When I searched for ‘the best jazz albums of 2021’ in mid December, I found six sites that listed or ranked their favourites. Some of them were compilations of different critics or fans responses; others I don’t know how they compiled them. But what I noticed is that all the lists were dramatically different from each other—very few repetitions.

I also looked at the ‘running 52 week jazz chart’ from Jazz Week, which ranked them according to number of plays on various jazz radio stations—mostly in the U.S., I believe.

I then listened to at least a track (or part of a track) from each of them, and decided which ones I wanted to play in this 4-part series. Some great stuff, I must say!

For Part 1, you’ll hear a couple tracks by Sons of Kemet and the Black to the Future album–which was the one that the most sites placed on their best of list. I also play music by Emmet Cohen, Cory Weeds, Damon Locks and Black Monument Ensemble, Eric Reed, Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, Vijay Iyer, and Veronica Swift. And one of my biggest surprises (for me) was the delightful track from Pat Metheny’s latest album.

Lots of great music to choose from…..much of it very different from what we used to call ‘jazz’ when I was a youth.