Metacritic/EOY Aggregate: 2024 New Compilations of Old/Various Music: Jazz

For information on what lists are consulted, and what the various abbreviations and notes mean, click here.

Reissues, compilations, vault music, etc. For new records, click here.

Sub-Lists

Some breakdowns by genre:

Ranking

  1. Alice Coltrane: The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!) {22}: JC_r:+, Mj:*, Pf:*, RC:*, SC:*, Sp:*, U:*, UR:*; am:*, bb_o:5, bv_j:+, ra:*, sg_j:+, tms_j:+, xgm:1 -- A:85/8, TH:A-
  2. Sonny Rollins: Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance -3CD) {14}: JC_r:+, PO:+; jfk:+, xjdc:*, yjsc:+ -- RX:A, TH:A
  3. Louis Armstrong: Louis in London (1968, Verve) {13}: JC_r:+, XCI:**; tms_j:+ -- MT:B-, RX:A, TH:A-
  4. McCoy Tyner/Joe Henderson: Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) {9}: JC_r:+; bb_o:6, jfk:+, jgy:+, jmju:+, tl_r:7 -- TH:***
  5. Roy Hargrove's Crisol: Grande-Terre (1998, Verve) {7}: JC_r:+, NPR:+; jmmz:++ -- TH:***
  6. Sun Ra: Lights on a Satellite: Live at the Left Bank (1978, Resonance -2CD) {7}: JC_r:+; jlp:8, jmc:9 -- TH:A-
  7. Mal Waldron/Steve Lacy: The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music -2CD) {7}: JC_r:+, PO:+; jgy:+ -- TH:A-
  8. Miles Davis Quintet: Miles in France 1963 & 1964 [The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8] (Columbia/Legacy -6CD) {6}: JC_r:+, jfk:+ -- TH:A-
  9. Phil Haynes' 4 Horns and What?: The Complete American Recordings (1989-95, Corner Store Jazz) {6}: AAJ:+, JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  10. Roberto Magris: Love Is Passing Thru: Solo/Duo/Trio/Quartet (2005, JMood) {6}: jdm:5 -- TH:A-
  11. Ron Miles: Old Main Chapel (2011, Blue Note) {6}: JC_r:+; jgy:+, tms_j:+ -- TH:***
  12. Emily Remler: Cookin' at the Queens: Live in Las Vegas 1984 & 1988 (1984-88, Resonance, 2CD) {6}: JC_r:+; s_t:+ -- TH:A-
  13. Wayne Shorter: Celebration, Volume 1 (2014, Blue Note) {6}: JC_r:+; jmju:7 -- TH:A-
  14. Tomasz Stanko Quartet: September Night (2004, ECM) {6}: JC_r:+; jcm:+, tms_j:+ -- TH:***
  15. Art Tatum: Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings (Resonance -3CD) {6}: JC_r:+; tms_j:+ -- TH:A-
  16. Cannonball Adderley: Burnin' in Bordeaux: Live in France 1969 (Elemental Music) {5}: JC_r:+; jmju:+, yjsc:+ -- TH:**
  17. Cannonball Adderley: Poppin' in Paris: Live at L'Olympia 1972 (Elemental Music) {5}: JC_r:+; jmju:+ -- TH:***
  18. Tim Berne/Michael Formanek: Parlour Games (1991, Relative Pitch) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  19. Karen Borca Trio Quartet & Quintet: Good News Blues: Live at the Vision Festival 1998 & 2005 (NoBusiness) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  20. Christer Bothén Featuring Bolon Bata: Trancedance [40th Anniversary Edition] (1984, Black Truffle) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  21. Miles Davis: Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings (Craft) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  22. Charles Gayle/Milford Graves/William Parker: WEBO (1991, Black Editions Archive) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  23. Terry Gibbs Dream Band: Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959 (Whaling City Sound) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  24. Michael Griener & Jan Roder: Be Our Guest (Trouble in the East) {5}: JC:+ -- TH:A-
  25. Joe Henderson: Power to the People (1969, Craft) {5}: JC_r:+; pf_o:+ -- TH:***
