Best Jazz Albums of 2026, So Far; Love Supreme and Jazz Aspen Snowmass; Sullivan Fortner, Ava Preston & Moises Borges, Sunna Gunnlaugs, and Tamara Lukasheva Interviews; Songs of the Week and more

What began in the summer of 2024 as a simple way for our staff to share the albums that moved them most during the first half of the year has grown into one of our favorite annual traditions. This year, a record 78 All About Jazz contributors participated, offering a remarkably diverse collection of recordings that reflects the breadth, vitality and creativity of jazz in 2026. The value of this article isn't found in consensus. It's found in discovery. You'll encounter familiar names alongside emerging artists, major-label releases beside independent productions, and music from every corner of the jazz world. There's plenty to explore, and you can learn more below.

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who helped make this year's edition our largest, most diverse, and most comprehensive yet.

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Album Reviews

The album reviews below represent our most popular from the past week. View more recent reviews.

Omni James Brandon Lewis Quartet	Robyn Spangler Robyn Spangler	Too Marvelous for Words Peggy Lee	Feebles, Fables And Ferns Mick Goodrick & Fred Hersch
Miles '56: The Prestige Recordings Miles Davis	Patternmaster Mark Turner	ATLAS Wolfgang Muthspiel	Chants of Rain Mary Flower And Leon Cotter

Looking for an album review?

If you're a musician, publicist, or record label seeking album review coverage on All About Jazz, please read our review submission guide, then complete the coverage request form here. When submitting your request, include up to five AAJ album reviewers who best align with your music.

Best Jazz Albums of 2026: All-Star Break Edition

As we reach the halfway point of 2026, All About Jazz once again borrows a page from Major League Baseball's All-Star break, replacing home runs with jazz albums. This year, 78 staffers submitted their picks, surpassing 2025's participation by 23 contributors—an incredible turnout. Our album reviewers and radio & podcast hosts bring big ears and eclectic tastes to the table, which means most selections were unique to each contributor. A handful of recordings, however, appeared on multiple lists, including Members... Don't! by Tyshawn Sorey, Side-Eye III+ by Pat Metheny, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live At The Village Vanguard by Immanuel Wilkins, We Dream by Lakecia Benjamin, and In My Dreams by Bill Frisell. Our list also includes a few albums released in late 2025 but reviewed in 2026. Check AI's analysis of our picks in the comments section. Continue reading...

Sullivan Fortner: Nothing's Ever Finished

Modern jazz musicians are often faced with the impossible, and frankly unfair, task of honoring the music's history and traditions while adding modern elements and contemporary facets to make a 125-year-old musical genre sound fresh. This burden falls even more acutely on musicians hailing from, or who are particularly associated with, the City of New Orleans. New Orleans is celebrated as the birthplace of jazz, but its ongoing connection to the music is complicated. Cities such as New York and Chicago have long surpassed New Orleans as the primary American jazz epicenters, but younger New Orleans jazz musicians are still hampered with the job of sustaining the city's modern relevance, as the city continues to face challenge after challenge. Pianist Sullivan Fortner hails from New Orleans, and if anyone is up to the task, it's him. Continue reading...

Love Supreme Festival 2026: A Personal Perspective

The South Downs in East Sussex is a beautiful part of the UK. Glynde Place, the location for the Love Supreme Jazz Festival, is in the sweet spot between the bustling seaside city of Brighton and Hove, and the dramatic ridges of the Downs. Rolling countryside, flint-stone buildings, and Glyndebourne House—famous around the world for its own opera festival—are just minutes away. Love Supreme has been running since 2013, with a line-up focused on major soul music acts and the more "pop" end of the jazz spectrum, along with up-and-coming and underground artists. I must admit, with previous headliners including Chic, The Jacksons, Kool & The Gang, Van Morrison, and Grace Jones, it's never been top of my must-attend lists. Continue reading...

Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Experience 2026

When nourishing the soul, it is important to consume a balanced diet. Failure to draw from a wide array of musical genres can lead to ennui, shallow breathing and excessive television watching. A properly tuned soul can be an ephemeral thing, but the appropriate application of music originating in different times, different places and different astral planes can keep the soul sated and fully charged. An extra dimension of soul tuning and recharging is context, both macro and micro. The venue, i.e., the joint, can enhance or detract from the process. And what happens when you walk out the door can catalyze the entire experience. Therefore, if you put great music in a great room situated in a picturesque location, you end up with nothing short of a feast. Continue reading...

