KCCK’s music producers have chosen their 10 favorite jazz and blues releases for 2025.

• Bob Stewart
• Hollis Monroe
• Ron Adkins
• Bob DeForest
• Amira Kellison

• Bob Stewart: Monday-Friday 6 a.m. – 10 a.m.

  1) Wild Iris Brass Band “Way Up” (Ear Up)

  The sheer exuberance of the debut release from this Nashville-based New Orleans-informed brass band co-founded by saxophonist Jeff Coffin and trombonist Ray Mason makes it a toe-tapping, foot-stomping joy?

  2) Rin Seo Collective “City Suite” (Cellar)

  3) Joel Frahm “Lumination” (Anzic)

  4) Russ Anixter’s Hippie Big Band “What Is?” (Russ Anixter)

  5) Christian McBride Big Band “Without Further Ado Volume 1” (Mack Avenue)

  6) Poncho Sanchez “Live at the Belly Up Tavern” (Regime)

  7) Mike Conrad Trio “Pretzel Letters” (SkyDeck)

  8) Kate Wyatt Trio “Murmuration” (Cupfa)

  9) Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet “El Muki” (Saponegro)

  10) Chicago Jazz Orchestra featuring Bobby Broom “More Amor: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery” (CJO)

Hollis Monroe: Monday-Friday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

1) Javon Jackson “Javon and Nikki Go to the Movies” (Solid Jackson)

Javon and Nikki Go to the Movies is a delight! It’s a charming and soulful collaboration that bringing together the poetic eloquence of Nikki Giovanni and the masterful tenor saxophone stylings of Javon Jackson. The album is a delightful romp through some of the standards of the Great American Songbook, featuring songs famously associated with classic Hollywood movies. It also features three Jackson originals and one from the pen of Sonny Rollins. Jackson is accompanied by a stellar group of long- time associates, including pianist Jeremy Manasia, bassist David Williams and drummer McClenty Hunter. The group is also joined by Grammy-winning vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, who adds depth with her interpretations on three tracks.

2) DredScott “Cali Mambo” (Rope-a-Dope)

3) Trilogy “The Slow Road” (Cellar)

4) Joe Alterman/Houston Person “Brisket for Breakfast” (Joe Alterman)

5) Mike Conrad “Pretzel Letters” (SkyDeck)

6) Nnenna  Freelon “Beneath the Sky” (Origin)

7) Ali Bello/The Charanga Syndicate “Ali Bello & the Charanga Syndicate” (Circle 9)

8) Ryan Middah “Tenor Madness (Ear UP)

9) Smulyan/Basile Quintet “Boss Baritones” (Steeplechase)

10) Rachael & Vilray “West of Broadway” (Concord)

Ron Adkins:: Monday-Friday 2-6 p.m. 

1) Russ Anixter’s Hippie Big Band  “What Is?”  (Russ Anixter)

This album immediately became my favorite of the year. It’s tricky business to arrange a recognizable pop or rock tune for the jazz canon. How does one take a song people know by heart and rework it into another genre (and still stay true to the spirit of the original)? Some succeed, many fail. Russ Anixter, however, succeeds brilliantly. He’s curated a set list that runs from sing along-able to deep cuts (my favorites are “Uncle John’s Band,” “Into the Mystic,” and “Heaven On Their Minds”). Anixter really knows how to unpack a song, turn it into a completely new piece of art, and a fresh listening experience.

2) 3 Cohens & the WDR Big Band  “Interaction” (Anzic)

3) Sharell Cassity  “Gratitude” (Sunnyside)

4) Rachel & Vilray  “West of Broadway” (Concord)

5) Mike Conrad “Pretzel Letters” (SkyDeck)

6) Greyboy Allstars “Grab Bag: 2007-2023” (Greyboy)

7) Michel Petrucciani  “Jazz Club Montmartre-CPH 1988” (Storyville)

8) Michael Dease  “Found in Space” (Origin)

9) Nanami Haruta “The Vibe” (Origin)

10) Daggerboard & the Eric Jekabson Orchestra “The Axes Volume II” (Wide Hive)

Bob DeForest:: Da Blues Saturday 6-10 p.m.

1) Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush “Young Fashioned Ways” (Thirty Tigers)

2) Buddy Guy “Ain’t Done with the Blues” (Silver Tone)

3) Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia “Help Yourself” (Gulf Coast Blues)

4) Mud Morganfield “Deep Mud” (Nola Blue)

5) Papa Chubby & Friends “I Love Freddie King” (Gulf Coast Blues)

6) Candace Ivory “New Southern Vintage” (Nola Blue)

7) John Primer “Grown in Mississippi” (Blues House)

8) Jimmy Vivino “Gonna Be 2 of Those Days” (SoNo Records)

9) Jon Cleary “The Bywater Sessions” (FHQ)

10) Curtis Salgado “Fine by Me” (Little Village)

Amira Kellison:: Thursday 6-8 p.m.

1) Russ Anixter/Hippie Big Band: “What Is?” (Russ Anixter)

A new found friend of the station in 2025, Russ Anixter brings a unique sound to jazz with his album “What Is?” — my favorite new album of 2025.

2) BeatleJazz: “Reunion” (Yama)

3) Samara Joy: “Portrait” (Verve)

4) Christ McBride/Big Band: “Without Further Ado, Vol. 1” (Mack Avenue)

5) Greg Murphy: “Snap Happy” (Whaling City Sound)

6) Ben Paterson: “Cookin’ In The Couve”(Cellar)

7) Thom Rotella: “Right Time Left” (High Note)

8) Ted Piltzecker: “Peace Vibes” (OA2)

9) Jim Mullen: “For Heavens Sake” (Stunt)

10) Poncho Sanchez: “Live at the Belly Up Tavern” (Regime)

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:

Iowa’s Jazz Station ends 2025 the same way we spent this banner year: Giving you great music!

Each during during the final week of 2025, we’re  look back at the year’s best jazz releases with KCCK’s Top 88 of 2025. Listen at 11am each day  for our annual countdown of the most-played CDs from this year.

On New Year’s Eve, we’ll play back your choices from KCCK’s 50th anniversary music events. Our “25 Live” special includes Jazz Under The Stars Reunion shows with Daugherty, Davis, & McPartland, Kings of ‘da Blues, and Al Naylor’s I-380 Express. Plus student bands 10th Street Rapids and the Go Benesh Quartet. And from the Iowa City Jazz Festival, the Mike Conrad Trio and BYO Brass. The fun starts at 1pm Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Then, on New Year’s Day, we’ll count down the entire Top 88 beginning at 6am, from 88 all the way to number one.

Relax into 2026 with America’s Music on KCCK!