It may be coincidence, or just a reflection of my own state of mind, that this dreadful year’s list of favorite jazz albums leans toward the meditative, the balladic, the Romantic, sometimes the Zen, ...

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Jazz in 2026 is flourishing across streaming platforms, critical reviews, and live performance spaces. SmoothJazz.com’s latest rankings showcase a mix of familiar names and newer acts, while leading ...

Today, Outside—the project helmed by studio mastermind and gifted multi-instrumentalist, writer and arranger Matt Cooper—celebrates 30 years since the release of his celebrated seminal album The Rough ...

Musicians both established and up-and-coming stretched themselves in fresh ways over the last year, creating poignant moments of collaboration and challenge. By Hank Shteamer In 2024, jazz continued ...

Even if you aren’t actively seeking out jazz, it’s inescapable. It directly informs so much hip hop and electronic music, and we frequently hear it popping up in punk, metal, and indie rock too. It ...

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... After much consternation, I’ve managed to pare down a long list of fine jazz-improv recordings from 2025 to a top 10. So, apologies to Marshall Allen, The ...

It’s been a good year for jazz, diverse in every way—styles, influences, tastes, and demographics too. I didn’t aim the list to turn out this way, but four of the albums’ leaders are women, and five ...