Preston Frazier included Oz Noy, Catherine Russell, Bobby Broom and others on his unranked list of the Best of 2025 Jazz. Click through album titles for purchase information:
MIGUEL ZENON QUARTET – ‘VANGUARDIA SUBTERRANEA’: It’s hard to believe that New York-based, multi-Grammy-winning alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon has not done a proper live album this far into his career. While a first-call sideman, Zenon has made a lasting impression on the traditional jazz community with his previous seventeen albums as a leader. However, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his quartet, Zenon makes a joyful noise with drummer Henry Cole, pianist Luis Perdomo, and bassist Hans Glawischnig on six all-new compositions and a couple of fascinating covers. Vanguardia Subterranea: Live at the Village Vanguard showcases fantastic, forward-leaning jazz by musicians at the top of their game.
LA TANYA HALL – ‘IF NOT NOW, WHEN …’: If Not Now, When … is more than just a return; it’s a reclamation. After losing her voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, La Tanya Hall emerged with a project that feels intimate, courageous, and artistically liberated. Produced by fellow Steely Dan bandmate Michael Leonhart and featuring a stellar ensemble, this eight-track set explores overlooked songs that carry lyrical weight and emotional nuance. If Not Now, When … isn’t a comeback record so much as a testament: music as survival, memory, and renewal.
CHICAGO JAZZ ORCHESTRA featuring BOBBY BROOM – ‘MORE AMOR: A TRIBUTE TO WES MONTGOMERY’: Jazz guitar hero Bobby Broom continues to move forward while looking back. His 10-song collaboration with the famed Chicago Jazz Orchestra, led by Artistic Director Jeff Lindberg, allows this renowned ensemble to celebrate Wes Montgomery. Broom soars on “West Coast Blues,” arranged by Tom Garling, who brilliantly combines the orchestra’s swagger with Broom’s hefty leads. Garling also arranges “Fried Pies,” another standout. Explosive big-band energy and elegant guitar work shine on “West Coast Blues,” “Fried Pies,” and “Boss City.” More Amor is a must-own 2025 release.
COLIN HANCOCK’S JAZZ HOUNDS featuring CATHERINE RUSSELL – ‘CAT AND THE HOUNDS’: A glorious collaboration bringing 1920s Black jazz and blues roaring back to life. “West Indies Blues” combines the era’s Black dance music with Caribbean influences. Vince Giordano’s bass saxophone adds depth and complements Russell’s spirited vocal delivery. “Goin’ Crazy With the Blues” features the band’s telepathic interaction, Hancock’s subtle cornet, and Tucker’s soulful trombone soloing. Russell’s delivery matches the musicians’ passion, lifting the song even higher. Other standouts including “Panama Limited Blues,” “Telephoning the Blues,” and “West Indies Blues” showcase Russell’s powerhouse vocals and Hancock’s masterful period arranging: vital, joyful, and endlessly replayable.
ANDREW SYNOWIEC AND OZ NOY – ‘RECREATIONAL SUBSTANCE’: East meets West in this joyous live-in-studio recording by two guitar greats. New York-based jazz icon Oz Noy and Los Angeles session ace and solo star Andrew Synowiec completed Recreational Substance with Hadrien Feraud on bass and Marvin “Smitty” Smith on drums. Noy’s composition “I Don’t Know Why,” from 2006’s Oz Live, is revisited with grit and energy. Meanwhile, the nylon-string-driven “Brothers” showcases rich textures from Synowiec and Noy on 12-string acoustic. This eight-track album is vibrant, astonishingly recorded in just one day.
RON BLAKE – ‘SCRATCH BAND’: Powerhouse saxophonist Ron Blake followed up 2023’s acclaimed Mistaken Identity with the deeply personal Scratch Band, featuring Reuben Rogers and John Hadfield. Recorded in two whirlwind sessions at Brooklyn Recording Studio, Blake channels his Caribbean heritage with four originals and powerful covers of Roy Hargrove, Quelvis Ochoa Cruz, and J. Rosamond Johnson. Explosive interplay and soulful intensity define the trio, shining brightest on “Bassman,” “Appointment,” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The closer, “April’s Fool,” ends with Blake’s inspired sax in a delicate dance with Rogers’ bass. A fierce, resonant highlight of 2025.
DENNIS MITCHELTREE AND JOHANNES WALLMAN – ‘HOLDING SPACE’: Telepathic interplay and bold improvisation define this long-overdue collaboration. The opener, “Annus Mirabilis,” a Johannes Wallmann composition, is joyous and dynamic, capturing the strong chemistry between piano and tenor sax. Dennis Mitcheltree’s “Via Valse,” featuring Russ Johnson on trumpet, adds another vivid dimension to the session. Other highlights include “Willis” and “Digging a Shallow Grave for My Enemy.” This lyrical, fearless album leaves the listener wanting more.
OMAR THOMAS LARGE ENSEMBLE – ‘GRIOT SONGS’: The third album by the Omar Thomas Large Ensemble is a bold statement, following the landmark We Will Know: An LGBT Civil Rights Piece in Four Movements. Griot Songs honors the West African storytelling tradition with vivid, sweeping compositions. “The Sun in September” radiates urgency and beauty, with solos by Jason Palmer and soprano saxophonist Lihi Haruvi. A daring cover of Radiohead’s “Sail to the Moon” furthers the album’s forward-leaning vision. Other standouts including “Nothing There” showcase radiant soloists, emotional depth and fearless arranging — a sweeping, essential 2025 release.
FAT PRODUCE – ‘SOULFUL DAYS’: Fat Produce’s sophomore LP celebrates soul-jazz and funk with intimate, live-to-8-track energy. Guitarist Addison Rifkind, drummer Michael Duffy, and bassist Nestor Del Prado craft groove-driven melodies and dynamic rhythms. Highlights include Boogaloo Joe Jones’ “No Way,” the Gaturs’ “Gator Bait” and the creative mash-up “90% of Me Is You / Bam Bam.” Soulful Days is an irresistible statement from a rising modern trio.
BEN TWEEDT – ‘LIFE CYCLE’: Pianist and composer Ben Tweedt delivers a powerful, nuanced trio album with Tom Buckley (drums) and Justin Dawson (bass). “Back to School” shifts through moods and time signatures, showcasing the trio’s seamless communication. “Elegy” offers a tender solo reflection on mortality, while the closer “Lullaby” builds with quiet intensity, affirming Tweedt’s gifts as pianist and bandleader. Life Cycle is a vivid, vital work in contemporary jazz.
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