Doug Hall's Choice of Top Jazz Recordings Of 2021

To echo the converging sentiments and “high-fives” for a slew of extraordinary releases under a continued full-frontal assault of Covid Revenge part 2, there is a lot to embrace. I found myself sweeping though streaming releases and recordings of a vast variety of jazz genre. Seeing new faces and old and making discoveries. Such a wide ranging source of jazz material for 2021 that one needs an extra ear. Contributions from legends like Chick Corea (posthumous) and Pharoah Sanders, to eclectic contemporary journeys by artists Sons of Kemet, Alfa Mist and then there’s just the luscious blend of mesmerizing vocal ranges from stellar jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding and the dense ascending compositions of Vijay Iyer. And a folksy heartfelt acoustic blues, rooted in America’s past by Eric Bibb. And, of course, all the exceptional accompanying musicians on all these releases and more. A feast for the listening table.