  26. NRG Ensemble: Hold That Thought (1996, Corbett vs. Dempsey) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  27. Kurt Rosenwinkel: The Next Step Band: Live at Smalls 1996 (Heartcore) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  28. Omar Sosa: Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums (1996-2018, Otá) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  29. Charles Tolliver Music Inc: Live at the Captain's Cabin (1973, Cellar Music) {5}: JC_r:+ -- TH:A-
  30. Derek Bailey/Sabu Toyozumi: Breath Awareness (1987, NoBusiness) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  31. Black Artist Group: For Peace and Liberty: In Paris, Dec 1972 (WeWantSounds) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  32. Arthur Blythe Quartet: Live From Studio Rivbea: July 6, 1976 (NoBusiness) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  33. Children of the Sun: Ofamfa (1971, Moved-by-Sound) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  34. Iancu Dumitrescu: Ansamblul Hyperion (1980, Corbett vs. Dempsey) {4}: -- TH:A-
  35. Bill Evans: In Norway: The Kongsberg Concert (1970, Elemental Music -2CD) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  36. Gastr Del Sol: We Have Dozens of Titles (1993-98, Drag City) {4}: CM:+, VF:45 -- TH:**
  37. Gush: Afro Blue (1998, Trost) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  38. Andrew Hill Sextet Plus 10: A Beautiful Day Revisited (2002, Palmetto -2CD) {4}: JC_r:+; jdm:+ -- TH:**
  39. Al Jarreau: Wow! Live at the Childe Harold (1976, Resonance) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  40. Louis Jordan: World Broadcast Recordings 1944/45 (Circle) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  41. Byard Lancaster: The Complete Palm Recordings 1973-1974 (Souffle Continu) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  42. Byard Lancaster/Steve McCall/Sylvin Marc: Us (1973, Souffle Continu) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  43. Yusef Lateef: Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert From Avignon (1972, Elemental Music, 2CD) {4}: JC_r:+; jgy:+ -- TH:**
  44. Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre: Live From Studio Rivbea: July 12, 1975 [Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 1] (NoBusiness) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  45. Tony Oxley: Angular Apron (1992, Corbett vs. Dempsey) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  46. Sonny Rollins: A Night at the Village Vanguard: The Complete Masters (1958, Blue Note) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  47. Soft Machine: Høvikkoden 1971 (Cuneiform) {4}: JC_r: -- TH:***
  48. The Louis Stewart Trio: Louis the First (1975, Livia) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  49. Sun Ra & His Arkestra: Pink Elephants on Parade (1985-90, Modern Harmonic) {4}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  50. Duck Baker: Breakdown Lane: Free Jazz Guitar 1976-1998 (ESP-Disk) {3}: JC_r:+ -- TH:**
  51. Nat King Cole: Live at the Blue Note Chicago (1953, Iconic) {3}: JC_r:+ -- TH:**
  52. Duke Ellington: Copenhagen 1958 (Storyville) {3}: JC_r:+ -- TH:**
  53. Stan Getz: Unissued Session: Copenhagen 1977 (SteepleChase) {3}: tms_j:+ -- TH:**
  54. Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: The Old Country (1992, ECM) {3}: JC_r:+; jmju:+ -- TH:*
  55. Byard Lancaster: Mother Africa (1974, Souffle Continu) {3}: -- TH:***
  56. Shelly Manne & His Men: Jazz From the Pacific Northwest (1958-66, Reel to Real) {3}: JC_r:+ -- TH:**
