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Jack Bowers' Best Jazz Albums Of 2025

By Jack Bowers
December 17, 2025
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2025: Another year which proves that jazz is not only alive and well but flourishing in its own little corner of the musical world. The number of splendid new recordings by groups large and small was as plentiful as ever and, even better, spanned the globe from the U.S. to Europe, Asia to Latin America, and Africa to Australia. It was a privilege to hear and review fresh performances of contemporary jazz from big bands old and new including Pete McGuinness, Ted Robbins, DIVA, Brian Martin, Ira Liss, Rin Seo, David Bode and Socrates Garcia, among others, alongside a brilliant new version of Peter Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite by the marvelous Cincinnati Jazz Orchestra. 2025 also gave us saxophonist Scott Silbert's inspiring centenary tribute to the late great Zoot Sims as well as excellent small-group albums by tenors Eric Alexander and Grant Stewart, guitarist Royce Campbell, the saxophone-playing Anderson brothers (Pete and Will), organist Mike LeDonne, and a concert performance by the legendary James Moody recorded on his 80th birthday twenty years ago, to name only a handful. Here's hoping that 2026 will be yet another banner year for America's musical gift to the world.

Cassio Vianna
Vida
Teal Creek Music

Dave Schumacher
Smoke in the Sky
Cellar Music Group

Ryan Middagh
Tenor Madness
Self Produced

Brad Goode
Polytonal Big Band: The Snake Charmer
Origin Records

David Caffey
At the Edge of Spring
Self Produced

Len Pierro
As I Was Saying
WalkingPath Records

Paul Kendall
My Shining Hour
Zoho Music

Roberto Magris
Freedom Is Peace
JMood Records

Zach Adleman
We Make: Stories For A New Day
Cellar Music Group

David Robbins
Happy Faces
Cellar Music Group

Sergio Pamies
Time to Say
Self Produced

Eric Jacobson
Heading Home
Origin Records

University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Let The Good Times Roll
Self Produced

Zhengtao Pan
Scenery in My Story
Self Produced

Ben Patterson
Mad Scientist Music
Origin Records

Bob Mintzer
Bluegrass
MCG Jazz

Silvano Monasterios
The River
Self Produced

Pureum Jin
Square One
Cellar Music Group

Nick Hempton
Horns Locked
Cellar Music Group

Royce Campbell
Vagabond
Max Frank Music

Eric Alexander
Chicago To New York
Cellar Music Group

Dan Moretti
Live at the Pump House/Celebrating Wayne Shorter
Self Produced

Tom Wakeling
West by Northwest
Cellar Music Group

James Moody
80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note, March 26, 2005
Origin Records

Mark Masters
Sam Rivers 100
Capri Records

Mark Masters
Dance, Eternal Spirits, Dance!
Capri Records

Terry Waldo
Treasury, Volume 2
Turtle Bay Records

Pete McGuinness
Mixed Bag
Summit Records

Sean Jones
Live in Johannesburg
Self Produced

Kristen R. Bromley
Wes 101
Self Produced

Pete and Will Anderson
The Best of Berlin
Arbors Records

Marcello Carelli
First Impressions
Cellar Music Group

Judy Whitmore
Let's Fall in Love
Self Produced

Greg Murphy
Snap Happy
Whaling City Sound

Jim Self
My America 3/My Country
Bassett Hound Records

Sherrie Maricle
Tappin' Thru Life
Diva Records

AAPI Jazz Collective
Identity
OA2 Records

John Yao
Points In Time
See Tao Recordings

Sam Dillon
My Ideal
Cellar Music Group

Cory Weeds
Cory Weeds Meets Jerry Weldon
Cellar Music Group

Brian Martin
Old Home/New Home
Self Produced

David Bode
Good Hang
1718 Records LLC

Ira B. Liss
Unexpected Guests
Tall Man

Socrates Garcia
Shadows of Tomorrow
Summit Records

Jacob Chung
Live At Frankie's Jazz Club
Cellar Music Group

Randy Napoleon
Waking Dream
OA2 Records

David DeJesus
Storybook: The Music of Mark Miller
Birdland Records

Mike LeDonne
Turn It Up!
Cellar Music Group

James Danderfer
If Not Now
Cellar Music Group

Rin Seo
City Suite
Cellar Music Group

Todd Herbert
Captain Hubs
Self Produced

Ted Piltzecker
Peace Vibes
OA2 Records

Jerry Weldon
The Summit
Cellar Music Group

Eric Lechliter
The Nutcracker Remix
Self Produced

Jimbo Ross
So Do It
Self Produced

Grant Stewart
Next Spring
Cellar Music Group

Scott Silbert
Dream Dancing
Self Produced

Flying Horse Big Band
Unbridled
Flying Horse Records

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