This was an extraordinary year for women musicians and my top 25 albums reflect that. My list also includes a separate category of Historical albums, limited to five. As promised to Terri Lyne Carrington in my final episode of 2023 in my podcast, Strictly Jazz Sounds, I intend to advance the names of women in jazz. Not because they are women but because they are outstanding artists who are women. Most notably, Lakecia Benjamin. 2023 was the year of Lakecia Benjamin in jazz.

• 1.    Lakecia Benjamin-Phoenix (Whirlwind)
• 2.    Linda May Han Oh-The Glass Hours (Biophilia)
• 3.    Chien Chien Lu-Built In System: Live in New York (Feeling Good Music)
• 4.    Mike Clark-Kosen Rufu (Wide Hive Records)
• 5.    Isaiah J. Thompson-The Power of the Spirit (Blue Engine)
• 6.    Kris Davis-Diatom Ribbons: Live at the Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic)
• 7.    James Brandon Lewis-For Mahalia, With Love (TAO Forms)
• 8.    Miki Yamanaka-Shades of Rainbow (Cellar)
• 9.    Johnathan Blake-Passage (Blue Note)
• 10. Orrin Evans-The Red Door (Smoke Sessions)
• 11. Walter Kemp 3: Black Whole-Live (Walter Kemp)
• 12. Artemis-In Real Time (Blue Note)
• 13. Emmet Cohen Featuring Houston Person-Master Legacy Series Vol. 5 (Mack Ave.)
• 14. Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Continuing (Pi Recordings)
• 15. Christian McBride’s New Jawn (Mack Ave.)
• 16. Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band-Live From the Archives (Stoner Hill)
• 17. Brandee Younger-Brand New Life (Impulse)
• 18. Mark Turner-Live at the Village Vanguard (Giant Step Arts)
• 19. Sean Mason-The Southern Suite (JALC-Blue Engine)
• 20. Joe Farnsworth-In What Direction Are You Headed? (Smoke Sessions)
• 21. Rachel Therrien Latin Jazz Project-Mi Hogar (Outside in Music)
• 22. Kaisa’s Machine-Taking Shape (Greenleaf)
• 23. Jane Bunnett and Maqueque-Playing With Fire (Jane Bunnett)
• 24. Arturo O’Farrill-Legacies (Blue Note)
• 25. Walter Smith III-return to casual (Blue Note)

• Best Historical

• 1.    John Coltrane/Eric Dolphy-Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy (Impulse)
• 2.    Terri Lyne Carrington-TLC& Friends (Candid)
• 3.    Charles Mingus-Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Recordings (Rhino)
• 4.    Dorothy Ashby-Dorothy Ashby with Strings Attached (New Land)
• 5.    Dexter Gordon-Bouncin’ With Dex (Steeplechase)

Favorite 2023 Releases in order of release:

John Bailey - Time Bandits (Freedom Road Records, 01/13/2023)

Lakecia Benjamin - Phoenix (Whirlwind Recordings, 01/27/2023)

Ben Wolfe - Unjust(Resident Arts, 02/03/2023)

Brad Mehldau - Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles(Nonesuch, 02/10/2023)

John D’earth Quintet - Coin of the Realm (Cosmology Records, 02/14/2023)

Chris Potter - Got The Keys To the Kingdom (Edition Records, 02/17/2023)

Jane Bunnett & Maqueque - Playing With Fire (Linus Entertainment, 03/10/2023)

Billy Childs - Winds of Change (Mack Avenue, 03/17/2023)

Chembo Corniel Quintet - Artistas, Músicos Y Poetas(Chemboro Records, 03/17/2023)

Wayne Escoffery - Like Minds (Smoke Sessions, 04/14/2023)

Artemis - In Real Time (Blue Note, 05/05/2023)

Avishai Cohen - Abraham Rodriguez Jr. - Iroko (Naive Records, 05/05/2023)

Joe Farnsworth - In What Direction Are You Headed? (Smoke Sessions, 05/19/2023)

Edward Simon - Femeninas: Songs of Latin American Women (Artist Share, 05/31/2023)

Buselli / Wallarab Jazz Orchestra - The Gennett Suite (Patios Records, 06/09/2023)

Johnathan Blake - Passages (Blue Note, 08/11/2023)

Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo - El Arte Del Bolero, Vol. 2 (Miel Music, 08/25/2023)

Jaimie Branch Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) (International Anthem, 08/25/2023)

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society - Dynamic Maximum Tension (Nonesuch, 09/08/2023)

Mark Turner - Live At The Village Vanguard (Giant Step Arts, 09/08/2023)

Clark Sommers - Feast Ephemera (Irabbagast Records, 09/15/2023)

Shuteen Eredenebaatar - Rising Sun (Motéma Music, 09/15/2023)

Miho Hazama - m_unit: Beyond Orbits (Edition Records, 09/23/2023)

Allison Miller - Rivers In Our Veins (Royal Potato Family, 10/06/2023)

