Episode 261: Ten 2023 Albums Critics Rave About!
For this 4th episode of the Best of 2023 According to Experts, I’m posting the titles of 27 albums that were selected by the most reviewers as part of their top albums of last year. And I’ll do a countdown of sorts—finishing with the album that was selected by the greatest number of reviewers. If you want to be surprised, don’t read the rest of this right now until you’ve heard the podcast. The most selected album by far was the latest (and the last) recording by trumpeter Jaimie Branch. Here they are–all the albums that got eight votes or more— listed in order of the numbers of reviewers selecting them. Most of them are new releases, but you’ll notice that two are newly discovered archives. MOST SELECTED JAZZ ALBUMS BY REVIEWERS, MUSICIANS & RADIO STATIONS. Jaimie Branch: Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (World War) (29) Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (20) Cecile McLorin Salvant: Melusine 20 Meshell Ndegeocello: The Omnichord Real Book (19) Irreversible Entanglements: Protect Your Light (17) Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music (17) James Brandon Lewis & Red Lily Quartet: For Mahalia With Love (15) Lakecia Benjamin: Phoenix (15) MAPL Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons, Live at the Village Vanguard (14) Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, & Shahazad Ismaily: Love in Exile (14) John Coltrane w. Eric Dolphy: Evenings at The Village Gate (14) MAPL Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society:Dynamic Maximum Tension (13) Steve Lehman & Orchestre National de Jazz: Ex Machina (12) Johnathan Blake: Passage (11) The Necks: Travel (10) Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding: Alive at the Village Vanguard (10) MAPL Artemis: In Real Time 10 Alfa Mist: Variables (9) Henry Threadgill Ensemble: The Other One (9) Brandee Younger: Brand New Life (9) Fire! Orchestra: Echoes (8) London Brew: London Brew (8) Natural Information Society: Since Time is Gravity (8) Brad Mehldau: Your Mother Should Know 8 Tyshawn Sorey: Continuing 8 Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights Live at the Penthouse 1966-68 8 Chris Potter: Got the Keys To The Kingdom 8