PopMatters' 18 Best Jazz Albums of 2024
This was another year of riches in the best jazz and creative music, with barriers between the tradition and the avant-garde melting away.
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Night Reign | Arooj Aftab | May-31-2024, Chamber Folk |
| #2 | Laugh Ash | Ches Smith | Feb-02-2024, |
| #3 | Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) | Darius Jones | Oct-04-2024, |
| #4 | Life Is Funny That Way | Fay Victor, Herbie Nichols SUNG | Apr-05-2024, |
| #5 | Like A Tree It Grows | Igmar Thomas’ Revive Big Band | Oct-25-2024, |
| #6 | The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis | The Messthetics, James Brandon Lewis | Mar-15-2024, Jazz-Rock |
| #7 | What Times Are These | Jamie Baum | Apr-05-2024, |
| #8 | Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love (feat. Luke Stewart, Anthony Pirog & Brian Settles) | Janel Leppin | Jun-28-2024, |
| #9 | Fearless Movement | Kamasi Washington | May-03-2024, Spiritual Jazz |
| #10 | Levs | Kim Cass | Jun-21-2024, |
| #12 | Cloudward | Mary Halvorson | Jan-19-2024, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #13 | Zealous Angles | Matt Mitchell | Aug-16-2024, |
| #14 | Endlessness | Nala Sinephro | Sep-06-2024, Jazz Fusion |
| #15 | Breaking Stretch | Patricia Brennan | Sep-06-2024, |
| #17 | The Susceptible Now | Tyshawn Sorey | Oct-11-2024, |
| #18 | Compassion | Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey | Feb-02-2024, Post-Bop |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Night Reign | Arooj Aftab | Album, May-31-2024, Chamber Folk |
| #2 | Laugh Ash | Ches Smith | Album, Feb-02-2024, |
| #3 | Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) | Darius Jones | Album, Oct-04-2024, |
| #4 | Life Is Funny That Way | Fay VictorHerbie Nichols SUNG | Album, Apr-05-2024, |
| #5 | Like A Tree It Grows | Igmar Thomas’ Revive Big Band | Album, Oct-25-2024, |
| #6 | The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis | The MesstheticsJames Brandon Lewis | Album, Mar-15-2024, Jazz-Rock |
| #7 | What Times Are These | Jamie Baum | Album, Apr-05-2024, |
| #8 | Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love (feat. Luke Stewart, Anthony Pirog & Brian Settles) | Janel Leppin | Album, Jun-28-2024, |
| #9 | Fearless Movement | Kamasi Washington | Album, May-03-2024, Spiritual Jazz |
| #10 | Levs | Kim Cass | Album, Jun-21-2024, |
| #12 | Cloudward | Mary Halvorson | Album, Jan-19-2024, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #13 | Zealous Angles | Matt Mitchell | Album, Aug-16-2024, |
| #14 | Endlessness | Nala Sinephro | Album, Sep-06-2024, Jazz Fusion |
| #15 | Breaking Stretch | Patricia Brennan | Album, Sep-06-2024, |
| #17 | The Susceptible Now | Tyshawn Sorey | Album, Oct-11-2024, |
| #18 | Compassion | Vijay IyerLinda May Han OhTyshawn Sorey | Album, Feb-02-2024, Post-Bop |