Songs of the Week

An unfolding tune led by vibraphonist Andrei Marian followed by the sweet sounds of saxophonist Scott Hamilton. Enjoy them.

Top Songs

The songs below represent the most heard in the past four weeks. View the Song of the Day archive.

Extinct Man From the album Stay Still By Digba Ogunbiyi	IT's Gotta B U! From the album It's Gotta B U! By Tony Adamo	One For Steve From the album Steps Taken By Eli Howell	Northern Readings From the album Northern Readings By Carlos Henrique Pereira
Freddie Freeloader From the album Freddie Freeloader By David Garfield	Irina From the album Civil Disobedience By David Ambrosio	Flow From the album Eikon By Michele Maggi	Warrior From the album Best of EMP Project By EMP Project

Choice Content

Ava Preston And Moises Borges Play And Sing Across Borders (read); Tamara Lukasheva: The Dangerous Beauty of Silence, Slowness and Modern Jazz (read); Sunna Gunnlaugs: A Merry Old Time (read); Seamus Blake: Compared to What (listen); Tomoki Sanders at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days (view photos); Tubis Trio at Łódź Events Center (view photos); Peter Asher: Everywhere Man (read); BEAT at Tener-a-mente Festival del Vittoriale (view photos); Brandee Younger at the Music Center at Strathmore (read); Bennie Wallace Quintet at The Jazz Loft (view photos).

Radio & Podcasts

Tune into our extensive collection of quality programs every week.

The Outer View: Willy Rodriguez, Mark Turner, and Emma Rawicz (listen); Allston Boylston: James Brandon Lewis Quartet "Testify"+ Lakecia Benjamin with Sean Jones, Zaccai Curtis and Bria Skonberg (listen); Strictly Jazz Sounds: Martin Ludlow: Reclaiming LA's Jazz Legacy (listen); Exploration: Classics from Stanley Turrentine, Esther Phillips, and others; newly released music from Cindy Blackman Santana, Seamus Blake, The Scornful Four, and more (listen); A Broad Spectrum: Lucy Yeghiazarian, Monika Ryan, Jonathan Karrant, Cecile McLorin Salvant and the latest from Songbook Ink (listen); Mondo Jazz: Anggie Obin, Alden Hellmuth, Giovanni Falzone, Magnus Carlson & More (listen); The Stereo Image: Mark Masters: The Arranger and the Box in the Garage (listen); One Man's Jazz: Mary Halvorson and Ambrose Akinmusire, Nicola Miller & Satoko Fujii (listen); Liner Notes: LINER NOTES Year 9 Kickoff: Organ Trio Mastery with Larry Goldings (listen); Mondo Jazz: A Few of My Favorite 2026 Jazz Things (so far)—Part 6 (listen); Mondo Jazz: A Few of My Favorite 2026 Jazz Things (so far)—Part 5 (listen); Talk About Jazz: Kris Davis: Grammy Winner And Musical Explorer (listen); The Tonearm: Alden Hellmuth: Saxophone Tethered To A Galaxy Of Bass (listen); The Jazz Disturbance: Nduduzo Makhathini, Darryl Jenifer, Anthony Almonte, Onilu, Shapiro 17 (listen); Live At The Bop Stop: Altin Sencalar (listen); Ben Boddie On Jazz: Gabriel Mark Hasselbach, Nduduzo Makhathini, Conrad Herwig, Seamus Blake and more (listen); World of Jazz: Music from Rich Willey, Paul Hecht, La Boeuf Brothers And More (listen); Jazz Bastard: Sonnymoon for Two Bastards (Part 1) (listen); Rotations: Alden Hellmuth, Ambrose Akinmusire & Mary Halvorson And Much More (listen).

News Announcements

Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, special events and more. View all recent announcements.

Easier All About Jazz Sign-In with Google (read); Avant-garde Jazz Icon Defies Geographic Limits, Bridging Human Soul And AI On New Album 'Time To Cut Loose' (read); Titus Maz Launches The Midnight Station Live Showcase Series Across London (read); New Multi-generational Jazz Quartet The Scornful Four Announce Debut Album And Launch Show (read); Pete Roth Trio Feat. Bill Bruford To Release New Live CD/DVD 'Group Chat' on September 18, 2026 (read); Oh! Jazz Brings The Unique Rhythms Of PERUJAZZ Live From Madrid To The World (read).

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Posted to All About Jazz Newsletter IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci