The albums we collectively felt were the best of 2024 (technically from Thanksgiving 2023 to Thanksgiving 2024) show a beautiful range of diverse voices. I don’t think any of us consciously chose our albums based on identifiers like race, gender, or nationality. The fact it is replete with musicians from around the globe – from Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and the United States, among others – speaks to the way the musical form has proliferated and, to some extent, obliterated cross-cultural divides. A pleasant – though long overdue- surprise was the number of female artists in our list. This is probably the first year where all of our top three were albums by a female leader or co-leader.

In our list below, ties are ordered alphabetically by the leader’s last name. Following the list are honorable mentions; recordings – including archival ones – that multiple members of our small group thought worthy of merit but did not make our collective top ten. We are excited to again have friends and journalists Jim Hynes and Anthony Dean-Harris – check out his awesome radio show on KMHD – return for it as well. — Rob Shepherd

7 (tie). Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code (Brainfeeder/Ninja Tune)

In their Brainfeeder label debut, the Australian quartet has released its tightest collection of songs since their debut. Less bogged down by exploration that could, at times, veer into downright wandering, the group has found their magnetic hooks, never loosens the reins, and steers properly into the right grooves. Hiatus Kaiyote has made the most infectious half-hour of 2024. – Anthony Dean-Harris

7 (tie). Miguel Zenon – Golden City (Miel)

There is a tendency to view any major metropolis with either gray or rose-tinted glasses. The city that once stole Tony Bennett’s heart is now derided by some others as an out-of-touch mecca of crime and homelessness that many are fleeing. The proximity of San Francisco’s glimmering landmark to its infamous prison is perhaps the most symbolic of these extremes. However, neither perspective depicts a fully accurate picture. Golden City, Zenón’s SFJAZZ commissioned suite neither glorifies nor denigrates but instead shows a great love for the City by the Bay by exploring its beauty, even with its warts.

The Caribbean hues of “Cultural Corridor” celebrate the city’s different cultural districts and how they coalesce into a diverse whole. But it’s done without glossing over the racial injustice that existed, and to some extent, still does. “Acts Of Exclusion” sonically explores the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, while “9066” reflects upon Japanese internment camps. The work carries these problems to the present struggles with gentrification on “Displacement and Erasure” but also notes the  “Power of Community.” It is all done with top-notch musicianship by an ensemble that features Miles Okazaki, Matt Mitchell, Dan Weiss, Chris Tordini, and Jacob Garchik. – Rob Shepherd

7 (tie). Milton Nascimento and esperanza spalding – Milton + esperanza  (Concord)

Making an album with Nascimento is a dream come true for spalding, and with how impressive Milton + esperanza is, it definitely sounds like one… Milton + esperanza is a radiant collaboration of chemistry that could be cultivated only by deep mutual admiration. It’s a fantastic album – a stunning reminder of spalding and Nascimento’s talents that should please fans and newcomers alike. – Brian Kiwanuka, an excerpt from his more thorough review. 

7 (tie). Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra – Tension (Batov)

Even into his eighties, the father of Ethio-jazz is still pushing the sensual and mystical aura of his art form into new territory. In this case, we find his vibraphone backed by the Hoodna Orchestra, a Tel Aviv-based Afro-funk ensemble. Originally focused on Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, the band’s meeting with Astatke brings a pan-Africanism to the album, along with hues of psychedelic rock, funk, soul, and a tinge of Middle Eastern music. A piece like the late-night noirish “Hatula” evokes not only the music Astatke helped invent, but also a klezmer-infused element. The transcontinental dialogues on Tension are, despite the album’s suggestive title, not only compatible but complementary of one another. Further, the unique assortment of stylistic influences adds a timelessness to the record. The record incomprehensibly sounds simultaneously thoroughly contemporary and as though they were dug out of some crate digger’s secret stash of long-forgotten treasures. – Rob Shepherd 

6. Steve Coleman – Polytropos/Of Many Turns (Pi)

The epithet polytropos comes from the very first line of “The Odyssey” and one translation, “of many turns,” is the subtitle of this double album from the protean Steve Coleman and Five Elements. Like the hero of Homer’s epic poem, Coleman has voyaged widely since releasing the first Five Elements recording, World Expansion (JMT, 1986), thirty-eight years (can it be?) ago. Pay attention to that title, which could serve as a modus vivendi for Coleman’s wanderings in search of extramusical systems to apply to his already singular compositional voice.

