This is part of our series, The Best of the Best Music of 2017.
You can't talk about great jazz without talking about New Orleans... Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Trombone Shorty, Jon Batiste, Wynton Marsalis, Kermit Ruffins lead this eclectic list featuring instrumental and vocal jazz greats.
For the jazz list, we selected 167 songs covering over 14½ hours.
Our full list of the best and most important jazz songs of the year:
- Preservation Hall Jazz Band - "Convergence"
- Preservation Hall Jazz Band - "So It Is"
- Preservation Hall Jazz Band - "One Hundred Fires"
- Zara McFarlane - "Peace Begins Within"
- Zara McFarlane, Shabaka Hutchings - "Silhouette"
- Zara McFarlane - "In Between Worlds"
- Zara McFarlane - "Fussin' and Fightin'"
- Trombone Shorty - "Laveau Dirge No. 1"
- Trombone Shorty - "Tripped Out Slim"
- Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why" (Live In NYC)
- Norah Jones - "Flipside" (Live In NYC)
- Norah Jones - "It’s A Wonderful Time For Love" (Live In NYC)
- Kamasi Washington - "Desire"
- Kamasi Washington - "Humility"
- Kamasi Washington - "Knowledge"
- Kamasi Washington - "Integrity"
- Rhiannon Giddens - "The Love We Almost Had"
- Rhiannon Giddens - "Hey Bébé"
- Dan Auerbach - "Cellophane Angel"
- ALA.NI - "Ol Fashioned Kiss"
- ALA.NI - "Roses & Wine"
- Pokey LaFarge - "St. Louis Blues"
- Cat Clyde - "Running Water"
- Jon Batiste - "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
- Jon Batiste, Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr. - "Ohio"
- Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jon Batiste, Wynton Marsalis - "Two Bass Hit"
- Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Isaiah J. Thompson - "Hymn to Freedom"
- Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Dan Nimmer - "Temperance"
- Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste - "2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West - "Recorded at Spotify Studios NYC"
- Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis - "Ring Shout: "Peace of Mind" (Live in Cuba, 2010)
- Jazzmeia Horn - "Tight"
- Jazzmeia Horn - "Up Above My Head"
- Jazzmeia Horn - "Lift Every Voice And Sing / Moanin’ - "Medley"
- Jazzmeia Horn - "People Make The World Go Round"
- Ezra Collective - "Juan Pablo"
- Ezra Collective - "The Philosopher"
- Ezra Collective - "People in Trouble"
- Ezra Collective - "Space Is the Place"
- Onyx Collective - "Fruit Stand"
- Onyx Collective - "Mambo Pancakes"
- Alfa Mist - "Breathe"
- Alfa Mist - "Kyoki"
- William Parker Quartet, William Parker, Hamid Drake, Rob Brown, Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson - "Criminals in the White House"
- Lee Konitz - "Darn That Dream"
- Lee Konitz - "Stella By Starlight"
- Lee Konitz - "Kary's Trance"
- Braxton Cook - "Somewhere in Between"
- Braxton Cook - "Never Thought"
- Braxton Cook - "Hymn (For Trayvon)"
- Enrico Rava - "Peace"
- Marcus Miller, Jimmy Heath, Wynton Marsalis - "Justice Is Coming"
- Marcus Miller - "Sam Goes Swimming"
- Marcus Miller - "Marshall Meets Sam"
- Terence Blanchard, Kenny Barron, Carl Allen, David Pulphus - "Jackie In The Rain"
- Terence Blanchard, Kenny Barron, Carl Allen, David Pulphus - "Jackie Gets Out"
- Terence Blanchard, Kenny Barron, Ravi Coltrane, Carl Allen, David Pulphus - "Tit For Tat Nocturne"
- Kenny Barron, David Pulphus - "Kenny Gets Out"
- Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - "The Emancipation Procrastination"
- Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, X. aTunde Adjuah - "Ruler Rebel - "X. aTunde Adjuah Remix"
- Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - "The Cypher"
- Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Elena Pinderhughes - "Diaspora"
- Isamu McGregor, Bennie Maupin - "The Drifter"
- Mark de Clive-Lowe - "L+H (For Yusef Lateef)"
- Mark de Clive-Lowe - "Swahililand (For Ahmad Jamal)"
- Ahmad Jamal, Mina Agossi - "Marseille"
- Ahmad Jamal - "Autumn Leaves"
- Daymé Arocena - "Mambo Na' Mà"
- Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield - "Good Morning New Orleans"
- Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield - "Well, Alright"
- Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Cyril Neville - "Allen Toussaint"
- Jonah Levine Collective - "False Alarm"
- Jonah Levine Collective - "Time Will Tell"
- Jonah Levine Collective - "Blue Whale Syndrome"
- Nubya Garcia - "Hold - "Alternate Take"
- Charles Lloyd New Quartet - "How Can I Tell You" (Live)
- Charles Lloyd New Quartet - "Tagore On The Delta" (Live)
- Chris Potter, David Virelles, Joe Martin, Marcus Gilmore - "Heart In Hand"
- Matt Wilson - "Soup"
- Songhoy Blues - "Yersi Yadda"
- Antibalas - "Gold Rush"
- Ikebe Shakedown - "The Next 24"
- Ikebe Shakedown - "Shifting Sands"
- Ikebe Shakedown - "Out Of The Shadows"
- Super Yamba Band - "Control Per Capita (C.P.C.)"
