2010
- See this page
2011
- See this page
2012
- See this page
2013
- See this page
2014
- See this page
2015
- See this page
2016
- See this page
2017
- See this page
2018
- See this page
2019
- See this page
|
The best of the decade
(very very very tentative - i am sure i forgot many)
- Kamasi Washington: The Epic
- Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons (Pyroclastic)
- Henry Threadgill 14 or 15 Kestra Agg: Dirt ... and More Dirt (Pi)
- Leo Smith: Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform)
- William Parker: For Those Who Are Still (AUM Fidelity)
- Matthew Shipp: 4D
- Tomeka Reid Quartet: Old New (Cuneiform)
- Jaimie Branch: Fly or Die II - Bird Dogs of Paradise (International Anthem)
- Steve Lehman Trio + Craig Taborn: The People I Love (Pi)
- 1032K: The Law of Vibration (CD Baby)
- Matana Roberts: Always (Relative Pitch)
- Alex Sipiagin: Destinations Unknown
- Leo Smith: America's National Parks (Cuneiform)
- Rudresh Mahanthappa: Gamak
- Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith: A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM)
- Sarah Manning: Harmonious Creature (Posi-Tone)
- Leo Smith: The Great Lakes Suite
- Vijay Iyer Sextet: Far From Over (ECM)
- Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-pak Coalition: Agrima
- Fred Ho: The Sweet Science Suite (Big Red Media)
- Yelena Eckemoff: Glass Song
- Branford Marsalis Quartet: The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul (Okeh)
- Taylor Ho Bynum 9-Tette: The Ambiguity Manifesto (Firehouse 12)
- Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Four - Memphis (Constellation)
- Dave Douglas: Devotion (Greenleaf)
- Brad Mehldau: Finding Gabriel
- Jason Moran: Mass (Yes)
- Steve Coleman's Natal Eclipse: Morphogenesis (Pi)
- William Parker: Meditation/Resurrection (AUM Fidelity)
- Ken Vandermark: Site Specific (Catalytic)
- Fire Orchestra: Enter (Rune Grammofon)
- Exploding Star Orchestra: Galactic Parables: Volume 1 (Cuneiform)
- Kim Myhr: All Your Limbs Singing (Sofa)
- Sylvie Courvoisier Trio: Double Windsor (Tzadik)
- Common Objects: Whitewashed With Lines (Another Timbre)
- Roscoe Mitchell: Bells For The South Side
- Zeena Parkins: Three Harps, Tuning Forks & Electronics
- Andrew Cyrille: Lebroba (ECM)
- Anthony Davis: Notes from the Underground (Boston Modern Orchestra Project)
- Fire Orchestra: Exit
- Geri Allen: Flying Toward the Sound
- Rhodri Davies: Wound Response
- Vijay Iyer: Solo
- Martin Archer: Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere
- Comet is Coming: Channel the Spirits (Leaf)
- Ex Eye: Ex Eye
Honorable mention (and some of these may be upgraded to the top 20 at some point):
- Abdullah Ibrahim: The Balance (Gearbox)
- Adam Rudolph's Go: Turning Towards The Light (Cuneiform)
- Ahmad Jamal: The Awakening
- Alexander Von Schlippenbach Trio: Features
- Alice Zawadzki: Within You Is A World of Spring
- Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom: Glitter Wolf (The Royal Potato Family)
- Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom: Glitter Wolf (The Royal Potato Family)
- Ambrose Akinmusire: Origami Harvest (Blue Note)
- Ambrose Akinmusire: The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint (Blue Note)
