Top 88 for 2025

The Yellowjackets’ “Fasten Up” was the Number-1 album in KCCK’s Top 88 jazz releases of 2025. Conrad Herwig “Reflections: Facing South” was Number-88. Following is the list of everything else in between.

Click here for a printable version of KCCK’s Top 88 for 2025

  1. Yellowjackets “Fasten Up” (Mack Avenue)
  2. Russ Anixter Hippie Big Band “What Is?” (Russ Anixter)
  3. Artemis “Arboresque”  (Blue Note)
  4. Paquito D’Rivera “La Fleur de Cayenne” (Sunnyside)
  5. Judy Wexler “No Wonder” (Jewel City Jazz)
  6. Airmen of Note “The 2024 Jazz Heritage Series” (U.S. Air Force)
  7. John Clayton & Mulgrew Miller “Talk to Me About Mulgrew” (ArtistShare)
  8. Rachel Therrien “Mi Hogar II” (Lula World)
  9. Rachael & Vilray “West of Broadway” (Concord)
  10. Mike Clark & Mike Zilber “Standard Deviations” (Sunnyside)
  11. Sharel Cassity “Gratitude” (Sunnyside)
  12. Michel Petrucciani Trio “Jazz Club Montmarte”—CPH 1988” (Storyville)
  13. Kandace Springs “Lady in Satin” (SRP)
  14. Neal Miner “Invisibility” (Cellar)
  15. Michael Dease “City Life” (Origin)
  16. Igmar Thomas Revive Big Band “Like a Tree It Grows” (Soulspazm)
  17. Peter and Will Anderson “The Best of Berlin” (Arbors)
  18. Holly Cole “Dark Moon” (Rumpus Room)
  19. Scott Hamilton “Looking Back” (Stunt)
  20. Erik Jekabson “Breakthrough” (Wide Hive)
  21. Brad Mehldau “Ride Into the Sun” (Nonesuch)
  22. Giacomo Smith “Manouche” (Stunt)
  23. Nnenna Freelon “Beneath the Skin” (Origin)
  24. Albare “Eclecticity” (Alfi)
  25. BeatleJazz “Reunion” (Yama)
  26. George Cables “I Hear Echoes” (High Note)
  27. Bruce Harris & Ehud Asherie “Thank You, Barry Harris” (Arbors)
  28. Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell “We Insist 2025” (Candid)
  29. Nanami Haruta “The Vibe” (Origin)
  30. Willie Morris “Unbound Inner”(Posi-Tone)
  31. Sean Nelson New London Big Band “Don’t Stop Now” (Sean Nelson)
  32. Jeremy Pelt  “Woven” (High Note)
  33. Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap “Elemental” (Mack Avenue)
  34. Carl Allen “Tippin” (Cellar)
  35. Richard Baratta “Looking Back” (Savant)
  36. Ron Blake “Scratch Band” (7ten33)
  37. Christian McBride Big Band “Without Further Ado Vol. 1 (Mack Avenue)
  38. Nicole Glover “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” (Savant)
  39. Harold Lopez-Nussa “Nueva Timba” (Blue Note)
  40. Diego Rivera “West Circle” (Posi-Tone)
  41. Jim Snidero “Bird Feathers” (Savant)
  42. Ben Sidran “Are We There Yet” (Bonsai)
  43. Russ Spiegel “Nity Gritty” (Russtone)
  44. Isaiah J. Thompson “The Book of Isaiah: Modern Jazz Ministry” (Mack Avenue)
  45. “Ali Bello & the Charanga Syndicate”  (Circle)
  46. Jim Mullen “For Heave Sake” (Stunt)
  47. Triology “The Slow Road” (Cellar)
  48. Queen Esther “Things are Looking Up” (Queen Esther)
  49. Tom Rotella “Right Time Left” (High Note)
  50. WDR Big Band “Bluegrass” (MCG Jazz)
  51. Jacob Wutzke “You Better Bet” (Cellar)
  52. Cyrus Chestnut “Rhythm, Melody and Harmony” (High Note)
  53. The Dam Jawn featuring Dick Oatts “Forward!” (Cellar)
  54. Lorraine Feather “The Green World” (Relarion)
  55. Mike Freeman ZonaVibe “Circles in a Yellow Room” (VOF)
  56. Jackson Potter “Small Things” (Shifting Paradigm)
  57. Steve Smith & Vital Information “New Perspective” (Drum Legacy)
  58. Blue Moods “Force & Grace” (Posi-Tone)
  59. The Empress “Square One” (Cellar)
  60. Bob James and Dave Koz “Just Us” (Just Koz)
  61. Josh Lawrence “Still We Dream” (Posi-Tone)
  62. Anais Reno “Lady of the Lavender Mist” (Club44)
  63. Greg Murphy “Snap Happy” (Whaling City Sound)
  64. Poncho Sanchez & his Latin Jazz Band “Live at the Belly Up Tavern” (Regime)
  65. Wild Iris Brass Band “Way Up” (Ear Up)
  66. The Chicago Jazz Orchestra featured Bobby Broom “More Amor: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery” (CJO)
  67. Mike Conrad Trio “Pretzel Letters” (SkyDeck)
  68. Caili O’Doherty “Bluer Than Blue: Celebrating Lil Hardin Armstrong” (Outside In)
  69. Jim Witzel “Very Early: Remembering Bill Evans” (Joplin & Sweeney)
  70. Renee Rosnes “Crossing Paths” (Smoke Sessions)
  71. Greg Abate Quartet “Positive Energy” (Summit)
  72. George Coleman “George Coleman with Strings” (HighNote)
  73. Claire Martin “Almost in Your Arms” (Stunt)
  74. The Reid Hoyson Project “In Your Dreams” (Reid Hoyson)
  75. Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra “Tenor Madness” (Ear Up)
  76. Joshua Redman “Words Fall Short” (Blue Note)
  77. Cory Weeds and Jerry Weldon “Cory Weeds Meets Jerry Weldon” (Cellar)
  78. Kate Wyatt Trio “Murmurations” (Cupfa)
  79. James Zito “Zito’s Jump” (James Zito)
  80. Ledisi “for Dinah” (Candid)
  81. Andy Baker “From Here, From There” (Calligram)
  82. Daggerboard with the Erik Jekabson Orchestra “Axes Volume II” (Wide Hive)
  83. John Ellis “Heroes” (Blue Room Music)
  84. Eric Scott Reed “Out Late” (Smoke Sessions)
  85. M.T.B. “Solid Jackson” (Criss Cross)
  86. Samara Joy “Portrait” (Verve)
  87. Behn Gillece “Pivot Point” (Posi-Tone)
  88. Conrad Herwig “Reflections: Facing South” (Savant)

Listen to the Top 88 here on Spotify: