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Marek Śmietański's Favorite Jazz Albums Of 2025

By Marek J. Śmietański
January 13, 2026
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Here's a list of albums released in 2025 that left more than just a mark on my memory. For many years now, I've stopped ranking albums as "the best." Such lists usually end up being either personal favorites or, in the case of vote-based rankings, simply the most popular ones—which aren't necessarily the best. I also don't feel any need to arrange them in any particular order or according to any specific criterion. Quick note: I rarely include live albums on my favorites list unless they contain substantial new material, and I never consider compilations or reissues of any kind.

With Hope
Anders Hagberg
Prophone Records /Naxos

Arcanum
Arve Henriksen / Trygve Seim / Anders Jormin / Markku Ounaskari
ECM Records

Gadabout Season
Brandee Younger
Impulse! Records

Simple Things
Britta Virves
Whirlwind Recordings

Chapter One
Caelan Cardello
Jazz Bird Records

The Getdown
Coulondre / Dolmen / Privat
Artwork Records

In.Sight
Fabia Mantwill
GroundUP Music

Ones & Twos
Gerald Clayton
Blue Note Records

6 Days in Leysin
Greg Foat
Ameritz Music

If Not Now
James Danderfer
Cellar Music Group

Spirit Fall
John Patitucci
Edition Records

Murmurations
Kate Wyatt
Self Produced

Lullaby
Mathias Eick
ECM Records

Life Score
Nils Kugelmann
ACT Music

Pillars
Rasmus Oppenhagen Krogh
April Records

City Suite
Rin Seo
Cellar Music Group

Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and Travail of the Earth -Part 2
Zeitgeber
Self Produced

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