  57. Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus to Pre Bird Revisited (1960-61, Ezz-Thetics) {3}: AAJ:*, JC_r:+; jcm:+
  58. Nature's Consort: Nature's Consort (1969, Aguirre) {3}: -- TH:***
  59. Charlie Parker: Bird in Kansas City (1941-51, Verve) {3}: JC_r:+ -- TH:**
  60. Raphael Roginski: Plays John Coltrane and Langston Hughes (2013, Unsound) {3}: pf_o:+ -- TH:**
  61. Sun Ra: At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976-1977 (Jazz Detective -2CD) {3}: JC_r:+; yjsc:+ -- TH:*
  62. John Abercrombie/Dave Holland/Jack DeJohnette: Gateway (1975, ECM) {2}: JC_r:+; pf_o:+
  63. Dorothy Ashby: Afro-Harping [Deluxe Edition] (1968, Verve) {2}: JC_r:+; jcm:+
  64. Jakob Bro/Lee Konitz/Bill Frisell/Jason Moran/Thomas Morgan/Andrew Cyrille: Taking Turns (2014, ECM) {2}: JC_r:+ -- TH:*
  65. Peter Brötzmann/Paal Nilssen-Love: Butterfly Mushroom (2015, Trost) {2}: -- TH:**
  66. Raymond Burke: The Southland Recordings 1958-1960 (Jazzland) {2}: JC_r:+ -- TH:*
  67. George Cartwright's GloryLand PonyCat: Black Ants Crawling (2003, Mahakala Music) {2}: -- TH:**
  68. Alice Coltrane: A Monastic Trio (1968, Impulse!) {2}: JC_r:+, VF:31
  69. Happy Apple: New York CD (Sunnyside) {2}: jhs:22 -- TH:*
  70. Bobby Hutcherson: Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970 (Mosaic -7CD) {2}: JC_r:+; jgy:+
  71. The Jazzmen: Nineteen Sixty-Six (1966, Corbett vs. Dempsey) {2}: -- TH:**
  72. Byard Lancaster: Funny Funky Rib Crib (1974, Souffle Continu) {2}: -- TH:**
  73. Byard Lancaster/Keno Speller: Exactement (1974, Souffle Continu) {2}: -- TH:**
  74. Brother Jack McDuff: Ain't No Sunshine: Live in Seattle (1972, Reel to Real) {2}: JC_r:+ -- TH:*
  75. Vinicius Mendes: Macunaismo Tardio Vol. 1 & 2 (Notes on a Journey) {2}: AAJ:*; jcm:+
  76. Oscar Peterson: City Lights: Live in Munich 1994 (Mack Avenue) {2}: JC_r:+; jmju:+
  77. Cecil Taylor Unit: Live at Fat Tuesday's February 9, 1980 [First Visit] (Ezz-Thetics) {2}: JC_r:+; jcm:+
  78. 2R+2B [Gunārs Rozenbergs/Raimonds Raubiško/Boriss Bannihs/Vladmirs Boldirevs]: Live at the Tbilisi Jazz Festival 1978 (Jersika) {1}: JC_r:+
  79. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet: Live in Montreal: May 1975 (Liberation Hall) {1}: JC_r:+
  80. The Monty Alexander Trio: Montreux Alexander: Live! at the Montreux Festival (1976, MPS) {1}: JC_r:+
  81. Geri Allen/Kurt Rosenwinkel: A Lovesome Thing (2012, Motéma Music -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[**]
  82. Art Ensemble of Chicago: A Jackson in Your House (1969, BYG Actuel) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[**]
  83. Art Ensemble of Chicago: Message to Our Folks (1969, BYG Actuel) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[***]
  84. Sidney Bechet: Live in Paris: 1952-1958 (Frémeaux & Associés -3CD) {1}: JC_r:+
  85. Steve Beresford/Anne Marie Beretta: Dancing the Line (1985, WeWantSounds) {1}: JC_r:+
  86. Tim Berne: Live in Someplace Nice (1984, Screwgun) {1}: JC_r:+
  87. Faruq Z. Bey: Atlant-Tan Suite (1982, Entropy Stereo) {1}: JC_r:+
  88. Ran Blake/Dave Knife Fabris: Live Amsterdam 2006 [First Visit] (Ezz-Thetics) {1}: JC_r:+
  89. Anthony Braxton: Solo Bern 1984 [First Visit] (Ezz-Thetics) {1}: JC_r:+
  90. Anthony Braxton/Roland Dahinden/Hildegard Kleeb: Four Compositions (Wesleyan) 2013 (Prague Music Platform -23) {1}: JC_r:+
  91. Peter Brötzmann/Paal Nilssen-Love: Chicken Shit Bingo (2015, Trost) {1}: -- TH:*
