Sound Grammar: The Best Jazz Records of the Year So Far

I was invited by Tom Hull to participate in the Francis Davis Jazz Critics mid-year poll for 2024. Here are my favorite recordings for the year to date, both new releases and reissues/archival albums. You can see the poll results here.

New Releases

1. Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey: Compassion (ECM)

2. Julian Lage: Speak to Me (Blue Note)

3. Wadada Leo Smith, Amina Claudine Myers: Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens (Red Hook)

4. Mary Halvorson: Cloudward (Nonesuch)

5. Matthew Shipp: New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk)

6. Ethan Iverson: Technically Acceptable (Blue Note)

7. The New Mastersounds: Old School (One Note)

8. Abdullah Ibrahim: 3 (Gearbox)

9. Marta Sanchez Trio with Chris Tordini and Savannah Harris: Perpetual Void (Intakt)

10. Charles Lloyd: The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note)

RARA AVIS (Reissues/Archival)

1. Sonny Rollins: Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Elemental)

2. Sun Ra: Live at the Showcase in Chicago, 1976-77 (Jazz Detective)

3. Cannonball Adderley: Burnin’ in Bourdeaux Live in France, 1969 (Elemental)

4. Chet Baker and Jack Sheldon: Perfect Harmony, the Lost Album (Jazz Detective)

5. Yuseef Lateef: Atlantis Lullaby: the Avignon Concert (Elemental)

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