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Best of 2025, Part 6, including Garden Of Jazzy Delights; Jazz... The Final Frontier; Winter JazzFest: A Survival Guide; and Songs of the Week
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Along with more staff Top 2025 Picks, today's newsletter features our annual roundups of top articles, album reviews, songs, and more. We're also introducing a new way for AAJ members to submit jazz fiction using AI. I had a lot of fun creating a story this past weekend—check out To Boldly Swing below. You'll find links explaining how to submit your own story in the section that follows.
At All About Jazz, we are beginning to explore AI-assisted storytelling in a limited, transparent, and creative way (e.g. The Blue Note Portal and Django's Cosmic Echo). These stories are clearly labeled, editorially reviewed, and designed to complement—not replace—the human voices that define this site. Jazz journalism, criticism, reviews, interviews, and reporting remain written and edited by people who live and breathe the music.
Why explore this at all? Because jazz has always thrived on imagination, experimentation, and new ways of telling stories. AI, when guided thoughtfully, can help bring imaginative concepts to life and invite broader participation from our community—especially from those who may have an idea but not the desire to write a traditional article.
This is an experiment. It's optional. And it will continue only as long as it aligns with our mission, values, and standards. Most importantly, readers will always know what they're reading. Transparency and trust are essential. What we're doing now is simply exploring another way to tell jazz stories, together.
Click here to learn more about our AI Policy and read our AI FAQ. If you're interested in contributing a story, see our What we are looking for page first.
Capturing the breathtaking beauty, range, and diversity of jazz released in 2025 through a list of "10 best albums" feels as challenging, vain—and ultimately disappointing—as trying to photograph the Grand Canyon at sunset by placing a pinhole in front of a rudimentary digital camera's lens. Sure, a picture will be taken. It might even prove you were there, at that time, when the shutter clicked—provided that those who look at the photograph can tell there was a canyon, and a sunset. But can anyone grasp the majesty that surrounded that thickly pixelated sunset fragment frozen in the frame? Every year, the assignment is the same: come up with a "top ten." And yet every year, more albums are released than the year before. Continue reading...
For jazz fans who are in New York, when one countdown ends with the Times Square Ball Drop, another one begins—and ends a few days later, when Winter JazzFest officially gets underway with the first downbeat at Le Poisson Rouge. For 22 years, the festival has been the launch pad of the jazz year in the city. This year's edition will run from January 8 to 13, with a program that spreads across 16 venues and well over 110 concerts—including an offshoot in Tokyo in February and the official festival finale in March with MeShell NdegeOcello—as well as six jazz talks. Once again, the real frenzy hits during the two marathon nights: in Manhattan on Friday, January 9, and in Brooklyn on Saturday, January 10. Continue reading...
I boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise at Starbase 11 with my hands in my coat pockets, feeling for all the universe like a kid walking into his first club date—equal parts confidence and nerves. The ship loomed above me, impossibly clean, humming softly, as if already in a comfortable vamp. You could feel it breathing. "Welcome aboard," said the transporter chief, smiling as if jazz bands materialized on Federation starships every day. Maybe they did. It was 2265, after all. Jazz had gone a long way from smoky basements on Earth. One shimmer later, my quartet and I were standing on the transporter pad: bass, drums, tenor sax, and me at the piano—though my piano would be provided, replicated to spec and tuned to perfection. The Federation was very good at details. Captain James T. Kirk greeted us personally. Continue reading...
"The Achiever" by Franz von Chossy
Record Label: ZenneZ Records
Released: 2025
"Eat Your Greens" by Parlor Greens
Record Label: Colemine Records
Released: 2026
Mary Halvorson: About the Ghosts in the Guitar (read); Mark Sullivan's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025 (read); Marco Iacoboni's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Medeski, Martin, Cline, and Metzger In Free Flight (view photos); Cheryl K's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Most Viewed In Pictures articles: 2025 (read); Paolo Peviani's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025 (read); Celebrate Another Timbre's two hundred and fiftieth release (read); Katchie Cartwright's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Most Read Album Reviews: 2025 (read); Popular Jazz Songs: 2025 (read); Bill Anschell: Benched (read).
