The year saw promising debut albums and breakthrough efforts by up-and-coming artistic voices like Nicky Schrire, Yussef Dayes, and Matt Greenwood.
It was also a year of firsts even for established artists, such as Joshua Redman’s first vocal album and Gregory Porter’s first holiday album, as well as re-emergences like Kenny Barron’s first solo piano album in four decades and Hilario Durán’s return to a big band for the first time in 17 years.
And while we enjoyed newly unearthed gems in the form of archival releases from legends like Nina Simone, Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans, and Dave Brubeck, we were also treated to a number of contemporary names paying tribute to the forebears that inspired them, such as Duncan Hopkins honouring Kenny Wheeler, Adi Braun sharing her love of Cole Porter, Brad Mehldau’s take on The Beatles, Joe Alterman’s tip of the cap to Les McCann, and Wynton Marsalis’s revitalization of Louis Armstrong classics.
Amidst all of this great music, some of it stood out above the rest. Here are 20 of our favourite albums of 2023.
Canadian Jazz Collective – Septology: The Black Forest Session
When jazz greats like Kirk MacDonald, Lorne Lofsky, and Derrick Gardner come together, you know you’re going to get something special. Add in Virginia MacDonald, Brian Dickinson, Neil Swainson and Bernd Reiter, and you’ve got the supergroup called the Canadian Jazz Collective. Embracing the power of the septet, co-leaders MacDonald, Lofsky, and Gardner showcase their mastery in composition while allowing every musician their own space to shine. This debut album was recorded at Most Perfect Sound studios in Germany, located on the edge of the Black Forest. (Fun fact: This studio was one of Oscar Peterson’s favourite places to record.) From swing and bop to contemporary jazz, this album has something for everyone. —Raina Hersh
Cécile McLorin Salvant – Mélusine
Cécile McLorin Salvant’s seventh album Mélusine takes its title and inspiration from a legend from the Middle Ages about a half-serpent, half-woman. It’s a story that resonated with the multiple Grammy winner, whose life as a Black woman raised in Miami by a Haitian father and French mother has resulted in the “feeling of being a hybrid, a mixture of different cultures,” as she puts it. Mélusine is fittingly captivating, with transcendent performances on five originals and nine interpretations. Salvant mixes her own material with songs dating as far back as the 12th century, mostly sung in French along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyòl. Together, it brings the European folkloric figure to life with vivid musicality. —Walter Venafro
Joey Alexander – Continuance
Joey Alexander seems to be on best-of-the-year lists every year. He’s released seven albums over the last eight years, each of them commendable. But the 20-year-old has really found his stride on this new album Continuance, recorded for the first time with his touring trio of bassist Kris Funn and drummer John Davis along with the talented trumpet player Theo Croker also appearing on four of the tunes. The compositions are always the strongest part of any Joey Alexander recording, and that’s saying something when you’re talking about the prodigious piano talent that Alexander possesses. As strong as those original compositions are, his rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” is an absolute standout. —Brad Barker
Brandee Younger – Brand New Life
Brandee Younger’s Brand New Life reflects the harpist’s continuously graceful and audacious evolution. She’s an outlier in the most respectful sense: She gives the instrument a place among the genre’s stars, without being welded to a single genre. Younger pushes the envelope and takes jazz into further-out corners. Inspired by the artistry of one of jazz harp’s pioneers, Dorothy Ashby, Younger blasts off from that launching pad into a soundscape of her own signature jazz and soul expression. —John Devenish
Jane Bunnett and Maqueque – Playing With Fire
The latest release from Jane Bunnett and Maqueque is a further evolution of this spectacular all-woman tour de force. This recording captures the Juno-winning and Grammy-nominated group’s exhilarating energy, further infused by the considerable talents of guitarist Donna Grantis and the charm and skill of violinist Daniela Olano (the younger sister of co-founding pianist Danae Olano). Playing With Fire is a must for lovers of Afro-Cuban music taken to new and sophisticated heights. —Laura Fernandez
Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music
The debut album by Yussef Dayes crackles with percussive energy which percolates well with your morning coffee. Atmospheric and adventurous without being too demanding, Black Classical Music lets drums and bass take the forefront before gently giving way to include vocals as the journey unfolds. By the time soothing strings come along in the mix, we are ready and stay with the program. This album is continually engaging as the music shifts through moods and means. This is an excellent effort from this young musician with such a worldly family and background. This is music for the ages, all ages. Challenging but never threatening, Yussef Dayes’s debut brings promise of a future with a nod to the past. —Danny Marks
Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding – Alive at the Village Vanguard
Released at the beginning of the year, this pairing of Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding has set the gold standard for collaborations between two artists who are completely at ease with each other in their musicality. Both highly collaborative, they first met each other in 2013 and have played together many times over this decade — testing, stretching and fearlessly realizing together. With Alive at the Village Vanguard, Spalding lays down her bass to concentrate on the vocals of these standards and Hersch, on the piano, owns the room. It’s a remarkable recording that’s intimate and present. —Dani Elwell
Artemis – In Real Time
In 2020, the all-women supergroup called Artemis impressed the jazz world with a debut album that showcased the talents of each of the band’s individually acclaimed musicians playing together in dazzling synchrony. Their sophomore effort came with high expectations, and Artemis met and even exceeded them. Led by Renee Rosnes, the core group of Ingrid Jensen, Noriko Ueda and Allison Miller is joined by newcomers Nicole Glover and Alexa Tarantino, and with this new configuration the band shows off the members’ remarkable compositional abilities as well as their eagerness to stretch out and explore. On In Real Time, Artemis expertly demonstrate the power of both the individual and the collective. —Adam Feibel
Nicky Schrire – Nowhere Girl
While Nicky Schrire’s understanding of — and respect for — the traditional jazz form is very strong, she’s able to bring a nuanced approach to the music on this record, both in her writing and performing. One of the Toronto-based vocalist’s greatest strengths is that she writes songs that are catchy in the best sense of the word — they stick with you, but they’re also something more. Beyond this, the tone of her composing is ever-changing, with hints of Celtic influences, shades of the singer-songwriter aesthetic, and an overall musical intelligence that truly stands out. One of the best feelings is listening to a recording, feeling inspired, and wanting to sing along with each and every track, and Nowhere Girl gives you this feeling every time. The music elicits a full range of emotions, and it’s an overall joy. —Heather Bambrick
Hilario Durán and his Latin Jazz Big Band – Cry Me a River
Hilario Durán has always maintained that his favourite musical endeavour is big-band arrangement. This album — his first time returning to a big-band setting in 17 years — is an impressive showcase of his talent as a composer, arranger and pianist, as well as the talents of world-class collaborators including Cuban percussionist and drummer Horacio El Negro Hernandez, singer and violinist Elizabeth Rodriguez, and an all-star cast of top-notch players. —Laura Fernandez
William Carn – Choices
The latest recording from premiere trombonist William Carn is appropriately titled, because someone with Carn’s talent, dedication, professionalism, and creativity has a lot of choices for he could have made with this project. The ones he did make are interesting, tasteful, and even a little out of the norm for Carn. Choices has a decidedly modern vibe yet still maintains connections with strong melodies, interesting harmonic development, and exceptional playing by a terrific crew of guest musicians. Carn, one of the most sought-after musicians on the Toronto scene today, performs with a number of outstanding ensembles, including Turboprop, the Nimmons Tribute, and the Carn Davidson 9 (which he co-leads with Tara Davidson). With this new solo recording, Carn showcases a diversity of approach and modernity of tone that doesn’t eschew his incredibly strong traditional roots. —Heather Bambrick
Taj Mahal – Savoy
Taj Mahal has always served up a musical gumbo, and this year’s offering was no different. On Savoy, he jumps into the jazz world — and he has every right to do so. As he tells us on the opening track “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” that’s where “my daddy met my momma, my momma met my daddy.” In his gravelly voice, you can hear a hard and full life lived, and yet his pipes don’t sound much older than they did 30 years ago. Taj Mahal’s range and versatility truly shine though on Savoy. Highlights include “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” “Summer Time,” and “Gee Baby Ain’t I Good to You.” This album will have you smiling from ear to ear. —Ronnie Littlejohn
Artie Roth – Resonants
