THE BEST 30 JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2022
A SELECTION BY FILIPE FREITAS
TYSHAWN SOREY TRIO
MESMERISM
Yeros 7 Music
"… this is music made with a striking degree of intelligence. Tradition gives a newfound perspective to Sorey’s artistic genius."
JOE LOVANO / JAKOB BRO
ONCE AROUND THE ROOM
ECM Records
“… as an inspired work of rare talents, you’ll want to spin it over and over again."
miles okazaki
thisness
Pi Recordings
"Disarming and triumphant with its advanced level of sophistication, Thisness is Okazaki’s masterpiece."
nduduzo makhathini
in the spirit of ntu
Blue Note Records
"Makhathini marvels, daubing his music in color and rhythm, liveliness and poignancy, spirituality and emotion."
myra melford
for the love of fire and water
RogueArt
"This is a stunning debut for Melford’s new quintet. Anyone with a fondness for this kind of sound should find a lot to enjoy here."
cecil mclorin salvant
ghost song
Nonesuch Records
"Without stretching the duration of the songs and putting her lyrical melodies in perpetual motion, Salvant has in Ghost Song a work of ardent ambition and a career highlight."
immanuel wilkins
the 7th hand
Blue Note Records
"… strikes with the force of a comet and wows, whether through abrasive sections built with consummate torrents of sound or conciliatory moments of simplicity and restraint."
the bad plus
the bad plus
Edition Records
"It’s one of the year’s highlights to explore repeatedly and in depth."
kirk knuffke trio
gravity without airs
TAO Forms
"The possibilities of the material are vast and the trio constantly catches and opens our ears with sublime excursions marked by cohesiveness and expansiveness."
mark guiliana
the sound of listening
Edition Records
"This album will surprise those who think they have listened to everything this band has to offer."
mark turner quartet
return from the stars
ECM Records
"… all eight pieces on this album reveal high levels of musicianship, maturity and chemistry."
mary halvorson
amaryllis
Nonesuch Records
"That’s what you get when you have the gift for structured composition and the back of a stupendous cast of players who trust one another implicitly. "
ches smith
interpret it well
Pyroclastic Records
"Smith continues to expose his musical excellence with another exceptional and fully realized recording."
avram fefer quartet
juba lee
Clean Feed
"Fefer puts a liberating emotional focus in everything he does."
julian lage
view with a room
Blue Note Records
"This recording, displaying the magnitude of the composer’s gifts, exudes virtuosity and sincerity all around."
makaya mccraven
in these times
International Anthem
"… a spotlight for his entrancing rhythms and adroit arrangements, with soul, jazz, funk, and dub rippling across sonic fabrics"
charles lloyd
trios: chapel
Blue Note Records
"The tremendous rapport between these three instrumentalists couldn’t be more transparent and the music is the natural product of their musical talents."
walter smith iii & matthew stevens
in common III
Whirlwind Recordings
"This is a classy and entrancing contemporary work with exceptional combinations of sounds."
jon irabagon
rising sun
Irabbagast Records
“Abounding in freshness, this is a pure saxophone treat that shows why Irabagon is one of the most foremost saxophonists of our times.”
david murray’s brand new world trio
seriana promethea
Intakt Records
"If you like your avant-garde jazz accessible, with lots of great melody and groove, this is a great addition."
billy mohler
anatomy
Contagious Music
"… consists of an utterly satisfying set of tunes that, being straightforward in the flow and impeccable in the sound, stands tall in its own."
caleb wheeler curtis
heat map
Imani Records
"Brimming with mesmeric ideas, these compositions gain insight into multiple depths of field and modern color palettes."
john escreet
seismic shift
Whirlwind Recordings
"Escreet fires up this blazing new trio with creative explosion, making clear he’s here to stay as one of the most talented pianists around."
bennie maupin / adam rudolph
symphonic tone poem for brother yusef
Strut Records
"This is a gracefully executed work where their purity of vision and sense of modernity are going strong."
marquis hill
new gospel revisited
Edition Records
"Extraordinary, fresh energy stems from the material included in this thoroughly enjoyable recording where six performers play at their peaks."
erik friedlander
a queens’ firefly
Skipstone Records
"A Queens’ Firefly is an exciting album in many ways, and Friedlander’s fantastic compositions seemed to have encouraged his cohorts to play them with gusto."
dan weiss trio
dedication
Cygnus Recordings
"This program relies on curious musical architectures that make us experience freedom while constantly waiting for surprises. And they never fail to appear."
a. cyrille / w. Parker / E. rava
2 blues for cecil
TUM Records
"These brilliant musicians, who often write with improvisation in mind, are constantly open to ideas, remaining alert and responsive to every sound that surrounds them."
chad taylor trio
the reel
Astral Spirits
"What’s more striking is that there are no weak moments on The Reel, an album that holds one’s interest on account of emotional honesty and a refreshing musical imagination"
triio
six-ish plateaus
Elastic Recordings
"Profuse in ideas, these compositions are strong enough to stand up proudly in the modern jazz sphere."