Steve Smith & Vital Information’s  “Time Flies”  was the Number-1 album in KCCK’s Top 88 jazz releases of 2023. The Jazz Defenders  “Scheming”  was Number-88. Following is the list of everything else in between.

Click here for a printable version of KCCK’s Top 88 for 2023

  1.   Steve Smith & Vital Information  “Time Flies”  (Wounded Bird)

  2.   Tim Ray Trio  “Fire and Rain”  (Whaling City Sound)

  3.   Christopher Merz & Shorter Stories  “New Juju”  (Skydeck)

  4.   Dave Larsen  “The Peplowski Project”  (David Larsen)

  5.   Taj Mahal  “Savoy”  (Stony Plain)

  6.   Planet D Nonet  “Blues to Be There: A Salute to Duke Ellington”  (East Lawn)

  7.   James Weidman  “Sonic Realities”  (Inner Circle)

  8.   Doug Beavers  “Luna”  (Circle 9)

  9.   Robin McKelle “Impressions of Ella”  (naive)

10. GoGo Penguin  “Everything is Going to Be OK”  (XXIM)

11. Rufus Reid  “Celebration”  (Sunnyside)

12. Eric Alexander  “A New Beginning”  (High Note)

13. Ray Blue  “#PEOPLE”   (Jazzheads)

14. Mike Clark  “Kosen Rufu”  (Wide Hive)

15. Gabriel Espinosa  “Bossas and Boleros”  (Zoho)

16. Orrin Evans  “The Red Door”  (Smoke Sessions)

17. Behn Gillece  “Between the Bars”  (Posi-Tone)

18. Greg Abate and Paul Del Nero Quartet  “Reunion-Live at WICN”  (Summit)

19. Javon Jackson   “With Peter Bradley”  (Solid Jackson)

20. Rosa Passos Quartet  “Samba Sem Voce”  (Storyville)

21. Audrey Ochoa  “The Head of a Mouse”  (Chronograph)

22. Alfredo Rodriguez  “Coral Way”  (Mack Avenue)

23. Jeb Patton  “Preludes”  (Cellar)

24. Oscar Peterson “On a Clear Day: the Oscar Peterson Quartet: Live in Zurich, 1971”   (Mack Avenue)

25. Caity Gyorgy  “Featuring”  (La Reserve)

26. Ray Vega & Thomas Marriott “East West Trumpet Summit: Coast to Coast”  (Origin)

27. Wayne Escoffery  “Like Minds”  (Smoke Sessions)

28. The Heavy Hitters  “Heavy Hitters”  (Cellar)

29. Joe Locke  “Makram”  (Circle 9)

30. Dave McMurray  “Grateful Deadication 2”  (Blue Note)

31. Quartet San Francisco with Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band “Raymond Scott Reimagined”  (Violinjazz)

32. The Verve Jazz Ensemble  “All In”  (LightGroove)

33. Rachael & Vilray  “I Love a Love Song!”  (Nonesuch)

34. Gerry Gibbs Thrasher People  “Family”  (Whaling City Sound)

35. Huntertones  “Engine Co.”  (Huntertones)

36. Brad Mehldau  “Your Mother Should Know”  (Nonesuch)

37. The 14 Jazz Orchestra  “Islands”  (Dabon Music)

38. Jim Alfredson  “Family Business”  (Posi-Tone)

39. Lisa Hilton  “Paradise Cove”  (Ruby Slippers)

40. John Pizzarelli  “Stage and Screen”  (Palmetto)

41. Doug MacDonald  “Big Band Extravaganza”  (Dmac Music)

42. Arturo O’Farrill  “Legacies”  (Blue Note)

43. Nicholas Payton  “The Couch Sessions”  (Smoke Sessions)

44. Antonio Adolfo  “Bossa 65: Celebrating Carlos Lyra and Roberto Menescal” (AAM)

45. Artemis  “In Real Time”  (Blue Note)

46. Joe Chambers  “Dance Kobina”  (Blue Note)

47. The Ostara Project  “The Ostara Project”  (Cellar)

48. Rebecca Coupe Franks  “Planets”  (RCF)

49. Jay Hoggard  “Raise Your Spirit Consciousness”  (JHVM)

50. Harold Lopez-Nussa  “Timba a la Americana”  (Blue Note)

51. Eric Reed  “Black, Brown and Blue”  (Smoke Sessions)

52. Something Blue  “Personal Preference”  (Posi-Tone)

53. Walter Smith III  “Return to Casual”  (Blue Note)

54. Terell Stafford  “Between Two Worlds”  (Le Coq)

55. Various Artists  “Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen”  (Blue Note)

56. The Dave Stryker Trio  “Prime”  (Strikezone)

57. Rodney Whitaker  “Oasis: The Music of Gregg Hill”  (Origin)

58. Buster Williams  “Unalome”  (Smoke Sessions)

59. Richard Baratta  “Off the Charts”  (Savant)

60. Hilario Duran and his Latin Jazz Big Band  “Cry Me a River”  (Alma)

61. Victor Goines “The Woodlawn Suite”  (Victor Goines)

62. Brad Goode  “Unknown”  (Origin)

63. Angie Wells  “Truth Be Told”  (Café Pacific)

64. Houston Person  “Reminiscing at Rudy’s”  (High Note)

65. Claire Daly with George Garzone   “Vuvu for Francis”  (Daly Bread)

66. Kingsley Durant  “Convertible”  (Zen Diagram)

67. Pacific Jazz Group  “Pacific Jazz Group”  (Rope-a-Dope)

68. Jae Sinnett’s Zero to 60 Quartet  “Commitment”  (J-Nett Music)

69. Jim Snidero featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel “Far Far Away”  (Savant)

70. Diva Jazz Orchestra “30: Live at Dizzy’s Club”  (DIVA)

71. Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente  “Cometa”  (Sunnyside)

72. Leon Lee Dorsey “Cantaloupe Island”  (Jazz Avenue 1)

73. Thomas Clausen  “Back 2 Basics”  (Stunt)

74. Juan Carlos Quintero  “Desserts…”   (Moondo)

75. Pete Zimmer  “Dust Settles”  (Tippin’)

76. 3D Jazz Trio  “9 to 5”  (DIVA)

77. Nick Finzer  “Dreams, Visions, Illusions”  (Outside In)

78. Noah Haidu  “Standards”  (Sunnyside)

79. Bill Mays Trio “Autumn Serenade”  (Sunnyside)

80. Yvonnick Prene  “Listen!”  (Sunnyside)

81. Lakecia Benjamin  “Phoenix”  (Whirlwind)

82. Sinne Eeg & Thomas Fonnesbaek  “Staying in Touch”  (Stunt)

83. Don Braden “Earth Wind and Wonder Volume 2”  (Creative Perspective)

84. Steven Feifke  “Catalyst”  (La Reserve)

85. Christian McBride’s New Jawn  “Prime”  (Mack Avenue)

86. Louis Hayes  “Exactly Right!”  (Savant)

87. Joel Harrison  “Anthem of Unity”  (High Note)

88. The Jazz Defenders  “Scheming”  (ITI)