Kerilie McDowall Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025

It's a long list of inspiring artists this year on the Canadian Best Of 2025 roster. Jazz spirit is in the air. An 11th release from the kaleidoscopic-robed, comedic powerhouse ensemble, saxophone groove favorites the Shuffle Demons, enhanced the year with their beyond-fab 2025 writing.  Funky sax lines interspersed with laughs, fun, and hipster-king attitude make them a Canadian treasure.

Impressive Canada-US-Japan female-led supergroup Artemis' creative virtuosic music adventures kept us captive. And raved-about glowing artistry came from the band and trumpeter/flugelhornist Ingrid Jensen, and pianist Renee Rosnes, as well-established Canadian jazz stars.

It was a joy to experience ecstatic freedom with celebration and grace from rising global vocal talent Dominique Fils-Aimé. This Montreal jazz-infused popular two-time JUNO-winning artist is one to watch. With solid performances and a hint of Nina Simone jazz soul, to Caribbean, 1950s doo-wop, R&B, and African beats, Dominique Fils-Aimé's latest album release was a blissful listening delight.

Emerging gifted Toronto folk-jazz rising star guitarist and vocal talent Micaela Rae's debut EP hints at further deep inner-pondering to follow, while Rich Brown's brilliant bass and compositional solo musings showed off his sublime ideas

Brothers Jonathan and Andrew Kay's devoted cosmic sonic prayers and meditations explored the transcendental work of John and Alice Coltrane. Their subtle colors, and trancey textural multi-instrumental layers were a serious nod to the cosmic divine.

Need we say more?

Are You Really Real
Shuffle Demons
Alma Records






Arboresque
Artemis
Blue Note Records






Live At The Montreal International Jazz Festival
Dominique Fils-Aimé
Ensoul Records






I Am Doing My Best
Curtis Nowosad
La Reserve Records






NYAEBA
Rich Brown
Edition Records






Trio Plus One It's All So
Brad Turner
Cellar Music Group






Impact
Steve Holt
Self Produced






Kinda Out West
Aretha Tillotson
Bent River Records






Introducing: The Russ Macklem Detroit Quintet
Russ Macklem
TQM Recording Co






Cory Weeds Meets Jerry Weldon
Cory Weeds
Cellar Music Group






Reno
Robin Holcomb
Songlines Recordings






Mi Hogar II
Rachel Therrien
Self Produced






Neige (Live)
Emilie-Claire Barlow
Empress Music Group

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Honorable Mentions

• Kris Davis: The Solastalgia Suite (Pyroclastic Records)
• CODE Quartet: Code Red (Justin Time Records)
• Webber Morris Big Band: Unseparate (Out Of Your Head Records)
• Reg Schwager: Intuit, Jazz From Rant
• Bria Skonberg: Christmas Is, Cellar Music Group
• Micaela Rae Saccharine
• Holly Cole: Dark Moon, Rumpus Room/Universal Music Canada
• Triology: The Slow Road, Cellar Music Group
• Jabfung: Epoch, Tye Loon
• Vancouver Jazz Orchestra: Vancouver Jazz Orchestra Meets Brian Charette, Cellar Music Group
• Jocelyn Gould: Solo, Self Produced
• Noam Lemish: There's Beauty Enough In Being Here, TPR Records (The Perfect Ratio Records)
• Molly Johnson: All I See, Universal Music Canada
• Jonathan and Andrew Kay: The Coltrane Sutras—Cosmic Threads of Becoming, Monsoon-Music
• Atlantic Jazz Collective featuring Norma Winstone and Joe La Barbera: Seascape, Alma Records
• Dayron Luis San Juan Muguercia: Gratitude, Effendi Records
• Motivation: Take it to the Sky, Self Produced by Michael Simard Productions
• Caity Gyorgy: Caity Gyorgy with Strings, La Reserve Records
• Marianne Trudel: Sources, ONJM Self Produced
• Alexis Baro: Afrokando, G-Three
• Marie-Josée Simard & Francois Bourassa: Les Chemins du Concerto (Effendi Records)
• Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra: East Meets West: Connections (Chronograph Records)
• Don Thompson featuring Daniela Spalletta: Dreams (Modica Music)
• Alex Bird, Ewen Farncombe, Cheo: Casanova Bossa Nova Lover Man (Self Produced)
• Kellylee Evans: Winter Song (Enliven Media)
• Alex Goodman: Good Morning Heartache (Self Produced)
• The Ostara Project: Roots (Rhea Records)