Ten Favorite 2023 Recordings
(alphabetical)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Dynamic Maximum Tension (Nonesuch Records)
Kenny Barron, The Source (Artwork Records)
Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band, Kings Highway (Stoner Hill Records)
Aaron Diehl & the Knights, Zodiac Suite (Mack Avenue)
Joe Locke, Makram (Circle 9 Records)
Linda May Han Oh, The Glass Hours (Biophilia Records)
Chuck Owen and the WDR Big Band, Renderings (Summit Records)
Chris Potter, Got the Keys to the Kingdom (Edition Records)
John Scofield, Uncle John’s Band (ECM)
Ben Wolfe, Unjust (Resident Arts)

Favorite historical albums
(alphabetical)
John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (Impulse!)
Wes Montgomery, Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings (Resonance Records)
Kurt Rosenwinkel and Geri Allen, Lovesome Thing (Motema Music)

Favorite vocal album
Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding, Alive at the Village Vanguard (Palmetto Records)

Favorite debut album
Christian Dillingham, Cascades (Greenleaf Music)

Favorite Latin jazz album
Alfredo Rodriguez, Coral Way (Mack Avenue)

10 other favorites
(alphabetical)
Sara Caswell, The Way to You (Anzic)
Johnathan Blake, Passage (Blue Note Records)
Joe Farnsworth, In What Direction Are You Headed? (Smoke Sessions Records)
Sullivan Fortner, Solo Game (Artwork Records)
Rickie Lee Jones, Pieces of Treasure (Modern Recordings)
Christian McBride’s New Jawn, Prime (Mack Avenue Records)
Brad Mehldau, Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles (Nonesuch)
Pat Metheny, Dream Box (Modern Recordings)
Jason Moran, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes Records)
Rudy Royston, Flatbed Buggy (Greenleaf Music)

A Select Dozen of the Best Jazz Releases of 2023:

New Recordings-

Jim Snidero- Far Far Away (Savant)

Joe Farnsworth- In What Direction Are You Headed? (Smoke Sessions)

John Scofield- Uncle John's Band (ECM)

John Hart- Resonance (SteepleChase)

Jim Rotondi- Over Here (Criss Cross Jazz)

Steve Smith & Vital Information- Time Flies (Wounded Bird)

Historical/Reissues-

Charles Mingus- Changes: The Complete 1970's Atlantic Recordings (Rhino)

McCoy Tyner- Extensions (Blue Note Tone Poet)

Jack Wilson- Easterly Winds (Blue Note Tone Poet)

Big John Patton- Let 'Em Roll (Blue Note Tone Poet)

Wes Montgomery- The Complete Full House Recordings (Craft)

Cal Tjader- Catch the Groove (Jazz Detective)

BEST JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2023:

 

• 1.      Piernick Pedron & Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Pedron & Rubalcaba (Gazebo)
• 2.      Lafayette Gilchrist:  Undaunted (Morphius) 
• 3.      Allison Miller: Rivers in Our Veins (Royal Potato Family)
• 4.      Ivo Perelman-Matthew Shipp: Triptych (ESP-Disk)
• 5.      Rudy Royston: Day (Greenleaf)
• 6.      Johnathan Blake: Passages (Blue Note)
• 7.      Cecile McLorin Salvant: Melusine (Nonesuch)
• 8.      Koppel Colley Blade  Perspective (Nu)
• 9.      Orrin Evans: The Red Door (Smoke Sessions)
• 10.  James Brandon Lewis & the Red Lily Quintet: For Mahalia with Love (Tao Forms)
• 11.  Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Continuing (Pi)
• 12.  John Scofield: Uncle John's Band (ECM)
• 13.  Darcy James Argue's Secret Society: Dynamic Maximum Tension (Nonesuch)
• 14.  Joe Lovano’s Trio Tapestry: Our Daily Bread (ECM)
• 15.  Walter Smith III: Return to Casual (Blue Note)
• 16.  Dan Weiss Trio: Dedication (Cygnus)
• 17.  Magos Herrera: Aire (Sunnyside)
• 18.  Bela Fleck-Zakir Hussain-Edgar Meyer: As We Speak (Thirty Tigers)
• 19.  Susan Alcorn & Septeto del Sur: Canto (Relative Pitch)
• 20.  Christian McBride's New Jawn: Prime (Mack Avenue)

 

BEST NON-JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2023:

 

• 1.      Jon Dee Graham: Only Dead for a While (Strollin’ Bones)
• 2.      Jerry Joseph: Baby, You're the Man Who Would Be King (Cosmo Sex School)
• 3.      Charley Crockett: Live from the Ryman Auditorium  (Son of Davy)
• 4.      SZA: SOS (Top Dawg, RCA)
• 5.      boygenius: The Record (Matador)
• 6.      Ashley McBryde: The Devil I Know (Warner Nashville)
• 7.      Zach Bryan: Zach Bryan (Warner Nashville)
• 8.      Buddy & Julie Miller: In the Throes (New West)
• 9.      Olivia Rodrigo: Guts (Geffen)
• 10.  Martin Hayes & the Common Ground Ensemble: Peggy’s Dream (251)
• 11.  The Nude Party: The Nude Party Rides On (New West)
• 12.  Low Cut Connie: Art Dealers (Contender)
• 13.  Martin Zellar: Head West (Owen Lee)
• 14.  Iris DeMent: Workin’ on a World (Flariella)
• 15.  Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: Weathervanes (Southeastern)
• 16.  The Young Fathers: Heavy Heavy (Ninja Tune)
• 17.  Lucero: Should’ve Learned by Now (Liberty & Lament)
• 18.  Ray Bonneville: On the Blind Side  (Stonefly)
• 19.  Joy Oladokun: Proof of Life (Amigo/Republic/Verve Forecast)
• 20.  Robbie Fulks: Bluegrass Vacation (Compass)

