Jack Bowers' Best Jazz Albums Of 2025
Jack Bowers' Best Jazz Albums Of 2025
2025: Another year which proves that jazz is not only alive and well but flourishing in its own little corner of the musical world. The number of splendid new recordings by groups large and small was as plentiful as ever, and even better, spanned the globe from the U.S, to Europe, Asia to Latin America, and Africa to Australia. It was a privilege to hear and review fresh performances of contemporary jazz from big bands old and new including Pete McGuinness, Ted Robbins, DIVA, Brian Martin, Ira Liss, Rin Seo, David Bode and Socrates Garcia, among others, alongside a brilliant new version of Peter Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite by the marvelous Cincinnati Jazz Orchestra. 2025 also gave us saxophonist Scott Silbert's inspiring centenary tribute to the late great Zoot Sims as well as excellent small-group albums by tenors Eric Alexander and Grant Stewart, guitarist Royce Campbell, the saxophone-playing Anderson brothers (Pete and Will), organist Mike LeDonne, and an album recorded on his 80th birthday by the legendary James Moody, to name only a handful. Here's hoping that 2026 will be yet another banner year for America's musical gift to the world.