- Ambrose Akinmusire: When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note)
- Anat Cohen Tentet: Triple Helix (Anzic)
- Anna Webber: Clockwise (Pi)
- Anna Webber: Clockwise (Pi)
- Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are On The Edge (Pi)
- Arve Henriksen: The Nature of Connections (Rune Grammofon)
- Avishai Cohen & Yonathan Avishai: Playing The Room
- Avram Fefer Quartet: Testament (Clean Feed)
- Bad Plus: Never Stop II
- Barry Guy: The Blue Shroud (Intakt)
- Barry Guy: Without Borders
- Bathysphere: Bathysphere (Driff)
- Battle Trance: Palace of Wind (New Amsterdam)
- Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan: Epistrophy (ECM)
- Bill Frisell: Harmony (Blue Note)
- Bloor: Drolleries
- Boom Tic Boom: Sonic Palettes
- Brad Mehldau Trio: Ode
- Brad Mehldau: Ode
- Camila Meza & the Nectar Orchestra: Ambar (Sony)
- Chicago Reed Quartet: Western Automatic (Aerophonic)
- Chick Corea Trio: Trilogy 2 (Concord)
- Chick Corea: Trilogy (Concord Jazz)
- Chris Corsano: A View of the Moon (Clean Feed)
- Chris Corsano: A View of the Moon (Clean Feed)
- Chris Potter: Circuits (Edition )
- Chris Potter: Circuits (Edition)
- Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah: Ancestral Recall (Ropeadope)
- Christian Scott: Christian aTunde Adjuah
- Claire Martin: Believin' It
- Comet is Coming: Prophecy
- Craig Taborn: Avenging Angel (ECM)
- Craig Taborn: Chants
- Craig Taborn: Daylight Ghosts
- Crosscurrents Trio: Good Hope (Edition)
- Dan Weiss: Starebaby
- Dan Weiss: Utica Box
- Darius Jones Quartet: Book of Mae'bul
- Darius Jones and Matthew Shipp: Cosmic Lieder - The Darkseid Recital (AUM)
- Darius Jones: Cosmic Lieder
- Dave Douglas & the Westerlies: Little Giant Still Life (Greenleaf)
- Dave Douglas: Quintet Brazen Heat
- Dave Holland: Prism (Dare 2)
- David Torn / Tim Berne / Ches Smith : Sun of Goldfinger (ECM)
- David Virelles: Continuum
- Deep Mystery: Trust in the Lifeforce
- Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio: Symbiosis
- Dopolarians: Garden Party
- Elder Ones: From Untruth
- Emma Frank: Come Back (Justin Time)
- Emma Frank: Come Back (Justin Time)
- Engine Room Favourites: Bad Tidings From Slackwater Drag (2015)
- Engine Room Favourites: Blue Meat, Black Diesel & Engine Room Favourites
- Enrico Rava & Joe Lovano: Roma (ECM)
- Ergo: As Subtle as Tomorrow (Cuneiform)
- Esperanza Spalding: Emily's D+Evolution
- Ethan Iverson Quartet With Tom Harrell: Common Practice (ECM)
- Evan Parker: The Bleeding Edge
- Evans/Fernandez/Gustafsson: A Quietness of Water
- Fabian Almazan Trio: This Land Abounds with Life (Biophilia)
- Fabian Almazan Trio: This Land Abounds with Life (Biophilia)
- Farmers By Nature: ove and Ghosts (AUM)
- Fred Hersch: Solo
- Fred Ho: Big Red (Big Red Media)
- George Lewis: Creative Construction Set (Mikroton)
- Geri Allen: A Child Is Born
- GoGo Penguin: A Humdrum Star (Blue Note)
- Gwilym Simcock: Near and Now
- Harriet Tubman: Ascension
- Harriet Tubman: The Terror End of Beauty
- Helen Sung: Anthem for a New Day (Concord Jazz)
- Henry Threadgill's Ensemble Double-Up: Old Locks and Irregular Verbs
- Henry Threadgill: Tomorrow Sunny/The Revelry
