We’re happy to present to the best albums of 2025, brought to you by the hosts at jazz.fm91. we’re looking forward to an even more exciting year in jazz for 2026.
An album for the ages according to Danny Marks
Victoria Spivey was a trailblazer in Blues and Jazz during the era of Vaudeville. Spivey’s compositions blended humour with topicality and made her a superstar in the day. Maria Muldaur, best known for her iconic 1973 chart topper, Midnight at the Oasis, was a trailblazer in the 1960s Folk era with the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. Mulduar has reworked Victoria Spivey’s music in a modern way, while holding onto the classic sounds and orchestration. Her 2025 album One Hour Mama resonates with nuggets such as “Don’t Love No Married Man”, “What Makes You Act Like That” and “Organ Grinder Blues.” One Hour Mama is an album for the ages that has been wonderfully received with music fans and critics alike, my pick for best of 2025. – Danny Marks, BLUZ.FM & Beyond the Fringe
Dani Elwell’s favourite album is a tribute to Dinah Washington
What’s not to completely envelope. When one of the greatest vocalists on the planet shows her love and connection for one of the most unique voices ever created, you have to listen. It is said that Ledisi was first introduced to Dinah Washington while studying at UC Berkeley because of her emotional honesty. Honesty. That’s it. Beyond collaborating with Christian McBride and Gregory Porter and Paul Jackson Jr. for this, it is the humanity in her expression that sits so easily in my ear. – Dani Elwell, Voice Tracks
The albums that energized John Devenish this year
This recording was recorded at the top of the year and is a tribute to the late singer songwriter Elliott Smith, a prolific writer and one-time member of the band Heatmiser. The music is as emotionally a rollercoaster as Smith’s life. A life punctuated by heavy narcotics and alcohol abuse. His death was tragic but his music had a driving life energized directness and Mehldau has captured this in this recording. Capturing the essence of the spirit of the directness and depth of Elliott Smith’s artistic expressions, this original by Mehldau is my track pick from this recording: “Ride into The Sun Part 1.” – John Devenish, Dinner Jazz
The Ambrose Akinmusire album Honey From A Winter Stone sees the trumpeter visiting the inner and outer spaces of the challenges faced by Black men from colorism to erasure and the questions of leadership and what defines the differences and choices of paths to confirming to expectations. The landscape is a busy geography and the music of this recording reflects realities. My track pick from this album project is “Muffled Screams.” It captures inner turmoil in sound and sound color with texture as woven as an orchestra and as raw and alive as human experience. – John Devenish
The album The Ancients features Isaiah Collier, William Hooker, and William Parker. This project is a musical history lesson, travelogue, cultural adventure, and expression of respect for those whose once upon a times are the roots. Hooker and Parker play a variety of instruments and also contribute their voices to the tracks, Collier is strictly an instrumentalist with his primary instrument being the tenor saxophone. His sound is a voice of strength linking him with his artist companions on this journey of music. This is a flow through album of boundless free jazz energy. There is no one track that can be picked, the recording must be listened to in its entirety. – John Devenish
Ronnie Littlejohn’s favourite fusion albums of 2025
This may come as a surprise, but Holly Cole has a deep love of country music. I’ve spent countless hours listening to music with Holly and no matter where we start, we always end up listening to country music. Holly has a deep love of all genres, but country is very close to her heart. It’s the stories within’ the songs that she craves. I’ve never known anyone to analyze a lyric and find meanings within’ the song that others may never consider. For years I’ve wanted Holly to record a country album. Dark Moon is not a country record, but it has some wonderful southern twang to it. Much of that is because of the brilliant guitar work by Kevin Breit and the three-part 1950’s southern harmonies of The Good Lovelies. Whenever Holly releases a new album I say, “THIS is her greatest work yet!” I’m saying it again. My favorite moments are “Message To Michael” and “Johnny Guitar.” – Ronnie Littlejohn, Gumbo Kitchen
With Jon Batiste you never know what you are going to get next. Will it be a jazz record? A Classical album? A World Music album? Southern funk? That is what separates Mr. Batiste from the others. That element of surprise which seems so rare these days. Big Money was recorded while Jon was on the road touring his previous album World Music Radio. Jon’s piano virtuosity is no secret, but he also shines on the guitar on several tracks. Big Money is not slick, it’s greasy. People say they see colors when they hear music. I would call this a deep brown like the roux of a delicious gumbo.
A big part of the charm is how most of Big Money sounds incredibly spontaneous. As if the songs were being written and performed for the first time on the spot. Standout tracks are “Big Money”, “Lonely Avenue” with Randy Newman, as well as the Stevie Wonder/Sly Stone-ish “Lean On My Love” and the deeply personal “At All.”
As usual I cannot wait to hear what Jon Batiste has in store for us next. – Ronnie Littlejohn
The album that had Laura Fernandez spellbound
Dayramir Gonzalez’s latest release is refreshing and masterful! He is a Cuban-born pianist, arranger, composer and entertainer. I don’t say that lightly because the concert I recently attended at Hugh’s Room may be the greatest live concert I have seen ever, this includes the Springsteens and much larger concerts I have attended through the years. He was spellbinding and held us all in awe and astonishment. Dayramir has it all; charisma, talent and chops, and this album appropriately titled V.I.D.A (life), has all the ingredients of his live show. It earned him a showcase at Monterrey Jazz this past year and continues torpedoing him upward. The album has elements of Classical music, Pop, Urban, Jazz, Blues and Afro Cuban elements. It is deeply soulful as well as exquisitely crafted. I had an intimate conversation with him pre-performance that convinced me of his passion and dedication. He is unique. It’s difficult for me to choose a favourite track as there is a lot of variety, however “In the La La Land” is a good one and takes you on a journey through many genres effortlessly. A great example from a collection of compositions that are in his own words; a vibrant and colorful pallet of honest emotions. I believe everyone at the concert I attended bought a CD , whether they had a CD player or not, just to take home a memento of what they had experienced but trust me, you are going to want to listen to this one! – Laura Fernandez, Cafe Latino
The album that represents the future of swing music for Alex Pangman
I’m going to nominate Catharine Russell’s 2025 effort with Colin Hancock’s Jazz Hounds, Cat and the Hounds, released on Turtle Bay Records. She’s a past Grammy nominee, and this group REALLY play the style genuinely and with pizazz. – Alex Pangman, Swing Set
The album loved by Raina Hersh and Heather Bambrick
You gotta love how Nate Smith hears the world. His latest album, LIVE-ACTION, gives us a deeper look into his musical artistry. For his seventh album, Smith took inspiration from the way Quincy Jones produced his records and invited his musician friends along for the ride with each artist elevating Smith’s vision. This album is chock full of talent featuring Michael League, Lionel Loueke, Lala Hathaway, Saje, Charlie Hunter and more. The production is impressive – Smith limited himself to using analog gear throughout. This album has everything we love about Nate Smith – rich texture, deep grooves, and a unique approach to rhythm. There’s so much to love here. – Raina Hersh, The Interval
Nate Smith is a musician who’s been unafraid of pushing boundaries and he’s comfortable playing within – and beyond – them. He continues this theme on his latest release LIVE-ACTION (Waterbaby Music), featuring a mash-up of genres, vibes, and special guests that’s guaranteed to touch the ears of almost any listener. The rhythmic elements and mood creations are very strong in this project, and the arrangements showcase Smith’s varied influences, from some of the bebop-flavoured horn lines, to modal harmonic structures, and hip-hop drum grooves. – Heather Bambrick, Wake Up!
The album that profoundly changed jazz according to Jeff Chalmers
Béla Fleck, long associated with folk and bluegrass, has profoundly changed jazz. He redefined the banjo’s role and transformed it from a novelty into a fully legitimate jazz instrument. Check out BEATtrio, the all-star trio featuring Béla Fleck, Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda, and Mexican drummer Antonio Sánchez. Their self-titled debut album dropped in May, offering a dazzling, genre-bending voyage where banjo, harp, and drums converge in a hypnotic, funky soundscape that reshapes our ideas of what a modern jazz trio can be. Let’s give it up for jazz pioneers who remind us that creativity thrives at the edge of the unknown, turning every note into a journey of discovery. – Jeff Chalmers, Afternoon Drive
More Favourites from 2025
Alex Bird is a nifty throwback to an earlier time in jazz, a suave crooner with a vintage look and sound, right down to his penchant for vintage microphones. Bird’s band the Jazz Mavericks are anchored by another cool customer on the scene, Ewen Farncombe. Together with they offer up a fresh perspective on music of the season, Another Christmas Day.
Recorded live off the floor in Toronto at Canterbury Music Company, the album brings ten original songs into the rich tradition of holiday jazz with warmth, artistry, and timeless appeal. Here’s an album in time for the holidays in any calendar year. “We wanted to create a holiday record that honors tradition but also brings something new to the table,” says Bird, “Recording live, without headphones, allowed us to truly listen to one another in the room. It brought out the honesty and magic that the music and audience deserves.” Songs like “Prelude to Christmas”, “Everytime This Year” and “It’s December,” are universal yet distinctly Canadian. Bird and Farncombe are celebrated Canadians, here’s a chance to celebrate the season with them in style. – Danny Marks, BLUZ.FM and Beyond the Fringe
Imagine a world where the tenor saxophone was a novelty horn—used mainly for thick harmony lines, simple riffs, or comedic effects. It just wasn’t taken seriously. Enter Coleman Hawkins in the mid-1920s with a huge, commanding tone. Almost overnight, he elevates the tenor to a lead instrument, and by 1939—with Body and Soul—he turns it into a canvas for bold harmonic innovation. Central to the evolution of jazz, it’s hard to imagine the genre without his influence. A couple of decades later, the world was introduced to Dorothy Ashby—widely regarded as the first great jazz harpist. She brought the harp to the forefront of jazz, proving it could navigate bebop and other jazz styles with the same fluency as more traditional instruments. Fast forward to 2025, and Brandee Younger continues that legacy, expanding the harp’s sonic possibilities with her acclaimed album Gadabout Season. – Jeff Chalmers, Afternoon Drive
They say they don’t make ‘em like they used to…unless you’re Caity Gyorgy! With her latest release, she stretches the bounds of her timeless style with the support of an orchestra. The combination sounds so natural it’s hard to believe this is her first orchestral album! This is her third collaboration with Mark Limacher, and they co-wrote the music over the course of a year. Limacher’s arrangements are impressive and beautiful and Caity’s lyrics are touching, humorous and honest. The pair have clearly found something special. – Raina Hersh, The Interval
I’ve never met Ale, but through her music, I feel as though I have. It’s in the way she approaches a song, her tone and of course it’s in her lyrics. With the song “Farewell”, there is a warm sentimentality that I’m immediately drawn to. Lovely debut. – Dani Elwell, Voice Tracks
Curtis Nowasad’s album, I’m Doing My Best, is a look into oneself. An inner eye study of what is going on inside and around you as you navigate being. Choices and pathways taken and consequences. The buoyant times and those times when the depths sometimes experienced are darker than ever. Curtis is a poetic writer and his songs are like short stories. He visits setting standards for oneself and seeming unattainable goals and then allowing for being the best that you are and letting go of self-imposed expectations. My track favorite from this recording journeys through the what-ifs and what-if-nots. – John Devenish
