THE BEST 30 JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2020
A SELECTION BY FILIPE FREITAS
TIM BERNE’S SNAKEOIL
THE FANTASTIC MRS.10
Intakt Records
"Rarely an avant-jazz album possesses this unstoppable energy and fascination straight down the line.."
gard nilssen’s supersonic orchestra
if you listen carefully this music is yours
Odin Records
"If you listen carefully… you’ll find it thoroughly worth experiencing."
kurt rosenwinkel trio
angels around
Heartcore Records
"Rosenwinkel brings the full breath of his natural musicianship and spontaneity into this session… This is a gem not to be missed."
shabaka and the ancestors
we are sent here by history
Impulse! Records
"This sonic account is pure fascination and, consequently, a must-have."
the nels cline singers
share the wealth
Blue Note Records
"Touting nearly telepathic interplay, this thought-provoking record is an absolute joy for the ears…"
matthew shipp trio
THE unidentifiable
ESP-Disk
"This is such an elastic trio, whose immense resources take them wherever they want."
pat metheny
from this place
Nonesuch Records
"Conceived with perspective, developed with maturity, and sparkling with effulgence, this journey takes us to places worth visiting."
liberty ellman
last desert
Pi Recordings
"Ellman keeps pushing against conventions with his daring artistry, and we thank him for that."
immanuel wilkins
omega
Blue Note Records
"Breaking traditional harmonic and rhythmic patterns, Wilkins is a giant newcomer whose poise and musical maturity are beyond his years."
the end
allt ar intet
RareNoise
"Sometimes cryptic, demented on occasion, always bold and fascinating… The End keeps listeners on their toes."
eric revis
slipknots through a looking glass
Pyroclastic Records
"Estranging the familiar and seeking a creative path outside his orbit, Revis has always been inquisitive…"
charles lloyd
8: kindred spirits
Blue Note Records
"Kindred spirits indeed."
Not reviewed
mary halvorson’s code girl
artlessly falling
Firehouse 12 Records
"Halvorson, who always takes the jazz guitar to another dimension with such extraordinary talents, creates another powerful album."
ben wendel
high heart
Edition Records
"Venturing into the present and future, this is a thought-provoking album that gives continuity to the brilliant job Wendel has been doing in recent times."
rob mazurek’s exploding star orchestra
dimensional stardust
Nonesuch Records
"This sui generis body of work deserves praise."
quin kirchner
the shadows and the light
Astral Spirits
"This is an exciting album of rhythmic proficiency and stylistic variety. En route, you'll find countless pleasurable moments to savor with no redundancy."
maria schneider orchestra
data lords
Artist Share
"Schneider invites us to traverse fantastic orchestral paths elaborated with the same determination, passion and effectiveness demonstrated in previous works."
Tigran hamasyan
the call within
Nonesuch Records
"These expertly structured frameworks are designed with imagination and a perfect sense of direction."
ambrose akinmusire
on the tender spot of every calloused moment
Blue Note Records
"The trumpet work by Akinmusire is absolutely fantastic throughout, cutting across the underlying textures with acerbic twist, painful consciousness, and a fair dose of abstraction."
joel ross
who are you?
Blue Note Records
"Ross is a storyteller with an ample melodic and harmonic sense."
luke stewart
exposure quintet
Astral Spirits
"Stewart doesn’t seem the kind of player who stands still artistically. With this ensemble, he explores the unexpected with passion and intelligence."
sara serpa
recognition
Biophilia Records
"Serpa’s command of her voice is ravishing and her compositional prowess keeps evolving from record to record."
sun of goldfinger
congratulations to you
Screwgun Records
"Mastering texture, groove and free improv, Berne, Torn and Smith bring out the strengths in one another…"
avishai cohen
big vicious
ECM Records
"Revealing himself a musical chameleon, Avishai Cohen deserves acclaim for this exciting work."
andrew d’angelo
dna orchestra
Self released
"Motivational, emotive and revolutionary, this work is replete with perpendiculars, tangents and intersections…"
archie shepp / raw poetic / damu the fudgemunk
ocean bridges
Redefinition Records
"…an intoxicating marriage between jazz and hip-hop..."
christian sands
be water
Mack Avenue
"Sands' accomplished compositional style helped configuring Be Water with absorbing musical moments. This is clearly my first pick from the pianist's catalog."
brandon seabrook
exultations
Astral Spirits
"The originality and inventiveness of the trio translate into unconventional textures that make this experimental work starkly fascinating."
okuden quartet
every dog has its day…
ESP-Disk
"… explores concepts that tend toward exploratory cadences and the spirit of the self."
hedvig mollestad
ekhidna
Rune Grammofon
"Ready to conquer the scene with refreshing, powerful music, Mollestad deserves all the attention she can get. And she damn rocks!"