Favorite Jazz Albums of 2023

 

 

I was doing a lot of work around the house, like painting, back in October and I was growing tired of my usual playlists. So I was happy when I stumbled on some 2023 jazz releases I hadn't heard. That set me off on a jazz binge over the last three months of the year which was so fun because I discovered all sorts of new stuff, enough that I could make a year-end list and mix.

I hope to continue diving into new jazz artists and recordings next year. While I love all my old jazz albums from Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, etc., it was exciting to seek out new stuff the same way I am constantly on the lookout for new music in the ambient sphere or in the indie rock scene. I see so many people get hung up on the latest reissues of a classic jazz recordings that I wonder if they ever take the time to appreciate any of the excellent new music being released.

Full list of my favorite Jazz Albums of 2023 in alphabetical order:

• Ancient Infinity Orchestra - River of Light
• Anja Lauvdal - Farewell to Faraway Friends (wurlitzer improvisations 2021-23)
• Arooj Aftab, Vijay lyer, Shahzad Ismaily - Love in Exile
• Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal & Emile Parisien & Vincent Peirani - Les Egares
• Dave Easley - Ballads
• Daniel Villarreal - Lados B
• Dhafer Youssef - Street of Minarets
• EABS & Jaubiln - Search of a Better Tomorrow
• Eli Keszler - LIVE
• Fire! Orchestra - Echoes
• Girls in Airports - How It is Now
• Kamaal Williams - Stings
• Mette Henriette - Drifting
• Pat Metheny - Dream Box
• Peace Flag Ensemble - Astral Plains
• Peter Somuah - Letter to the Universe
• Phi-Psonics - Octava
• Scree - Jasmine On A Night In July
• Scrimshire - Paroxysm
• Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley, Brian Blade - Dance of the Elders
• Yoni Mayraz - Dybbuk Tse!
• Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music

 

LINKS TO EACH ALBUM:

 

Ancient Infinity Orchestra - River of Light:

https://ancientinfinityorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/river-of-light

 

Anja Lauvdal - Farewell to Faraway Friends (wurlitzer improvisations 2021-23):

https://anjalauvdal.bandcamp.com/album/farewell-to-faraway-friends-vol-1-2

 

Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily - Love in Exile:

https://shop.loveinexile.net/

 

Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal & Emile Parisien & Vincent Peirani - Les Egares:

https://sissokosegalparisienpeirani.bandcamp.com/album/les-gar-s-3

 

Dave Easley - Ballads:

https://daveeasley.bandcamp.com/album/ballads

 

Daniel Villarreal - Lados B:

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/lados-b

 

Dhafer Youssef - Street of Minarets:

https://www.amazon.com/Street-Minarets-Dhafer-Youssef/dp/B0BLFKCLQ4

 

EABS & Jaubiln - Search of a Better Tomorrow:

https://eabs.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of-a-better-tomorrow

 

Eli Keszler - LIVE:

https://elikeszler.bandcamp.com/album/live

 

Fire! Orchestra - Echoes:

https://fireorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/echoes

 

Girls in Airports - How It is Now:

https://girlsinairports.bandcamp.com/album/how-it-is-now

 

Kamaal Williams - Stings:

https://kamaalwilliams.bandcamp.com/album/stings-2

 

Mette Henriette - Drifting:

https://ecmrecords.com/product/drifting-mette-henriette/

 

Pat Metheny - Dream Box:

https://stores.portmerch.com/patmetheny/

 

Peace Flag Ensemble - Astral Plains:

https://peaceflagensemble.bandcamp.com/album/astral-plains

 

Peter Somuah - Letter to the Universe:

https://actrecords.bandcamp.com/album/letter-to-the-universe-2

 

Phi-Psonics - Octava:

https://phi-psonics.bandcamp.com/album/octava

 

Scree - Jasmine On A Night In July:

https://screeband.bandcamp.com/album/jasmine-on-a-night-in-july

 

Scrimshire - Paroxysm:

https://scrimshire.bandcamp.com/album/paroxysm

 

Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley, Brian Blade - Dance of the Elders:

https://ecmrecords.com/product/dance-of-the-elders-wolfgang-muthspiel-scott-colley-brian-blade/

 

Yoni Mayraz - Dybbuk Tse!:

https://yonimayraz.bandcamp.com/album/dybbuk-tse

 

Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music:

https://yussefdayes.bandcamp.com/album/black-classical-music

 

 

I hope you enjoy this crop of 2023 jazz albums as much as I did. Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Phi-Psonics - Lunar Reflections (Octava)
• 05:15    Girls in Airports - Yield (How It is Now)
• 10:00    Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music (Black Classical Music)
• 15:05    Scrimshire - Unity Gain (Paroxysm)
• 20:30    Anja Lauvdal - Siste hus (Farewell to Faraway Friends(wurlitzer improvisations 2021-23)
• 24:07    Mette Henriette - The 7th (Drifting)
• 24:37    Pat Metheny - The Waves Are Not The Ocean (Dream Box)
• 30:06    Arooj Aftab, Vijay lyer, Shahzad Ismaily - Haseen Thi (Love in Exile)
• 37:50    EABS & Jaubiln - Tomorrow (Search of a Better Tomorrow)
• 42:00    Yoni Mayraz - 1999 (Dybbuk Tse!)
• 44:26    Daniel Villarreal - Sunset Cliffs (Lados B)
• 48:50    Dave Easley - Fleurette Africaine (Ballads)
• 52:22    Fire! Orchestra - I See Your Eye, Part 1 (Echoes)
• 1:02:10    Scree - Half-Death (Jasmine On A Night In July)
• 1:06:06    Kamaal Williams - City of God (Stings)
• 1:09:18    Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal & Emile Parisien & Vincent Peirani - Ta Nyé (Les Egares)
• 1:13:08    Peter Somuah - Green Path (Letter to the Universe)
• 1:16:36    Peace Flag Ensemble - You Can't Pin Joy Like A Moth (Astral Plains)
• 1:21:31    Ancient Infinity Orchestra - Niyama (River of light)
• 1:29:59    end