S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2015’s non-jazz albums, including Erykah Badu, Shememkia Copeland, the Blind Boys of Alabama’s Sam Butler and others.

Erykah Badu’s new mixtape ‘But You Caint Use My Phone’ may or may not be a placeholder until a ‘real’ album is ready, her relentless thirst to push the edge makes it no small deal regardless.

Brian Landrus took a step back into tradition for ‘The Deep Below’ with Lonnie Plaxico and Billy Hart — albeit on his own terms — and made a reconnect with the roots that had always anchored his playing.

Pixel had from the get-go developed their own, appealing engaging personality they’ve could have churned out forever. ‘Golden Years’ retains that spirit while reaching out a little beyond it.

Visceral, vivid and uncompromising, ‘Out of the Blue’ picks up where Raoul Björkenheim and eCsTaSy’s first album left off.

Joni Mitchell, Yes, Mr. Mister, Kevin Gilbert and David Baerwald find a home on Preston Frazier’s Best of 2015 list for reissues and box sets.

Jacob Garchik’s ‘Ye Olde’ might be about the hardest rockin’ thinking man’s fusion record in recent memory.

‘Messin’ With Mister T’ is Dave Stryker’s grand show of appreciation for his former boss, and it only makes us miss tenor sax giant Stanley Turrentine even more.

Hammond B3 master John Ginty made a well-rounded roots rock record that’s of the caliber of Randolph, The Black Keys or the Tedeschi-Trucks Band.

With his composing pen, leadership and guitar, Scott DuBois has painted a Monet with ‘Winter Light’.