  92. The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Live From the Northwest, 1959 (Brubeck Editions -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[***]
  93. Don Byas: Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944-1946 (Mosaic -23) {1}: JC_r:+
  94. George Cartwright: Send Help (2008, Mahakala Music) {1}: -- TH:*
  95. George Cartwright: The Ghostly Bee (2005, Mahakala Music -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[*]
  96. John Coltrane 4tet: Live in France July 27/28 1965: The Complete Concerts (Fingerpoppin) {1}: JC_r:+
  97. John Coltrane: Impressions From Graz 1962 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) {1}: JC_r:+
  98. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy: Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse! -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[***]
  99. Josephine Davies: Satori: Weatherwards (Whirlwind) {1}: jcm:+
  100. Sammy Davis Jr.: Mr. Entertainment: 1949-1962 (Frémeaux & Associés -3CD) {1}: JC_r:+
  101. Miles Davis: Birth of the Blue (1958, Analogue Productions) {1}: JC_r:+
  102. Die Like a Dog [Peter Brötzmann/Toshinori Kondo/William Parker/Hamid Drake]: Fragments of Music, Life and Death of Albert Ayler (1994, Cien Fuegos) {1}: JC_r:+
  103. Eric Dolphy: At the Five Spot to Iron Man Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) {1}: AAJ:+
  104. Duke Ellington: Duke at His Very Best: Legendary Works 1940-1942 (Frémeaux & Associés -4CD) {1}: JC_r:+
  105. Duke Ellington: The Far East Suite (1966, Music on Vinyl) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[A+]
  106. Don Ellis: How Time Passes to Essence Revisited (1960-62, Ezz-Thetics) {1}: JC_r:+
  107. Bill Evans: Tales: Live in Copenhagen (1964) (Elemental Music -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[**]
  108. Bill Evans: The Legendary Trio at Birdland 1960 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) {1}: JC_r:+
  109. Ella Fitzgerald & the Tommy Flanagan Trio: Live at the Wiener Konzerthaus, 1969 (ORF) {1}: JC_r:+
  110. Ford Dabney's Syncopated Orchestras: After Midnight (1917-22, Archeophone) {1}: JC_r:+
  111. Marcelo Frota: Gira (Batov) {1}: jcm:+
  112. Jan Garbarek Quartet: Afric Pepperbird (1970, ECM) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:***
  113. Vince Guaraldi: It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (Lee Mendelson Film Productions) {1}: tms_j:+
  114. Margo Guryan: Words and Music (1957-68, Numero Group) {1}: JC_r:+
  115. Roy Hargrove: The Love Suite: In Mahogany (1993, Blue Engine -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[A]
  116. Hampton Hawes: For Real! (1958, Craft) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[A-]
  117. Bobby Hutcherson: Medina (1969, Blue Note Tone Poet) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[A-]
  118. Bobby Hutcherson: Total Eclipse (1068, Blue Note Tone Poet) {1}: JC_r:+
  119. Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra: L'Intercommunal (1976-78, Souffle Continu) {1}: JC_r:+
  120. Fumio Itabashi: Watarase (1982, Wewantsounds) {1}: JC_r:+
  121. Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 (Jazz Detective/Elemental -2CD -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[***]
  122. Keith Jarrett: Solo-Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne (1973, ECM -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[***]
  123. Jazz Sabbath: The 1968 Tapes (Blacklake) {1}: jlp:+
  124. James P. Johnson: World Broadcast Recordings (1944, Solo Art) {1}: JC_r:+
