Home » Jazz Articles » Year in Review » Jack Bowers' Best Releases Of 2020

Jack Bowers' Best Releases Of 2020

By Jack Bowers
December 21, 2020
View read count

Given the angst and turmoil of this most unusual year, I wasn't expecting much in terms of quantity or quality of jazz recordings. Surprise! As it turns out, 2020 was a banner year with a large number of superlative albums regularly arriving for review. A dozen of the best I've heard are named here, and the list could have been much longer. Bravo! to all those who brushed aside seemingly insurmountable obstacles to produce the kind of healing music the world sorely needs in this time of heartbreak and peril. Let's keep it going in 2021!

Vanessa Perica Orchestra
Love Is a Temporary Madness
Self Produced

Steve Spiegl Big Band
The L.A. Sessions at Capitol Studios
Sorcerer Records

Mike Barone Big Band
Brazil
Self Produced

New Horizons Vintage Jazz Band
Plays the Music of Lee Harris: The Brite Side
Self Produced

Mehmet Ali Sanlikol
The Rise Up
Dunya Records

Jeremy Levy Jazz Orchestra
The Planets: Reimagined
OA2 Records

Mark Masters Jazz Ensemble
Night Talk: The Alec Wilder Songbook
Capri Records

Dave Stryker with Bob Mintzer and the WDR Big Band
Blue Soul
Strikezone Records

Cory Weeds Quartet
Day By Day
Cellar Live Records

Jeff Hamilton Trio
Catch Me If You Can
Capri Records

Jon Schapiro
New Shoes: Kind of Blue at 60
Summit Records

Sherrie Maricle
DIVA & the Boys
MCG Jazz

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Mark Ruffin: Bebop Fairy Tales
< Previous

Axiom
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.