- Jeff Beck, Jan Hammer - "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" (Live At The Hollywood Bowl)
- Dwight Trible, Matthew Halsall - "What the World Needs Now Is Love"
- Dwight Trible, Matthew Halsall - "Tryin' Times"
- Cécile McLorin Salvant - "If a Girl Isn't Pretty"
- Cécile McLorin Salvant - "You've Got to Give Me Some"
- Cécile McLorin Salvant - "And Yet"
- Cécile McLorin Salvant - "Devil May Care"
- Cécile McLorin Salvant - "You're My Thrill"
- Gregory Porter - "Sweet Lorraine"
- Gregory Porter - "L-O-V-E"
- Diana Krall - "Night And Day"
- Diana Krall - "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)"
- Diana Krall - "Moonglow"
- Van Morrison - "Take It Easy Baby"
- Van Morrison - "Makin' Whoopee"
- The Danish Radio Big Band, Charlie Watts, Lars Møller, Gerard Presencer, David Green - "(Satis) Faction" (Live At Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen / 2010)
- The Danish Radio Big Band, Charlie Watts, Gerard Presencer, Pernille Bévort - "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (Live At Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen / 2010)
- The Danish Radio Big Band, Charlie Watts, Per Gade, Gerard Presencer - "Paint It Black" (Live At Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen / 2010)
- Hudson, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski, John Scofield - "Lay Lady Lay"
- Hudson, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski, John Scofield - "Up on Cripple Creek"
- Hudson, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski, John Scofield - "Woodstock"
- Hudson, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski, John Scofield - "Song for World Forgiveness"
- Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan - "Wildwood Flower"
- Charnett Moffett, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Stanley Jordan, Pharoah Sanders - "Music from Our Soul"
- Charnett Moffett, Stanley Jordan, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Pharoah Sanders - "We Are Here to Play"
- Charnett Moffett, Stanley Jordan, Cyrus Chestnut, Jeff "Tain" Watts - "Freedom"
- Charnett Moffett, Stanley Jordan, Mike Clark - "Love in the Galaxies"
- Charnett Moffett, Stanley Jordan, Mike Clark - "So What?"
- Jamie Saft, Steve Swallow, Bobby Previte - "The Barrier"
- Jamie Saft, Steve Swallow, Bobby Previte - "Little Harbor"
- Jamie Saft, Steve Swallow, Bobby Previte, Iggy Pop - "Loneliness Road"
- Dayna Stephens, Julian Lage, Larry Grenadier, Eric Harland - "Woodside Waltz"
- Ephemerals - "Cloud Hidden"
- Oui Lele - "This Morning"
- Oui Lele - "Miss U"
- Kavv - "My Sunshine"
- Peter Kuli - "Everything"
- Blue Note All-Stars - "Bruce, The Last Dinosaur"
- Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet - "Our Lady"
- Vijay Iyer Sextet - "End Of The Tunnel"
- Vijay Iyer Sextet - "Far From Over"
- Craig Taborn - "Daylight Ghosts"
- Jaimie Branch - "Theme 002"
- Jacques Lesure - "The Lamp Is Low"
- Jacques Lesure - "For the Love of You"
- Ron Miles, Bill Frisell, Brian Blade, Jason Moran, Thomas Morgan - "The Gift That Keeps on Giving"
- The Necks - "Rise"
- Ambrose Akinmusire - "Response" (Live)
- Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers, Bob Franceschini - "Trypnotyx"
- Myron Mckinley Trio - "Labyrinth"
- Myron Mckinley Trio - "Eleanor Rigby"
- Myron Mckinley Trio - "Man in the Mirror" (Live)
- Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - "One Hunit"
- Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - "Violet Moon"
- Brasstracks - "XO Tour Llif3"
- Sly5thAve - "Everything Is Everything"
- Sly5thAve - "Love Me"
- Sly5thAve - "Stay"
- Sly5thAve - "Hold On We're Going Home"
- Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Maiya Sykes - "Don't Look Back in Anger"
- Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Maiya Sykes - "Don't Stop"
- Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Wayne Brady - "Thriller"
- Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Alisan Porter - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
- Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Thia Megia - "Feel Good Inc."
- Scott Bradlee - "City of Stars"
- Jacques Lesure - "Put on a Happy Face"
- Antonio Adolfo - "Footprints"
- Antonio Adolfo - "Deluge"
- Phronesis, Julián Argüelles, Frankfurt Radio Bigband, Jasper Høiby, Ivo Neame, Anton Eger - "Untitled#1"
- Phronesis, Julián Argüelles, Frankfurt Radio Bigband, Jasper Høiby, Ivo Neame, Anton Eger - "Herne Hill"
- Phronesis, Julián Argüelles, Frankfurt Radio Bigband, Jasper Høiby, Ivo Neame, Anton Eger - "Intro to Urban Control"
- Mário Laginha, Julián Argüelles, Helge Andreas Norbakken - "Mãos na Parede"
- Marquis Hill - "The Power of Truth"
- Marquis Hill - "Eternal Spirit"
- Miguel Zenón - "Ciclo"
- Miguel Zenón - "Tipico"
- Duke Robillard featuring Maria Muldaur - "Got The South In My Soul"
- Duke Robillard - "Ready For The River"
- Boney James - "Tick Tock"
- Lettuce - "Shhh / Peaceful"
- Lettuce - "In a Silent Way / It's About That Time"
- Lettuce - "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down"
- Alice Coltrane - "Om Shanti"
Tell us what you think!
Here a big timeline of music genres we put together to help categorize all these tracks:
