The close of the year is upon us, so here’s my 2024 music review. I’m changing things up slightly this time and expanded my lists to put out two separate selections of favorite albums. I’ll start off my 2024 review with a list of favorite jazz and other instrumental-focused albums. Part 2 of my favorite albums will cover everything else genre-wise that I’ve been listening to, and then I’ll finish with a list of favorite songs as usual.
I’ve been listening to more jazz over the last few years and 2024 has been so rich in wonderful new finds that I just couldn’t find a way to mash them into a top twenty list with everything else. Keep in mind though, this first list isn’t entirely jazz music. Some can safely be lumped in that genre – a few of these albums are wonderfully traditional or modern takes on classic jazz foundations – but many bleed across fuzzy boundaries into areas that are labeled ambient, minimalist, drone, funk, Afrobeat, or electronic. There’s also one folky, guitar album – and then there’s whatever you want to call Colin Stetson’s music.
Regardless of the categories, or any potential preconceived notions you might have about certain music labels, I hope you find new music to enjoy as you browse this list and the rest of my 2024 review. Cheers!
1. People of the Fast Flowing River, Work Money Death
In just four tracks of long-form, improvised work this album covers a lot of space – and it’s all captivating. I’ve seen the album referred to as “spiritual jazz,” and while I couldn’t give you a good definition for that genre tag I would have no problem saying this is the soundtrack I want for my spiritual awakening.
2. 11:11, Carlos Bice
It’s a warm, summer evening. I’m stretched out in a large, comfortable rocking chair on the front porch. A fragrant breeze rises up with the moonlight and looks to build into a summer storm. I begin to drift back and forth across the edge of sleep. At some point, my mind wonders how the evening winds have conjured such beautiful, cascading melodies from the neighbor’s wind chimes… or am I just dreaming.
3. Owl Song, Ambrose Akinmusire
Akinmusire’s trumpet arrives with such a delicate, sometimes strained, and fleeting nature in these songs that I feel the urge to stop whatever I’m doing and just enjoy the spell that’s been created.
4. Adrift, Soren Skov Orbit
Saxophone led, these are improvised compositions with modern jazz flare and elements of African-inspired percussion.
5. A New Beat, Ulysses Owens Jr and Generation Y
I would guess that drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. is one of the biggest and most established names in today’s jazz scene. I could see there being a point where he becomes something akin to the next Wynton Marsalis. Like Marsalis, he is not just a gifted jazz talent with a broad musical pallet but he’s also a strong advocate, ambassador, and champion of jazz itself. This project is a wonderful illustration of that as he’s brought together a band filled with the new generation of jazz talent to highlight who we should be watching in the future, including a feature from Sarah Hanahan who shows up again later in this list.
6. Endlessness, Nala Sinephro
In my preface, I alluded to the blurring of genre boundaries and this is probably the most blurred. Some call it an ambient album. Some call it a jazz album. Obviously it doesn’t matter who is right – just listen and let yourself fall into the world Sinephro and her collaborators have constructed.
7. A Willed and Conscious Balance, Tomin
Uplifting is the word I’d use. There’s an impression of warmth and light throughout and when an album can overcome my preconceived, anti jazz flute bias you know it must be good.
8. Is This Water, divr
Intricate yet intimate and playful music from a piano lead trio. This is modern jazz that sounds at times almost like contemporary classical or verges into experimental, particularly in the albums later tracks. The pieces are composed not with a straight time signature but instead using “multi-directional time… It’s not done with maths, it’s more about entering a flow.” While I have a hard time wrapping my head around what that means, the flow is evident as well as the magic that can be generated from improvised music.
9. Small Medium Large, SML
Another delightful genre mystery. I’d say this is improvised jazz that’s been run through an electronic mixer to be diced, sliced, and reconstituted into something entirely unique.
10. Tension, Mulatu Astatke and the Hoodna Orchestra
Imagine you find yourself living inside a 1950’s Technicolor romantic-adventure movie, set in some unnamed Egyptian city. You walk out of the crowded street and into a smoky bar filled with the sound of a jazz orchestra – but this is no Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman led band and this movie is definitely not set in Kansas.
11. TRUE STORY, Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O
Many jazz albums draw their strength from the collective improvisation of the assembled musicians. TRUE STORY’s power builds very intentionally from the unique, courageous voice of trombonist Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O.
12. The Love it Took to Leave You, Colin Stetson
Understanding the specifics of how Stetson creates and plays his music makes the listening experience astounding and mysterious. In this new album he’s more potent and visceral than ever before. Be warned though, this is no pleasant listen – this is an album that will likely haunt your dreams. Stetson has channeled his talent and physical might into something that is staggering and portentous. It may not be an album I will listen to frequently, but it is absolutely one I can’t stop thinking about.
13. Precipice, Ill Considered
Ten tracks of improvised “free” jazz fronted by Idris Rahman’s blazing tenor saxophone – but I think it’s the cohesion of the rhythm section that gives these recordings their warmth and vitality.
14. STAY, Julieta Eugenio
Backed by a solid rhythm section, this is an album of relatively straight forward jazz originals with subtle dashes of Latin flavor that could give away Eugenio’s Argentinian roots. But really, it’s all about her tone. She may be a “young, up and comer” but that’s a tone any great sax player would admire.
15. Dance, No One’s Watching, Ezra Collective
It really doesn’t matter if anyone is watching, you’re going to dance anyway.
16. Among Giants, Sarah Hanahan
There are an incredible number of female saxophone players leading the charge these days. I hesitate to dwell on which musicians are women as it shouldn’t matter in how we hear their music. But I’ve listened to interviews with Hanahan and I’m sure there have been times when she’s been underestimated and overlooked because she’s a young woman with an unassuming background. Those people made a big mistake – she is confident, determined, immensely talented and this album showcases it all.
17. Tapestry, Vazesh
Mysterious and ethereal improvised music that seems to arrive from some far off corner of the world we dream to explore. Oh, and did I mention there’s a bass clarinet?
18. Dream Rain, Peter Webber
I’m not particularly knowledgeable about primitive guitar music and I don’t know much about this artist (I think he may have a connection with Portland) but this album stood out to me immediately. It’s simple yet imaginative, with a diverse set of beautiful compositions that leave you wanting more.
19. Jamie Saft Trio Plays Monk, Jamie Saft Trio
I am not a Monk scholar so I don’t feel fully qualified to judge how well Saft honors the work of that legendary figure with this album. But what my ears hear is three musicians making wonderful, playful jazz that calls back to the greatness of past giants even if I don’t recognize exactly why.
And for an Honorable Mention:
Sunday Morning Put-On, Andrew Bird Trio
So this one’s a bit different – not “jazz,” but rather “midcentury jazz” – a collection of jazz standards (plus one original). I’m a big Andrew Bird fan so this album was probably destined to be catnip for my ears and I think anyone would be hard pressed not to be delighted. And as advertised, it makes for the perfect Sunday morning soundtrack.
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