Music Monday: Year's Best Jazz Album Lists!

(OK, Music Monday one day late...)

Science books are an abiding, long term passion, one which has been reflected here on the blog by my compulsive listing of the Best Science Books of the year, 2015 included. This year I'm expanding the obsessive listing franchise to include another abiding passion, jazz music.

But I won't be listing individual jazz albums, just other people's year end lists. As for my own year-end list of best jazz album, I'm afraid I don't really buy enough new ones every year to make a list practical.

Here goes. These lists are as at mid-day December 22, 2015. I'm mostly only mentioning lists that are jazz-focused rather than general lists that might include a jazz album or two. I may update the list after the new year. As well, if I've missed any or if you want to contribute jazz album suggestions of your own, please feel free in the comments. In particular, if anyone out there knows of lists from non-English or -French jazz cultures, I would really love to see those. As you can see, I added a couple of pre-end-of-year lists from France to give a bit more of an international flavour.

 

Oh, what the heck.

Here are five jazz albums I really enjoyed this year, in no particular order.

  • For One to Love by Cecile McLorin Salvant

  • Break Stuff by The Vijay Iyer Trio

  • Wild Man Dance by Charles Lloyd

  • Made in Chicago by Jack Dejohnette

  • Dans la foret de ma mémoire by Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal, featuring Marianne Trudel (composer), Christine Jensen (director), Ingrid Jensen (guest soloist), Anne Schaefer (vocals)

Album of the Year aggregates a lot of lists & rankings though not that much jazz or blues.

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Wow! Do you do this every year? Is there something similar for Classical? Your meta-list is my dream come true!

By David Birk (not verified) on 26 Dec 2015 #permalink