Released 10 years ago this month, Avishai Cohen’s ‘Gently Disturbed’ made the case for a modern jazz trio – but from the bassist’s perspective.

It was easy to find jazz records that deserved a year-end salute; maybe ‘too’ easy. The heavy lifting came from figuring out which stood above the rest for this Best of 2017 list.

The delicacy and low-key passion of Avishai Cohen shows up through his trumpet, compositions and every member of his quartet.

The main draw of Avishai Cohen’s artistry throughout his varied output is his restlessness. The inward-looking and reflective ‘Into The Silence’ contrasts with earlier work but is exactly right for the moment.

S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2014’s modern and mainstream jazz albums, including Keith Jarrett, Brian Blade, Fred Hersch and others.

Omer Avital’s ‘New Song’ is a finely crafted synthesis of Middle Eastern, Afro-Cuban and American soul-jazz that’s world music without being self-consciously so.

Far from losing its freshness, this power jazz trio led by its virtuosic trumpet player Avishai Cohen has delivered its best set of recordings yet.

In the jazz world, I’ve found that the long-established artists, especially the ones who play in the well-established styles, get the bulk of the buzz.

For Triveni II, Avishai Cohen (the trumpet player, not the bass dude), the stated intention of this record was to recreate the feeling Cohen got from listening to Billie Holiday: “a feeling that’s pure, simple and honest.” You May Also Like: Avishai Cohen – Into The Silence (2016)