The Outer View: Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025 (listen); Allston Boylston: Straight Ahead into the New Year: Woody Shaw, Alexa Tarantino, Mike Clark with Mike Zilber and More (listen); Mondo Jazz: The Final Batch of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things—Part 4 (listen); Exploration: Favorite Jazz and Fusion Albums 2025—Music from Artemis, Behn Gillece, Johnathan Blake, Hiromi, and Others (listen); Backstage Bay Area: Echoes & Inspirations: Melissa Aldana's Jazz Journey (listen); Jazz Crumbs: Alex Ventling, Rafał Jackiewicz, Greg Foat, Out Of/Into & More (listen); A Broad Spectrum: Celebrating Jazz Capricorns Cab Calloway, Lil Green, Rachel Z, Janice Friedman, Chris McNulty, Camille Thurman & More (listen); One Man's Jazz: Marilyn Mazur, Angelika Niescier, Pat Thomas & Tomeka Reid (listen); Neon Jazz: George Wallington, Oscar Peterson, Yazz Ahmed, Harry Connick, Jr.& Gordon Goodwin (listen); North Star Sounds: Michal Urbaniak, Mingus, Rova, Randy Weston, Satoko Fujii and more! (listen); Mondo Jazz: The Final Batch of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things—Part 3 (listen); The Tonearm: Bryan Senti: Strings, Migration, And Finding Home (listen); Mondo Jazz: The Final Batch of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things—Part 2 (listen); Ben Boddie On Jazz: Brandon Sanders, Sean Mason, Aretha Tillotson, Enoch Smith Jr. and more (listen); Jazz Connections: Remembrance 2025: Jim McNeely, Chuck Mangione, Andy Bey, Eddie Palmieri and Hermeto Pascoal (listen).
Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, special events and more. View all recent announcements.
Cameron Washington Brings His New Orleans-inspired Lazy Californians To The World Stage With 'Back To San Francisco,' Set For February 13 Release Via Angel Island Records (read); Nicole Zuraitis & Dan Pugach: When Jazz Is Like Love (read); Wamptronica: How A New Bedford Collective Is Rewiring New England's Underground Dance Music Scene (read).
Got news? Share it in our newsletter and on our website. Learn how, here.
Posted to All About Jazz Newsletter IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci
On Creativity, Technology, and Jazz
Since its founding in 1995, All About Jazz has evolved alongside the internet itself. From the earliest days of online publishing to the platform we are today, technology has never been the point—it has simply been a means to better serve the jazz community. As new tools emerge, it's natural to approach them with curiosity, caution, and questions. Artificial intelligence is no exception.At All About Jazz, we are beginning to explore AI-assisted storytelling in a limited, transparent, and creative way (e.g. The Blue Note Portal and Django's Cosmic Echo). These stories are clearly labeled, editorially reviewed, and designed to complement—not replace—the human voices that define this site. Jazz journalism, criticism, reviews, interviews, and reporting remain written and edited by people who live and breathe the music.
Why explore this at all? Because jazz has always thrived on imagination, experimentation, and new ways of telling stories. AI, when guided thoughtfully, can help bring imaginative concepts to life and invite broader participation from our community—especially from those who may have an idea but not the desire to write a traditional article.
This is an experiment. It's optional. And it will continue only as long as it aligns with our mission, values, and standards. Most importantly, readers will always know what they're reading. Transparency and trust are essential. What we're doing now is simply exploring another way to tell jazz stories, together.
Click here to learn more about our AI Policy and read our AI FAQ. If you're interested in contributing a story, see our What we are looking for page first.
Album Reviews
The album reviews below represent our most popular from the past week. View more recent reviews. Through The Storm Carole Nelson Trio |  Alive and Well Yoshie Fruchter's Pitom |  House of the Singing Blossoms Anthony Wilson |  Prove You're Not a Robot Alex Skolnick Trio |
 Unbridled The Flying Horse Big Band |  Stand Up! Jerome Sabbagh |  Close to Nothing EH3 |  Dial Up Rempis / Adasiewicz / Corsano |
Ludovico Granvassu's Garden Of Jazzy Delights 2025
Capturing the breathtaking beauty, range, and diversity of jazz released in 2025 through a list of "10 best albums" feels as challenging, vain—and ultimately disappointing—as trying to photograph the Grand Canyon at sunset by placing a pinhole in front of a rudimentary digital camera's lens. Sure, a picture will be taken. It might even prove you were there, at that time, when the shutter clicked—provided that those who look at the photograph can tell there was a canyon, and a sunset. But can anyone grasp the majesty that surrounded that thickly pixelated sunset fragment frozen in the frame? Every year, the assignment is the same: come up with a "top ten." And yet every year, more albums are released than the year before. Continue reading...
2026 Winter JazzFest Marathons: A Survival Guide
For jazz fans who are in New York, when one countdown ends with the Times Square Ball Drop, another one begins—and ends a few days later, when Winter JazzFest officially gets underway with the first downbeat at Le Poisson Rouge. For 22 years, the festival has been the launch pad of the jazz year in the city. This year's edition will run from January 8 to 13, with a program that spreads across 16 venues and well over 110 concerts—including an offshoot in Tokyo in February and the official festival finale in March with MeShell NdegeOcello—as well as six jazz talks. Once again, the real frenzy hits during the two marathon nights: in Manhattan on Friday, January 9, and in Brooklyn on Saturday, January 10. Continue reading...