Bassist and composer Artie Roth’s third solo release Resonants came as a surprise. Not that Roth hasn’t been making great records over the last few years, but it’s the unique sonic nature of this recording that’s unexpected. His quartet’s approach to his tunes comes at you like a freight train, with producer Roman Klum really harnessing the group’s sound for maximum effect. The band (Anthony Michelli on drums, Mike Filice on woodwinds, and Sam Dickinson on guitar) has such a unique sound that it’s hard to describe, which would be exactly what you would want as an artist. It’s tough, in-your-face, and beautiful, all at the same time. —Brad Barker
The Nimmons Tribute – Volume 2: Generational
One of the biggest challenges in the world of music is creating a follow-up album that can stand up to a strong debut. This is exactly what Sean Nimmons-Patterson and his bandmates have done on the Nimmons Tribute’s second album Vol. 2: Generational. The recording is a tribute to Phil Nimmons – the “Dean of Canadian jazz,” and also Sean’s grandfather — and features new, fresh takes on some of Phil’s best-loved compositions. This time, there’s a more personal tone, both in the writing and arrangements and in the playing by the musicians, all of whom are former colleagues, students, or both, of Phil Nimmons. In his arrangements, Sean Nimmons-Patterson connects to the original compositions and adds his own spices to an already strong recipe, creating a finished product that cuts through with taste, artistry, and intense musicality from start to finish. —Heather Bambrick
Lakecia Benjamin – Phoenix
Lakecia Benjamin plays like she is not afraid of anything. The composition on Phoenix is magnetic and courageous in its originality. This is an album of storytelling. It reads like a book, with each track a fresh chapter and all of them connected like the intricate parts of a whole. Among the highlights is “Basquiat,” which tells the artist’s story in sound and colour, as one might paint a picture with all manners and states of energy and expression. —John Devenish
Alfredo Rodriguez – Coral Way
With his last solo album The Little Dream in 2018, Alfredo Rodriquez fascinated in his ability to make the complex sound effortless. Now with The Coral Way, the Cuban-born, Miami-based pianist has proven again his unique ability to bring a sense of freshness and tunefulness to the complexity of his influences. Latin pop, timba, salsa, bachata, tango, reggaetón and bolero are all cited as the ingredients for Rodriquez’s potent musical stew. The recording dances, glistens and shines with the sounds of an artist who knows exactly who he is. —Brad Barker
Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke – Lean In
Self-proclaimed “musical soulmates,” Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke celebrate 20 years of friendship and collaboration on their duo album Lean In. Pulling from both of their strengths, this record offers a feast for the ears: playful, complex rhythms; influences from various genres, including Afrobeat and Brazilian music; and fabulous vocals from both Parlato and Loueke. Lean In is an album you’ll have on repeat. —Raina Hersh
Curtis Nowosad – If I Had
Originally from Winnipeg and now based in New York, Curtis Nowosad delivered an EP late in the year that serves as a wonderful showcase of what three committed musicians can accomplish. The trio (with bassist Luke Sellick and guitarist Andrew Renfroe) takes on material with a hunger. Compositions from Nick Drake, Jimmy Weed, and Stevie Wonder are all included, and the band finds a way to make them sound uniquely their own. With an energy that is sometimes controlled and sometimes demanding your attention, the three are very much in sync with each other and the material. —Brad Barker
Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter – SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree
SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree is the follow-up to the Grammy-nominated debut album by genre-bending trailblazers Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter. While some of his contemporaries are content to stick with the tried and true, Elling continues to stretch out and experiment. Highlights include a fresh take on Joni Mitchell’s “Black Crow,” a slow, groovy version of Bob Dorough’s “Naughty Number Nine,” and an R&B ballad treatment of Ron Sexsmith’s “Right About Now.” —Walter Venafro
Braxton Cook – Who Are You When No One Is Watching?
Emmy Award winner Braxton Cook displays his virtuosity via saxophone, voice, production, and composition on his latest album Who Are You When No One is Watching? The recording captures an independent artist, a young Black man and a recent father on his journey to discover and portray his authentic self. It even features conversations between Braxton and his father on the topic, underlayed by Braxton’s vocal-like alto sax and multi-layered productions. Influenced by and adept in numerous genres, Cook blends jazz, R&B, neo-soul and more into a sound uniquely his own. This is a truly vulnerable look into who Braxton Cook is as an artist, and as a person. —Jelani Watson
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