This time, his focus is on how chain molecules structure themselves to form amino acids. Heady stuff, for sure, and understanding how Coleman adapted this knowledge to his music is beyond my purview. He’s working on an exalted level of multidisciplinary synthesis here.

That much is new, but all the familiar building blocks of Coleman’s musical signature are present on PolyTropos / Of Many Turns —the interlocking, layered rhythms inspired by Afro-Cuban systems, the sudden changes of direction, staccato melodic fragments (Coleman calls them glyphs) from which dazzling crystals of improvisation spread like lab-grown diamonds (or maybe chains of amino acids).

On alto saxophone, Coleman’s halogen-bulb tone is as strong and clear as ever. If anything, trumpeter Johnathan Finlayson matches him for quick reflexes and on-the-spot inventiveness. Bassist Rich Brown, an essential part of Toronto’s undervalued music scene, is new to the ensemble; he joined the band for their 2024 tour of France from which these recordings were taken. Like  Anthony Tidd, Brown often taps out the rhythmic code on which these compositions are built, bumping out the root with dublike solidity. The real hero of the recording, though, is drummer Sean Rickman who sprays accents around the beat while giving the music a bounce and lift that would be right at home in the go-go bands in which he plays. My foot tapped continuously for nearly the entire two-and-a-half-hour duration of the set.

PolyTropos / Of Many Turns feels less like a startlingly new direction for Coleman than a summation, consolidation, and distillation of everything he has learned over the decades, all refined to their purest essence. It’s also a reminder that Coleman has authored the source code for much of the most exciting music being made today, an authentic world expansion. Yet even at sixty-eight, it’s hard to imagine that the voyager finally reached his Ithaca. This man of many turns never stays in one place for long. – John Chacona 

4 (tie). Jeremy Pelt – Tomorrow’s Another Day (Highnote)

Nearly every year for over twenty years, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt has released a new album, always with a different concept in mind. This year, with percussionist Deantoni Parks sitting in for three songs, Pelt halfway made a house record and found even more places to go for the rest of it. Through it all, he consistently innovates and grabs attention as he has his whole career, resulting in one of his most fascinating albums in nearly a decade. – Anthony Dean-Harris

4 (tie). Rita Payés – De camino al camino (Sony España)

Even listeners who know Rita Payés for her trombone skill or the soothing, often bossa nova-tinged albums alongside her mom, Elisabeth Roma, may be surprised by the artistic evolution in De camino al camino. Unlike the Catalan musician’s previous recordings, the album is entirely Payés originals, except for “Alma en Vilo”, composed by her brother, Eudald Payés. The result is a delightful mix of Payés’ influences, two of the most evident being Latin American folk and jazz. One of the most potent examples is “Se Transformará”, where the dazzling interplay between acoustic guitar and string quartet builds towards a great horn arrangement. Payés ties the composition together superbly with beautiful singing and a skillful trombone solo. “Tantas Cosas”, which has Payés poetically reflecting on life in light of becoming a mother, is less grand but equally powerful. Listening to the enchanting combination of graceful singing and intricately plucked and bowed strings, anyone would be forgiven for not guessing that this is the first time Payés has composed string arrangements for a recording. Every song on De camino al camino is impressive – the album is a spectacular example of a musician coming into their own. – Brian Kiwanuka 

3. Mary Halvorson – Cloudward (Nonesuch)

Mary Halvorson has one of the most recognizable instrumental voices in jazz. A perennial poll winner, she wields a flinty attack on her hollow-body Guild guitar like a paleontologist chipping away layers of rock to uncover the precious object within. This is remarkable, but don’t let it distract you from her superpower, which seems to be as a composer and arranger for medium-sized ensembles.

Her twin releases Amaryllis (Nonesuch, 2022) and Belladonna (Nonesuch, 2022) were impressive enough to top PostGenre’s list of the Best of 2022. Yet somehow, Cloudward exceeds the high standard Halvorson has established for herself with a program of eight compositions that unfold with startling effortlessness and fluency. At every turn, Halvorson’s compositional choices surprise and delight while sounding like they could unfold only this way. This is not simple music, yet it is as readable and easy to enjoy as a children’s song.

