Year in Review
Super Nova In The Great White North: Explosive Jazz 2025
by Kerilie McDowall
It's a long list of inspiring artists this year on the Canadian Best Of 2025 roster. Jazz spirit is in the air. An 11th release from the kaleidoscopic-robed, comedic powerhouse ensemble, saxophone groove favorites the Shuffle Demons, enhanced the year with their beyond-fab 2025 writing. Funky sax lines interspersed with laughs, fun, and hipster-king attitude make them a Canadian treasure. Impressive Canada-US-Japan female-led supergroup Artemis' creative virtuosic music adventures kept us captive. And raved-about glowing artistry came from ...
Continue ReadingMarek Śmietański's Favorite Jazz Albums Of 2025
by Marek J. Śmietański
Here's a list of albums released in 2025 that left more than just a mark on my memory. For many years now, I've stopped ranking albums as “the best." Such lists usually end up being either personal favorites or, in the case of vote-based rankings, simply the most popular ones--which aren't necessarily the best. I also don't feel any need to arrange them in any particular order or according to any specific criterion. Quick note: I rarely include live albums ...
Continue ReadingPierre Giroux's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025
by Pierre Giroux
The story of my selection of the top jazz albums of 2025, is, fittingly a conversation between past and present. New recordings by working bands and veteran leaders proved that the language of swing, blues and modern harmony is still being spoken with conviction, while carefully curated reissues reminded us just how deep the tradition runs. Equally compelling were the previously unheard sessions finally brought to light, offering a fresh glimpse of great artists caught in unguarded, inspired moments.Together these ...
Continue ReadingGlenn Astarita's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025
by Glenn Astarita
Another year, another reminder that jazz refuses to stay in its lane. The ten albums that grabbed me most in 2025 don't follow any neat narrative or trend--they're just the records I kept coming back to, the ones that made me hit repeat or sit up and pay closer attention. Some are from veterans who still have plenty to say, others from artists I'm just discovering. A few feel like natural progressions, while others surprised me in ways I'm still ...
Continue ReadingDavid Bruggink's Best Jazz Albums of 2025
by David Bruggink
In a tumultuous year, these albums provided a shelter in the storm, with no shortage of intriguing stylistic directions and cross-pollinations. New directions in post-minimalism mingled with reimaginings of folk songs; chamber music crossed paths with modern classical and cool jazz. Stories Of life Triosence Sony Music Ce Qui Tourne Dans L'Air Sébastien Sauvageau Ronin Rhythm Records
Continue ReadingKen Hohman's Iconoclastic List of the Top 9 Jazz Recordings for 2025
by Ken Hohman
I feel like a few of my favorite jazz records over the past year were overlooked or didn't fare well with many jazz critics. But I filter through a heck of a lot of jazz each year in advance of my radio shows, so I feel justified in being quixotic or even setting the record straight when it's called for. Thus, here are my favorite records of 2025. Does that mean they're the best? I'll let you be the judge. ...
Continue ReadingAdam Beaudoin's 15 Favorite Albums of 2025
by Adam Beaudoin
Year-end lists are a strange creature, as conceptually absurd as they are genuinely useful. They contend to distill a year's worth of recorded music into “the very best," a laughably conceited claim for any one listener or editorial board, no matter how erudite and steeped in the music, to make. For jazz, the situation is even more ridiculous, as this art form we call a genre has developed so laterally in recent decades that it encompasses musics so stylistically varied ...
Continue ReadingGeoff Anderson's Best Blues Albums of 2025
by Geoff Anderson
The blues just kept on coming in 2025. It's been a big year for new blues albums. 92-year-old Bobby Rush and 89-year-old Buddy Guy both released masterful albums this year. Newcomer D.K. Harrell burst onto the scene with a compelling album. Young blues masters Kingfish and Southern Avenue released albums that shouldn't be missed and several blues veterans joined the fun. Family Southern Avenue Alligator Records
Continue ReadingMark Sullivan's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025
by Mark Sullivan
There must be an echo in here: like just about everyone else, I observe that there was a lot of great music released in what was otherwise an unsettling year. They ranged from hard bop (Words Fall Short, Belonging) to fusion (Hard Believer, Live at Berlin) to experimental (Trio of Bloom). Experimental guitarist Nels Cline appears on two of my picks. The supply of historical material (both previously unknown recordings and reissues) again seems inexhaustible. Somehow, newly discovered tapes keep ...
Continue ReadingMarco Iacoboni's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025
by Marco Iacoboni
2025 has gifted me with deep and rich listening experiences, diverse inspiration, and fulfilling encounters. From the American scene, I will especially remember Johnathan Blake 's concert with his quintet project My Life Matters and the Paul Cornish in trio, two remarkable projects and artists, both heard in the small italian city of Siena at Untubo, a small club always at the forefront of avant-garde programming. Regarding international European music, I'll cherish the wonderful interviews with Yazz Ahmed ...
Continue Reading