1. Sebastian Rochford and Kit Downes- A Short Diary (ECM)
2. Jason Moran- From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes)
3. Sylvie Courvoisier- Chimaera (Intakt)
4. Kassa Overall- Animals (Warp)
5. Joe Lovano Trio Tapestry- Our Daily Bread (ECM)
6. Henry Threadgill Ensemble- The Other One (Pi)
7. Cécile McLorin Salvant- Mélusine (Nonesuch)
8. Aja Monet- When the Poems Do What They Do (Drink Sum Wtr)
9. Matt Otto- Umbra (Origin)
10. Irreversible Entanglements- Protect Your Light (Impulse!)

NEW RELEASES 

1.   fLuXkit Vancouver (i-t-s suite but sacred), Darius Jones (Northern Spy Records)

2.   Diatom Ribbons Live At The Village Vanguard, Kris Davis (Pyroclastic Records)

3.   Continuing, Tyshawn Sorey Trio (Pi Recordings)

4.   From the Dancehall to the Battlefield, Jason Moran (Yes Records)

5.   London Brew, London Brew (Concord Jazz)

6.  As Things Do, Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet (Intakt Records)

7.   Bear Proof, Todd Sickafoose (Secret Hatch Records)

8.  The Separatist Party Mike Reed (We Jazz Records and Astral Spirits)

9.   Legacies, Arturo O'Farrill (Blue Note Records)

10. Live At The Village Vanguard, Mark Turner (Giant Step Arts)

 

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

1. Abdul Wadud, By Myself  (Gotta Groove Records)
2. Nina Simone, You've Got To Learn (Verve)
3. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate  (Impulse!)

VOCAL

• Jo Lawry, Acrobats (Whirlwind)

DEBUT

• Vicente Archer, Short Stories (Cellar)

LATIN

• Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo, El Arte Del Bolero, Vol. 2 (Miel Music)

Highlights from the  “Year in review – 2023” at rhythmofstudy.com.

Ten of the many recordings worth mentioning (in alphabetical order)

• Kenny Barron, The Source (PIAS, released January 20th)
• Lakecia Benjamin, Phoenix (Whirlwind, released January 27^th)
• Josh Lawrence, And That Too (Positone, released February 24th)
• Myra Melford, Hear the Light Singing (Rogue Art, released November 17th)
• Allison Miller, Rivers in our Veins (Royal Potato, released October 6th)
• Hery Paz, Jardineros (577 Records, released August 25^th)
• Matana Roberts, Coin Coin chapter 5 - In the Garden (Constellation, released September 29th)
• Rudy Royston and Flatbed Buggy. Day (Greenleaf, released May 5th)
• Angelica Sanchez Nonet, Night Time Creatures (Pyroclastic, released October 27th)
• Esperanza Spalding and Fred Hersch. Alive at the Village Vanguard (Palmetto, released January 6th)

Read the entire “Year in Review” post – with dozens more recordings - at rhythmofstudy.com.

1 Kris Davis' Diatom Ribbons, Live at the Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic)

2 Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Continuing (Pi)

3 Steve Lehman & Orchestra National de Jazz, Ex Machina (Pi)

4 Susan Alcorn & Septeto Del Sur, Canto (Relative Pitch)

5 Mark Turner Quartet, Live at the Village Vanguard (Giant Step Arts)

6 James Brandon Lewis Trio, Eye of I (Anti-)

7 Mike Reed, The Separatist Party (We Jazz/Astral Spirits)

8 Yuhan Su, Liberated Gesture (Sunnyside)

9 Todd Sickafoose, Bear Proof (Secret Hatch)

10 Antti Lotjonen Quintet East, Circus/Citadel (We Jazz)

1- Steve Lehman & Orchestre National de Jazz, Ex Machina (Pi)
2- Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet, As Things Do (Intakt)
3- Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, Kings Highway (Stoner Hill)
4- Ingrid Laubrock, The Last Quiet Place (Pyroclastic)
5- Bobo Stenson Trio, Sphere (ECM)
6- Sylvie Courvoisier & Cory Smythe, The Rite of Spring/Spectre D'Un Songe (Pyroclastic)
7- Darius Jones, Fluxkit Vancouver (We Jazz)
8- Walter Smith III, Return to Casual (Blue Note)
9- Dan Rosenboom, Polarity (Orenda)
10- Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra, Family (We Jazz)

My 30 best of the year here: https://jazztrail.net/best-jazz-albums-2023