- Jack Dejohnette: Made In Chicago
- Jacques Schwarz-Bart: Jazz Racine Haiti (Motema)
- Jaimie Branch: Fly or Die (International Anthem)
- James Brandon Lewis: An UnRuly Manifesto (Relative Pitch)
- Jane Ira Bloom: Sixteen Sunsets (Pure Audio)
- Jeremy Pelt: Jeremy Pelt the Artist (HighNote )
- Jeremy Pelt: Jeremy Pelt the Artist (HighNote)
- Joe Fiedler: Like, Strange (Multiphonics)
- Joe Lovano: Cross Culture (Blue Note)
- Joe Lovano: Trio Tapestry (ECM)
- Joel Ross: KingMaker (Blue Note)
- Joey DeFrancesco: In the Key of the Universe (Mack Avenue)
- John Escreet: Exception to the Rule
- John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble: All Can Work (New Amsterdam)
- John Scofield: Past Present
- Johnathan Blake: Trion (Giant Step Arts)
- Jojo Mayer's Nerve's The Distance Between Zero and One (2011)
- Jonah Parzen-Johnson: Michiana
- Joshua Abrams: Magnetoception (Eremite)
- Joshua Redman: Sun on Sand (Nonesuch)
- Joshua Redman: Walking Shadows (Nonesuch)
- Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth
- Kari Ikonen Trio: Beauteous Tales and Offbeat Stories
- Kate Gentile: Mannequins (Skirl)
- Keiko Matsui: Echo (Shanachie )
- Keiko Matsui: Echo (Shanachie)
- Keith Jarrett: Somewhere (ECM)
- Ken Vandermark & Mats Gustafsson: Verses
- Kenny Barron & Dave Holland: The Art of Conversation (Impulse)
- Kenny Garrett: Pushing The World Away (Mack Avenue)
- Kenny Wheeler: Songs For Quintet
- Kurushimi: Kurushimi
- Kurushimi: What Is Chaos (Art As Catharsis)
- Kyle Bruckmann: Technological Music Vol 1
- Kyle Press: Overtones, Drones, And Saxophones (No Rent)
- Kyle Press: Overtones, Drones, And Saxophones (No Rent)
- Linda May Han Oh: Aventurine (Biophilia)
- Linda May Han Oh: Walk Against Wind (Biofilia)
- Lisa Mezzacappa: Glorious Ravage
- Logan Richardson: Blues People (Universal)
- Makaya McCraven: In the Moment (International Anthem)
- Makaya McCraven: Universal Beings (International Anthem)
- Maria Schneider Orchestra: The Thompson Fields
- Mark Dresser Seven: Ain't Nothing but a Cyber Coup & You (Clean Feed)
- Mark Turner Quartet: Lathe of Heaven (ECM)
- Mark Turner: Lathe of Heaven (ECM)
- Marquis Hill: The Poet (Skiptone)
- Martin Archer: Echoic Enchantment (2015)
- Martin Archer: Story Tellers
- Mary Halvorson Quintet: Bending Bridges
- Mary Halvorson Quintet: Saturn Sings
- Masabumi Kikuchi: Sunrise
- Mat Maneri: Dust
- Matana Roberts COIN COIN Chapter One: Gens de Couleur Libres (Constellation)
- Matana Roberts: River Run Thee (Constellation)
- Matt Mitchell: Phalanx Ambassadors
- Matt Mitchell: Phalanx Ambassadors (Pi)
- Matt Mitchell: Phalanx Ambassadors (Pi)
- Matt Ulery: By A Little Light
- Matthew Shipp: I've Been To Many Places
- Michael Formanek's Ensemble Kolossus: The Distance (ECM)
- Michael Janisch: Worlds Collide
- Michael Leonhart Orchestra: The Painted Lady Suite (Sunnyside)
- Michael Wollny: Nachtfahrten
- Miles Okazaki: Figurations
- Misha Mullov-Abbado: New Ansonia
- Mitchell/Taborn/Baku: Conversations (Wide Hive)
- Moppa Elliott: Jazz Band/Rock Band/Dance Band (Hot Cup )
- Moppa Elliott: Jazz Band/Rock Band/Dance Band (Hot Cup)
- Mostly Other People Do The Killing: Slippery Rock
- Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret: The Other Side of Air (Firehouse 12)
- Nate Wooley: Argonautica
- Nate Wooley: Knknighgh
- Nels Cline: Lovers
- Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble: Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds (FPE)
- Oliver Lake & Flux: Right up on
- Oliver Lake Organ Quartet: What I Heard (Passin' Thru)
- Paal Nilssen-Love: New Japanese Noise
- Partikel: String Theory
- Pat Metheny: Unity Band
- Pat Metheny: Tap (Nonesuch)
- Paul Dunmall: Maha Samadhi
- Pedro Martins: Vox (Heartcore )
- Pedro Martins: Vox (Heartcore)
- Peter Broetzmann: Beautiful Lies (Neos)
- Peter Evans: Lifeblood
- Phantom Orchard: Trouble In Paradise (Tzadik)
- Pharoah & the Underground: Spiral Mercury (Clean Feed)
- Power of the Horns: Alaman
- Quentin Collins Sextet: Road Warrior
- Ralph Alessi: Imaginary Friends (ECM )
- Ralph Alessi: Imaginary Friends (ECM)
- Rez Abbasi: Suno Suno (Enja)
- Rez Abbasi: Unfiltered Universe (Whirlwind)
- Rob Mazurek: Alien Flower Sutra (International Anthem)
- Rob Mazurek: Skull Sessions
- Robert Glasper Experiment: Black Radio
- Rosetta Trio: Outliers
- Russ Lossing: Motian Music (Sunnyside )
- Russ Lossing: Motian Music (Sunnyside)
- Rymden: Reflections & Odysseys
- SEED Ensemble: Driftglass
- SLM (Mark Dresser and Sarah Weaver): Source (Liminal)
- Sam Harris: Harmony
- Sam Newsome: Straight Horn of Africa - A Path of Liberation (Baby)
- Satoko Fujii and KAZE: Rafale
- Scott Dubois: Landscape Scripture
- Snarky Puppy: Immigrance
- Steve Lehman Octet: Mise En Abime (Pi)
- Steve Lehman Trio + Craig Taborn: The People I Love (Pi)
- Steve Swell: Kanreki (Not Two)
- SuperBigmouth: Lightcap (Pyroclastic)
- Sylvie Courvoisier Trio: D’Agala (Intakt)
- Taylor Ho Bynum 9-Tette: The Ambiguity Manifesto (Firehouse 12)
- Taylor Ho Bynum: Enter The Plus Tet (Firehouse 12)
- Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science: Waiting Game (Motema)
- Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science: Waiting Game (Motema)
- The Westerlies: Wish the Children Would Come On Home (Songlines)
- Theo Croker: Star People Nation
- Theon Cross: Fyah
- Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Shadow Man
- Tim Berne: Incidentals
- Tom Harrell: Infinity (HighNote)
- Tom Harrell: Colors Of A Dream (HighNote)
- Tomas Fujiawara: Triple Double
- Tomasz Stanko New York Quartet: Wislawa
- Trio 3 & Vijay Iyer: Wiring (Intakt Records)
- Troyka: Ornithophobia
- Tyshawn Sorey & Marilyn Crispell: The Adornment of Time (Pi)
- Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Alloy (Pi)
- Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum Of Variables (Pi)
- Tyshawn Sorey: Verisimilitude (Pi)
- Unity Group: Kin (Nonesuch Records)
- Uri Caine: The Passion of Octavius Catto (816 Music)
- Uri Caine: The Passion of Octavius Catto (816 Music)
- Vijay Iyer & Craig Taborn: The Transitory Poems (ECM)
- Vijay Iyer Trio: Break Stuff
- Vijay Iyer: Accelerando
- Wadada Leo Smith: Najwa (TUM)
- Wadada Leo Smith: Rosa Parks (TUM )
- Wadada Leo Smith: Pure Love - An Oratorio of Seven Songs (TUM)
- Wayne Shorter: Emanon (Blue Note)
- Whit Dickey: Peace Planet / Box of Light
- Yazz Ahmed: Polyhymnia
- Zooid: In For A Penny In For A Pound (PI)
|