  125. Mieczysław Kosz: Debiut. Jazz Jamboree '67/'68 (Polskie Radio/Polish Radio) {1}: JC_r:+
  126. Scott LaFaro: The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro (1957-61, El -3CD) {1}: JC_r:+
  127. Harold Land: The Fox (1960, Craft) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[**]
  128. Daunik Lazro/Paul Lovens/Annick Nozati/Fred Van Hove: Résumé of a Century (1999, Fou) {1}: JC_r:+
  129. Paco de Lucia/Pepito de Lucia: Pepito y Paquito (1959-60, BMG) {1}: JC_r:+
  130. Malombo Jazz Men: Castle Lager Jazz Fesetival 1964 (Strut) {1}: JC_r:+
  131. Pat Metheny: Bright Size Life (1975, ECM) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[**]
  132. Charles Mingus: Mingus Takes Manhattan: The Complete Birdland Dates: 1961-1962 (New Land) {1}: JC_r:+
  133. Thelonious Monk: Criss-Cross (1963, Columbia/Pure Pleasure) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[A-]
  134. Wes Montgomery/Wynton Kelly Trio: Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings (Resonance -23) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[***]
  135. Jason Moran: Ten (2010, Blue Note) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[***]
  136. Lee Morgan: Search for the New Land (1964, Blue Note) {1}: xjdc:*
  137. Lee Morgan: Taru (1968, Blue Note Tone Poet) {1}: JC_r:+
  138. Lee Morgan: The Sidewinder (1963, Blue Note) {1}: xjdc:*
  139. New Direction for the Arts: Projection: The Complete Inspiration and Power Live at Shinjuku Art Theater (1973, Jinya Disc) {1}: JC_r:+
  140. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band: Centennial (1923, Archeophone -4CD) {1}: JC_r:+
  141. Dave Pike: The Doors of Perception (1966, Nature Sounds) {1}: JC_r:+
  142. Prince Lasha Quintet Featuring Sonny Simmons: The Cry! (1962, Craft) {1}: JC_r:+
  143. Martha Raye: Martha Raye & Co-Stars in Hollywood (1936-44, Sepia) {1}: JC_r:+
  144. Pharoah Sanders: Thembi (1970-71, Impulse!) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[*]
  145. Maria Schneider Orchestra: Decades (1992-2020, ArtistShare -3CD) {1}: JC_r:+
  146. Archie Shepp: Live at the Panafrican Festival (1971, BYG Actuel) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[***]
  147. Nina Simone: Blackbird: The Colpix Recordings (1959-1963) (Soul Music) {1}: JC_r:+
  148. Slow Poke: At Home (1998, P&M) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[A-]
  149. Snarky Puppy: We Like It Here (Remixed + Remastered + Reimagined) (GroundUP Music) {1}: JC_r:+
  150. Louis Stewart & Jim Hall: The Dublin Concert (1982, Livia) {1}: JC_r:+
  151. Sun Ra: Excelsior Mill (1984, Sundazed/Modern Harmonic) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:B
  152. Sun Ra: Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVC (1986, Strut) {1}: JC_r:+
  153. Masayuki Takayanagi/Kaoru Abe: Real Jazz (1970, Jinya Disc) {1}: JC_r:+
  154. John Taylor/Norma Winstone/Kenny Wheeler: Azimuth (1977, ECM) {1}: JC_r:+
  155. Richard Teitelbaum: Asparagus (1975-76, Black Truffle) {1}: Qt:+
  156. Masahiko Togashi: Session in Paris Vol. One: Song of Soil (1979, We Want Sounds) {1}: JC_r:+
  157. Louis Vasnier: Genius of the Seventh Ward (1891-92, Archeophone) {1}: JC_r:+
  158. Grover Washington, Jr.: Grover Live: Vol. 2 (1998, Lightyear Entertainment) {1}: JC_r:+
  159. Kenny Wheeler: Angel Song (1996, ECM) {1}: JC_r:+ -- TH:[B]
  160. Gerald Wiggins: Classic Trio Sessions 1956-1957 (Fresh Sound) {1}: JC_r:+
  161. Classic V-Disc Small Group Jazz Sessions (1943-49, Mosaic -11CD) {1}: JC_r:+