Home » Jazz Articles » Year in Review » Geno Thackara's Best Releases of 2018
Geno Thackara's Best Releases of 2018
ByOn a side note: it's also worth quickly mentioning URO's OR and Audun Trio's Rondane (both on Losen Records), two other heavy-rotation picks that arrived in December 2017 just too late to make that year's list.

Juniper
Edition Records
The worlds of jazz and electronic soul rarely blend with the warmth, finesse and evocative beauty they do in the hands of this classy European outfit. Here they connect with their original instrumental roots in a recording that goes to some subtly dazzling places.

Gleb Kolyadin
KScope Music
From Russian classical roots to futuristic prog-fusion, this solo debut is an electrifying chamber-jazz-rock-folk whirlwind balancing wild performances with uncanny smarts.

The Chopin Project
Connection Works
Noah Preminger and Rob Garcia's project is based on revisiting some very well-trodden ground, but the initial installment of a hopefully extensive series keeps its source material feeling fresh and alive. A beautiful session that's appealingly romantic (in both senses of the word).

A Humdrum Star
Blue Note
The genre-bending 'acoustic electronica' trio heads further into both outer and inner space with their fourth outing, stretching their considerable imagination and making an addicting listen for people of all stripes.

Live in Healdsburg
Anzic Records
What could have merely been a nice one-off gig turns out as a contagiously happy meeting of kindred spirits. The duo's serendipitous debut set just begs for further followups.

e.s.t. Live in London
ACT Music
Those who loved the one-of-a-kind e.s.t. at their peak have another archival set to soak in with pleasure, while it's a great chance for newer ears to discover an inventive genre-bending act whose music has still lost no ground.

Awase
ECM Records
Dynamic new pieces, fresh reinventions of older ones and a couple surprising steps with a new lineupBärtsch and Ronin remain an entity like nothing else, while their trademark 'Zen funk' keeps changing as relentlessly as it grooves.

Resonance
Self Produced
A solo recital that blends impressive technicality with heartfelt directness. As eloquent as past recordings have been, Baptist has still never painted her musical pictures with quite so much intimate beauty before.

We Are All
Edition Records
It's probably not surprising that such a tight-knit group wants to extend their unity to the world at large. Vibrantly illustrating their theme of togetherness, Phronesis knock another one out of the park while giving their defining sound another fitting reinvention.

The Darkness of a Fairytale
BLB Records
Not just an album but a moodthat of a bewitching late-summer-night trance to these earsthis one casts its sultry spell with refined taste and just enough of an edge to suit its title.

Flashback
AudioCave
Not having a flashback so much as taking an exuberant step forward, Maciej Tubis and friends demonstrate again what staying power fun catchy melodies can have when backed up by sharp writing and elevated by sparkling chemistry.

Bridges
Sunnyside Records
The bridges here are between cultures, traditions and players from all over the worlda musical melting pot of a most vivid and colorful kind.

I Am Awake
Losen Records
It's straightforward meat-and-potatoes soul jazz from this fresh new group; the framework is simple and familiar while their youthful energy and joy in playing together carry the day beautifully.
Tags
Best of / Year End
Geno Thackara
URO
Audun Trio
Slowly Rolling Camera
Gleb Kolyadin
Noah Preminger
Rob Garcia
GoGo Penguin
Anat Cohen
Fred Hersch
Esbjorn Svensson
Nik Bartsch
Maria Baptist
Phronesis
Konstantinos Papachristou
Maciej Tubis
Jamie Baum
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