Hrayr Attarian's Best Releases of 2011

Jazz is a distinctly American art form with a universal appeal. Rooted in African-American culture, its various branches cover almost every country on earth. For this year end list I have chosen nine albums by international jazz musicians that were released in 2011. Here they are, in alphabetical order.

Amina Alaoui Arco Iris (ECM)

Tineke Postma The Dawn Of Light (Challenge Records)

Ibrahim Maalouf Diagnostic (Harmonia Mundi)

Katya Sourikova Ivan's Dream (Weave Records)

Etienne Charles Kaiso (Culture Shock Music)

Ingrid Laubrock The Madness of Crowds (Intakt Records)

Cyminology Saburi (ECM)

Enrico Rava Tribe (ECM)

Satoko Fujii Watershed (Libra Records)