To Boldly Swing
I boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise at Starbase 11 with my hands in my coat pockets, feeling for all the universe like a kid walking into his first club date—equal parts confidence and nerves. The ship loomed above me, impossibly clean, humming softly, as if already in a comfortable vamp. You could feel it breathing. "Welcome aboard," said the transporter chief, smiling as if jazz bands materialized on Federation starships every day. Maybe they did. It was 2265, after all. Jazz had gone a long way from smoky basements on Earth. One shimmer later, my quartet and I were standing on the transporter pad: bass, drums, tenor sax, and me at the piano—though my piano would be provided, replicated to spec and tuned to perfection. The Federation was very good at details. Captain James T. Kirk greeted us personally. Continue reading...
Best of 2025
We're keeping a running list of our staff's favorites with six new additions this past week. We'll publish our remaining lists by this time next week.
Songs of the Week
Two tunes bristling with energy to kick off the New Year. "The Achiever" by Franz von Chossy
L I S T E N
Album Information
Title: Mirror 9Record Label: ZenneZ Records
Released: 2025
"Eat Your Greens" by Parlor Greens
L I S T E N
Album Information
Title: EmeraldsRecord Label: Colemine Records
Released: 2026
Top Songs
The songs below represent our most heard in the past four weeks. View the Song of the Day archive. Ready 'N Able From the album Zito's Jump! By James Zito |  Si tu Vois Ma Mère From the album Sacha: Paris After Dark By Sacha Boutros |  Transencion From the album A Seeker's Dream By Marubia |  Button Up Your Overcoat From the album Swinging In The Holidays By Songbook Ink All-Stars |
 CONSENSO From the album Consenso By Sal La Rocca |  Gumshoes From the album Setting Standards By Tim Larkin |  Quarantrio From the album ENSEMBLE By Erez Aviram |  La Sabrosura From the album La Sabrosura By Juan Manuel Romero Silvera |
Choice Content
Mary Halvorson: About the Ghosts in the Guitar (read); Mark Sullivan's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025 (read); Marco Iacoboni's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Medeski, Martin, Cline, and Metzger In Free Flight (view photos); Cheryl K's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Most Viewed In Pictures articles: 2025 (read); Paolo Peviani's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025 (read); Celebrate Another Timbre's two hundred and fiftieth release (read); Katchie Cartwright's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Most Read Album Reviews: 2025 (read); Popular Jazz Songs: 2025 (read); Bill Anschell: Benched (read).
Radio & Podcasts
Tune into our extensive collection of quality programs every week.The Outer View: Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025 (listen); Allston Boylston: Straight Ahead into the New Year: Woody Shaw, Alexa Tarantino, Mike Clark with Mike Zilber and More (listen); Mondo Jazz: The Final Batch of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things—Part 4 (listen); Exploration: Favorite Jazz and Fusion Albums 2025—Music from Artemis, Behn Gillece, Johnathan Blake, Hiromi, and Others (listen); Backstage Bay Area: Echoes & Inspirations: Melissa Aldana's Jazz Journey (listen); Jazz Crumbs: Alex Ventling, Rafał Jackiewicz, Greg Foat, Out Of/Into & More (listen); A Broad Spectrum: Celebrating Jazz Capricorns Cab Calloway, Lil Green, Rachel Z, Janice Friedman, Chris McNulty, Camille Thurman & More (listen); One Man's Jazz: Marilyn Mazur, Angelika Niescier, Pat Thomas & Tomeka Reid (listen); Neon Jazz: George Wallington, Oscar Peterson, Yazz Ahmed, Harry Connick, Jr.& Gordon Goodwin (listen); North Star Sounds: Michal Urbaniak, Mingus, Rova, Randy Weston, Satoko Fujii and more! (listen); Mondo Jazz: The Final Batch of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things—Part 3 (listen); The Tonearm: Bryan Senti: Strings, Migration, And Finding Home (listen); Mondo Jazz: The Final Batch of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things—Part 2 (listen); Ben Boddie On Jazz: Brandon Sanders, Sean Mason, Aretha Tillotson, Enoch Smith Jr. and more (listen); Jazz Connections: Remembrance 2025: Jim McNeely, Chuck Mangione, Andy Bey, Eddie Palmieri and Hermeto Pascoal (listen).
News Announcements
Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, special events and more. View all recent announcements.
Cameron Washington Brings His New Orleans-inspired Lazy Californians To The World Stage With 'Back To San Francisco,' Set For February 13 Release Via Angel Island Records (read); Nicole Zuraitis & Dan Pugach: When Jazz Is Like Love (read); Wamptronica: How A New Bedford Collective Is Rewiring New England's Underground Dance Music Scene (read).
Got news? Share it in our newsletter and on our website. Learn how, here.
Posted to All About Jazz Newsletter IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci
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