The 20 best new jazz albums of 2024: Jazzwise critics' poll
Sunday, December 1, 2024
True class, they say, has no age limit. It’s not often that a 24-year-old singer takes the prestigious Jazzwise New Release Album of the Year award – voted for by our team of expert editors and critics – but then Samara Joy is no ordinary 24-year-old singer. She began making her mark when still a teenager and has been wowing critics and listeners over the autumn with her third full-length album, Portrait. It’s not only fulfilment of her early promise, but also a stunning confirmation of her continued artistic growth.
The return of another rising star turned contemporary great, esperanza spalding, with her joyous collaborative album with Brazilian legend Milton Nascimento is nothing short of life-enhancing, and Charles Lloyd's undimmed creativity in his mid 80s is astonishing, releasing strong albums every year in the 2020s.
There were many excellent albums released in 2024: our contributors nominated a staggering 125 titles between them, demonstrating the depth and breadth of contemporary jazz, from the fringes of the avant-garde to the mainstream; and from heavyweights such as the evergreen David Murray and the prolific Pat Metheny, through to younger talents such as Ruth Goller and saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins.
1 Samara Joy
Portrait
Verve
'One of the most transcendent vocal performances I’ve heard this year...' Peter Quinn
2 Charles Lloyd
The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
Blue Note
'The invention and ingenuity and collective wisdom of Lloyd’s accompanists allow Lloyd’s improvisational magic to blossom..' Stuart Nicholson
3 Milton Nascimento and esperanza spalding
Milton + esperanza
Concord Jazz
'An unforgettable, life-affirming album and a loving paean to musical communion...' Peter Quinn
4 Mary Halvorson
Cloudward
Nonesuch
'Another triumph for Halvorson as composer/arranger and guiding spirit...' Andy Robson
5 James Brandon Lewis Quartet
Transfiguration
Intakt
'This latest release further strengthens the argument that Lewis really is a modern-day tenor titan...' Kevin Le Gendre
6 David Murray Quartet
Francesca
Intakt
'Murray may be defined by classic albums such as Home and Ming but this new work shows that he has lost none of his verve today...'
7 Pat Metheny
Moondial
BMG/Modern Recordings
'Metheny, a compelling soloist, be it electric or acoustic, hits the right mood here with performances of subtlety, nuance, warmth and humanity...' Stuart Nicholson
8 (ahmed)
Giant Beauty
Fönstret
'In the epic 45 minute re-imaginings of songs such as ‘African Bossa Nova’ and ‘rooh (the soul)’ there is a subversion of form that makes the original material a rich acorn from which springs the giant beauty of the title...' Kevin Le Gendre
9 Wadada Leo Smith/Amina Claudine Myers
Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens
Red Hook Records
'A sumptuous offering from two masters...' Kevin Le Gendre
10 John Surman
Words Unspoken
ECM
'Surman’s gift to us yet remains a thing of beauty...' Andy Robson
11 Empirical
Wonder Is The Beginning
Whirlwind Recordings
'The urgency and tight-knit ensemble play are still there, even if it’s a more mature, reflective development on previous albums...' Selwyn Harris
12 Aaron Parks
Little Big III
Blue Note
'The pianist-composer’s highly impressive return to the legendary label’s catalogue...' Selwyn Harris
13 Ruth Goller
Skyllumina
International Anthem
'An album by an artist with a gift and a vision, and doesn't reward repeated listening - it deserves it...' Jane Cornwell
14 Claire Martin
Almost In Your Arms
Stunt
'Produced, recorded and mixed by McMillan, who also contributes trumpet, flugel, keys and programming, the incredible clarity and spaciousness of the recorded sound captures Martin’s vocals to perfection...' Peter Quinn
15 Alina Bzhezhinska and Tony Kofi
Altera Vita
BBE
'Altera Vita sparkles with the sort of improvisational magic expected of players at the top of their game, with passages changing form, finding flow, conjuring shapes and angles, in ways surprising, soothing, thoughtful and rousing...' Jane Cornwell
16 Immanuel Wilkins
Blues Blood
Blue Note
'A fascinating Wilkins venture very different from its predecessors...' John Fordham
17 Melissa Aldana
Echoes of The Inner Prophet
Blue Note
'Echoes of the Inner Prophet is an album that succeeds in reinvigorating the jazz genre.' Selwyn Harris
18 Nubya Garcia
Odyssey
Concord Jazz
'This new album from the multi-award-winning tenorist, bandleader and composer, Nubya Garcia, which follows her 2020 release on Concord Jazz, Source, represents an inspiring sonic leap forward...' Peter Quinn
19 Zara McFarlane
Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan
Eternal Source Of Light
'An inspired and lovingly crafted homage...' Peter Quinn
20 Bill Frisell
Orchestras
Blue Note
'With the Brussels Philharmonic and Umbria Jazz orchestras, the chance comes to hear where his imagination takes him when the big backdrop is being painted by others...' John Fordham