I usually listen to jazz at work while doing some computer maintenance or slogging through emails. I don't keep as close track of standout albums like I do with ambient and indie. So this is a collection of tracks that I happened to enjoy this year and of course they had to fit with the vibe of the whole mix.
My top 5 jazz albums are:
I cheated on number 5 and included two Oren Ambarchi albums, both of which aren't exactly jazz but I don't really know what genre they are so they get plopped into jazz. I absolutely love both albums and it's my list so I can do whatever I want. Number 4 on the list may not be jazz either as I had it in my top 10 for ambient albums. It's the perfect melding of the two genres. Makaya McCraven - In These Times has gotten a lot of mainstream attention and has shown up on a lot of year-end lists and it deserves it. The album by Vega Trails is essentially bass & wind instruments so it's nice and sparse which why I love it. Charles Lloyd - Trio of Trios is the most straightforward jazz and it's fantastic.
This is the last mix of 2022. Here's to another good musical year in 2023.
Cheers!
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