S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2015’s modern and mainstream jazz albums, including John Scofield, Matthew Shipp, Antonio Sanchez and others.

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.

‘Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House,’ issued on Dec. 2, 2008, presents Neil Young before he rose to solo stardom. But you’d never know it.

The Doobie Brothers’ ‘Minute by Minute,’ released on Dec. 1, 1978, features most people’s favorite Michael McDonald-era song. But mine’s not “What a Fool Believes.”

This Dennis DeYoung-led track illustrates all that Styx aspired to on the way to becoming one of the biggest late-1970s arena rock bands.

The Eagles’ ‘Long Road Out of Eden’ arrived on Oct. 30, 2007 sounding like nothing else out there. It was unabashedly an Eagles record.

The free-playing Barker Trio strikes wide contrasting moods, not allowing themselves to be limited by a limited number of instruments.

Gov’t Mule dug deeply for ‘By a Thread,’ released on Oct. 27, 2009, retaining all of their soul and grit even as they emerged with a new lineup.

Released on Oct. 26, 1973, ‘Quadrophenia’ has never quite escaped the shadow of ‘Tommy,’ despite the Who’s best efforts. Here’s why it should have.

‘Chrome Dreams II,’ released Oct. 23, 2007, showcased all of Neil Young’s many sides. A blockbuster 18-minute track brought everything into focus.