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Dave Linn's Favorite Albums Of 2023

By Dave Linn
January 4, 2024
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My list began in March when I joined the All About Jazz staff. Over the ten months, I have had the wonderful opportunity to sample and listen to in depth, a wealth of great new music, running the gamut of styles now found under the jazz umbrella. My choices are releases I've listened to many times in preparation for my review or that I found compelling. We all have our musical preferences and biases borne out of a lifetime of jazz appreciation. However, I have been pleasantly surprised at many artists and sounds I had previously missed out on during an extended gap in listening to much new music in the 21st century.

The list ranges from hard-driving bop to a pair of lovely duos. There are also several mainstream bop and adventurous post-bop releases, a few small group recordings, a vocalist and the New Orleans-infused jazz styling of Dr. John that made the final cut. This is an exciting time for jazz recordings with the advent of the smaller independent labels releasing an incredible amount of new music by artists both well-known and those below the radar. So much music, so little time...

Geri Allen and Kurt Rosenwinkel
A Lovesome Thing
Motéma Music

Walter Smith III
Return To Casual
Blue Note Records

Steve Davis
Steve Davis Meets Hank Jones Volume 1r
Smoke Sessions Records

Joe La Barbera
World Travelers
Sam First Records

Ben Wolfe
Unjust
Resident Arts

Joe Farnsworth
In What Direction Are You Headed
Smoke Sessions Records

Yosi Levy
Acoustic Project II: The Duo
Self Produced

Eddie Henderson
Witness To History
Smoke Sessions Records

Terell Stafford
Between Two Worlds
Le Coq Records

Dr. John
The Montreux Years
BMG

Samara Joy
Linger Awhile [Deluxe Edition]
Verve Records

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