Marcin Wasilewski Trio’s ‘Spark of Life’ does absolutely nothing to dispel the ECM stereotype. But so what? Other record companies would kill to be stereotyped like that.

Bryan Murray creates a scary hip-hop/out-jazz Frankenstein that points ahead to an interesting new direction for this intensely creative saxophonist.

Fawcett’a songs possess the depth, maturity and easily engaging quality lacking from other singer-songwriters these days.

The Daniel Blacksberg Trio takes a conventional format and creates something refreshingly unconventional from it.

‘Mandy’s Secret’ is a fine entry point into this fundamentally solid, funky jazz ensemble from Sweden, Beat Funktion.

Devon Allman puts an Allman Brothers groove on this Lee Roy Parnell tune, while remaining very much his own man.

Form And Mess thrives on the extreme limits of rock and jazz.

Though Dylan Ryan Sand is a small band, they create a big sound; though the songs are short, they’re complete musical statements. ‘Circa’ makes a lot out of a little.

This goes much farther out than the celebrated rock music of its time.

‘The Signal’ is bold, personal and completely lucid audio art from Elizabeth Shepherd. It wouldn’t be overstating it at all to assert that this is the most important vocal jazz record of 2014.