Following last year’s bumper crop of albums, there were tons of good Jazz albums released in 2023. Narrowing it to my favorite 12 wasn’t easy, so my best attempt follows (without a whole lot of fuss about exact rank order.) A selection from each artist is included. Any of the following will likely to add much your listening and/or gift giving pleasure:
1. Billy Childs - The Winds of Change (Mack Avenue Records)
Veteran pianist and composer Billy Childs brought three top tier journeymen and leaders in their own right (trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade) into the studio to record five originals and two covers that some have described as cinematic. I’m inclined to agree and with each musician playing at their peak (and beyond) throughout, I could add several other descriptors starting with psychic and majestic. This album is best experienced the way it was created, though - deeply heard and profoundly felt.
2. Artemis - In Real Time (Blue Note Records)
This all female supergroup made a thunderous debut with its eponymous album of 2020. One could assume that the departure of uber-talented members Melissa Aldana and Anat Cohen might diminish its horsepower a bit. Think again! The established nucleus (trumpeter Ingrid Jenson, drummer Allison Miller, pianist/leader Renee Rosness, and bassist Noriko Ueda) combined efforts with new wind section members, Nicole Glover and Alexa Tarantino, to produce a rich assortment of originals complemented by a Lyle Mays and a Wayne Shorter piece - all the while proving there’s way more Artemis lightning than can be held in a bottle.
3. Brad Mehldau - Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles (Nonesuch Records)
At this point in his career, Brad Mehldau has firmly established his credentials as a master pianist and interpreter of Lennon and McCartney. The live solo piano performances of 10 Beatles tunes and David Bowie’s Life on Mars on this album poignantly display Mehldau’s abiding love of the Beatles cannon and his intimate rapport with the piano. In my opinion, Your Mother Should Know is a must have for any fan of Jazz piano music and/or the Beatles.
4. Maddie Vogler - While We Have Time (Origin Records)
Chicago area Alto Saxophonist, Composer, and High School Music Teacher, Maddie Vogler made a very impressive debut with this exploration of modern Jazz, her family, culture, identity, and relationship with her Cuban roots. The nine marvelously conceived original compositions on this album are were performed with heart, guts, and flawless execution. Vogler’s mentor trumpeter Tito Carrillo, guitarist Matt Gold, and the rest of the rhythm section contributed excellent performances individually and as a cohesive group.
5. Kendrick Scott - Corridors (Blue Note Records)
6. Jonathan Blake - Passage (Blue Note Records)
7. Linda May Han Oh - The Glass Hours (Biophilia Records)
8. Joshua Redman - Where Are We (Blue Note Records)
9. Jahari Sampley - Still Listening (Everlove Music Recordings/self-released)
10. Hiromi & Sonic Wonder - Sonic Wonderland (Telarc Records)
11. Ralph Towner - At First Light (ECM Records)
12. The Flying Horse Big Band - A Message From the Flying Horse Big Band (Flying Horse Records)
Other 2023 Jazz releases I found noteworthy and enjoyable were: John Bishop - Antwerp, Arthur Kell Speculation Quartet - Live at Lun’Atico, Gabriel Guerrero - Equilibrio, Keigo Hirakawa - Pixel, & Frank Kohl - Pacific (all on Origin Records); Terell Stafford - Between Two Worlds (Le Coq Records); Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, & Shahzad Ismaily - Love In Exile (ECM Records); Clark Sommers - Feast Ephemera (Irrabagast Records); Richard Baratta - Off the Charts (Savant Records); Jennifer Wharton’s Bonegasm - Grit & Grace (Sunnyside Records); and Veronica Swift - Veronica Swift (Mack Avenue Records).