A lot of credit must go to the eye-popping ensemble from Amaryllis and Belladonna that returns intact on Cloudward: trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, trombonist Jacob Garchik, and the rhythm section of bassist Nick Dunston and Halvorson’s longtime collaborator drummer Tomas Fujiwara. The secret ingredient is vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, as distinctive a composer and player on her instrument as Halvorson is on guitar. With a dab of pedaled shimmer here or a prodding rhythmic figure there, Brennan makes the band sound bigger and more colorful. The combination of vibes and guitar gives Halvorson’s music an aqueous pearlescence that can be ravishing. There’s even a cameo from Laurie Anderson, who plays violin on one cut.

In the rush to compile these year-end lists, it’s easy to forget recordings that were issued in the first weeks of the new year. Though it was released when 2024 was only a couple of weeks old, there was no forgetting Cloudward, a title that appropriately describes the trajectory of Mary Halvorson’s already memorable career. – John Chacona

Check out our interview with Mary Halvorson on Cloudward here and Brian Kiwanuka’s review of the album here.  

2. Patricia Brennan Septet – Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)

The striking way vibraphonist Patricia Brennan incorporates horns into her compositional style takes her music to exciting new heights on Breaking Stretch. Knotty collective improvisation between trumpet (Adam O’Farril), alto (Jon Irabagon), and tenor sax (Mark Shim) leads towards an alluring descending theme on “Breaking Stretch”. A large part of the tune is incredible soloing by Irabagon and Shim. The title track shows that Brennan has a talent for writing engaging percussive horn parts, which is key to the power of “Palo de Oros (Suit of Coins).” Kim Cass’ bass starts the tune off with a harmonic-drenched solo that introduces the motif, which is then played with alarming fury by the horn section as the rest of the rhythm section (Marcus Gilmore on drums and Hector Herrera on percussion) rushes in. The horns shift between blending together and countering one another in captivating ways, and Brennan’s solo is outstanding. Brennan’s septet does not falter throughout the album’s almost hour runtime. Regardless of whether the band is playing a moody, atmospheric lament (“Mudanza (States of Change)”) or doing the exact opposite while being driven by Herrera’s explosive percussion (“Los Otros Yo (The Other Selves)”), the performances are always top-notch. Breaking Stretch is a fantastic record that goes above and beyond expectations – a must listen for fans of creative music. – Brian Kiwanuka 

Check out our interview with Patricia Brennan on this album here. 

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

For generations, musicians have attempted to transport listeners to locales through sound. Everything from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”’s depiction of the countryside to the steep peaks of John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” have evoked the grandeur and magnitude of specific places. One should be cautioned against thinking that Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake Paths and Gardens is a similar work in its ability to share the natural magnificence of New York’s great park. Make no mistake, you can see the shifting colors of the sky and the shimmer of light against water. You can feel the radiance of sunlight and the briskness of wind. But all of that is only part of the record.

Instead, Central Park – including its rich use of space and silence – is a testament to the power of peace and reflection. The warmth of an upbringing in rural Arkansas and the rejoicing spirits of Albert Ayler and John Lennon are just as much at home in this splendorous environment as the album’s namesakes. Each time you listen, deeper levels of subtleties and shades of beauty reveal themselves like the slowly opening pedals of a vibrantly colored flower. Such can come only from those who have fully immersed themselves in the power of music to the extent of these two living legends of the AACM. – Rob Shepherd

Check out our conversations with both masters on this album here. 

Honorable Mentions- The following are albums on the lists (10 choices) or extended lists (more than 10) of two or more writers, sorted alphabetically by the artist’s last name. It seemed these recordings were worth honoring as well. We have also included archival recordings for this category:

Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few- The Almighty (Division 81) – check out our interview with Collier on this album, here. 

Alice Coltrane – Live at Carnegie Hall (Impulse!)

Julian Lage – Speak to Me (Blue Note)

Charles Lloyd – The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note) 

The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!)  – check out our interview with Messthetics guitarist, Anthony Pirog, on this album, here. 

Sonny Rollins – Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance)

Jenny Scheinman – All Species Parade (Royal Potato Family)

Wayne Shorter – Celebration Vol. 1 (Blue Note) – check out our interview with Danilo Perez and John Patitucci, at this summer’s Newport Jazz Festival, on this album and the legacy of Wayne Shorter. 

Nala Sinephro, Endless (Warp)

Ches Smith – Laugh Ash (Pyroclastic) – check out our interview with Ches Smith on this album, here. 

McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson: Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs 1966 (Blue Note Records) 

Immanuel Wilkins – Blues Blood (Blue Note)

Stay tuned for individual lists by Anthony Dean-Harris and Rob Shepherd