & Steady)
Perry Robinson/Mark Whitecage/Ken Filiano/Lou Grassi: Live@VisionFest20 (Not Two)
Julius Rodriguez: Let Sound Tell All (Verve)
Lara Rosseel: Hert (WERF)
Molly Ryan: Sweepin' the Blues Away (Turtle Bay)
Timucin Sahin's Flow State: Funk Poems for 'Bird' (Panoramic)
Sélène Saint-Aimé: Potomitan (Komos)
Gina Schwarz & Multiphonics 8: Way to Blue (Cracked Anegg)
Allison Shearer: View From Above (self-released)
Slavo Rican Assembly: Intercosmic (Riverboat)
Snarky Puppy: Empire Central (GroundUP Music)
Greg Spero: The Chicago Experiment (Ropeadope)
Steamboat Switzerland: Terrifying Sunset (Trost)
Studio Dan/Anthony Coleman: . . . Im Gebirg (ROS)
Cassiopeia Sturm & Patrick Shiroishi: The Invention of the Saxophone (Surface World) -- [bc]
Melissa Stylianou: Dream Dancing (Anzic)
Sun of Goldfinger: Ozmir (Screwgun)
Swiss Jazz Orchestra & Christoph Irniger: The Music of Pilgrim (Stadt Zurich Kulture/nWog) -- [bc]
Tawanda: Smile (Resonance) -- [bc 1/12]
Claude Tchamitchian Quintet: Ways Out (Émouvance) -- [bc]
Nestor Torres & Corey Allen: Dominican Suite (Nine-PM)
Under the Surface: Miin Triuwa (Challenge)
Uruk: Âme: Live at Artacts (Trost) -- [bc]
Suzan Veneman Sextet: Migration of the Mind (Zennez)
Skip Walker: Tina's Contemplation: A Reflection on the Genius of Tina Brooks (Skip Walker Music) -- [bc]
Jeff "Tain" Watts: Misterioso (GSI)
Allison Wheeler: Winterspring (Ubuntu)
Jeremy Wong: Hey There (Cellar Live)
Griffin Woodard Group: Completion (Praise Message Music) -- [bc]
Kate Wyatt: Artifact (self-released)
Yoko Yates: Mystic Life (SteepleChase)
Jason Yeager: Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite (Sunnyside)
John Zorn: Spinoza (Tzadik)
John Zorn: Incerto (Tzadik)
John Zorn: Meditations on the Tarot (Tzadik)
John Zorn/Bill Laswell: The Cleansing (Tzadik)
Shiri Zorn: Into Another Land (IA)
Nicole Zuraitis/Thana Alexa/Julia Adamy: Sonica (Outside In Music) -- [bc]

Reissued 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:

Pablo Ablanedo: Christreza (Newvelle)
Albert Ayler: Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondation Maeght Recordings (Elemental Music, 4CD) -- [bc 2/29]
Chet Baker Trio: Live in Paris: The Radio France Recordings 1963-1964 (Elemental, 2CD) -- [bc 2/11]
Chris Barber: Just One More for All Time: A History of Chris Barber's Bands 1949-2008 (Lake, 6CD)
Danny Barker: Save the Bones (1988, Tipitina's Record Club)
Salome Bey: Salome Bey (1970, Pickwick)
Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band: Live From the Archives: Bootleg June 15, 2000 (Stoner Hill)
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers: With Thelonious Monk [Deluxe Edition] (1958, Rhino)
Larry Bluth Trio: Never More Here (1996-2001, Fresh Sound)
Alan Braufman: Live in New York City: February 8, 1975 (Valley of Search) -- [bc 3/18]
Chapter Seven: Thums Up (1987, Caprice)
Andrew Cyrille/Elliot Sharp/Richard Teitelbaum: 2011, Evocation (2011, Infrequent Seams)
Chick Corea: The Montreux Years (1981-2010, BMG)
Don Ellis: The Hindustani Jazz Sextet Live at UCLA (1966, Sleepy Night)
Freddie Hubbard: Music Is Here: Live at Studio 104 Maison De La Radio (ORTF) Paris 1973 (Wewantsounds)
Dick Hyman: One Step to Chicago: The Legacy of Frank Teschemacher and the Austin High Gang (1992, Rivermont) [++]
Khan Jamal Creative Arts Ensemble: Drum Dance to the Motherland (1973, Aguirre) -- [bc 1/4]
Daunik Lazro/Carlos Zingaro/Sakis Papadimitriou/Jean Bolcato: Periφeria (1993, Fou) -- [bc]
Peggy Lee: Peggy Lee on the Ed Sullivan Show 1963-1969 (SOFA-AV)
Jack McDuff: Live at Parnell's (1982, Soul Bank) -- [bc]
Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (1961, Candid) [A-]
Mishagas: 1996-1997 (Astral Spirits) -- [bc 9/14]
James Newton: Flute Music (1977, Morning Trip)
No Safety: Spill (1991-92, Cuneiform -21)
No Safety: Live in Italy 1994< (Cuneiform -21)
Charles K. Noyes: Devil Trap (1978, Zoar) -- [bc]
Hermeto Pascoal: Hermeto (1970, Far Out)
Hermeto Pascoal E Grupo: Planetario Da Gavea (1981, Far Out)
Oscar Peterson Trio: On a Clear Day: Live in Zürich 1971 (Mack Avenue)
John Stein: Lifeline (1989-2021, Whaling City Sound, 2CD)
Cecil Taylor: Respiration: Live in Warsaw '68 (Fundacja Sluchaj)
Pat Thomas: Remembering: New Jazz Jungle (1997, Feedback Moves)
Steve Tintweiss Spacelight Band: Live at NYU: 1980 (Inky Dot Media)
Lennie Tristano: Personal Recordings, 1946-1970 (Mosaic, 6CD)
McCoy Tyner/Freddie Hubbard Quintet: Live at Fabrik (1986, NDR Kultur)
Tony Williams: Play or Die (1980, MIG)
Denny Zeitlin: The Name of This Terrain (1969, Now-Again Reserve)