Metacritic/EOY Aggregate: 2025 New Compilations of Old/Various Music: Jazz

For information on what lists are consulted, and what the various abbreviations and notes mean, click here.

Reissues, compilations, vault music, etc. For new records, click here.

Sub-Lists

Some breakdowns by genre:

Ranking

  1. Charles Mingus: Mingus in Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts (1977, Resonance -2CD) {7}: AAJ:*, Mj:*; am:* -- A:80/2, TH:A-
  2. John Surman: Flashpoints and Undercurrents (1969, Cuneiform) {7}: CM:+, PO:*, TN:*; am:* -- A:80/1, TH:***
  3. Mary Halvorson Quartet: John Zorn's Bagatelles: Volume 1 (2019, Tzadik) {6}: TN:*; am:* -- A:80/1, TH:A-
  4. Kenny Dorham: Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live From the Blue Morocco (1957, Resonance) {5}: AAJ:*; am:* -- A:80/1, TH:***
  5. Joe Henderson: Multiple (Craft) {5}: TN:* -- TH:A-
  6. William Hooker: A Time Within: Live at the New York Jazz Museum, January 14, 1977 (Valley of Search) {5}: PO:*, TN:* -- TH:***
  7. Jimmy Lyons: Live From Studio Rivbea: 1974 & 1976 (NoBusiness) {5}: CM:+ -- TH:A-
  8. Art Pepper: An Afternoon in Norway: The Kongsberg Concert (1980, Elemental Music) {5}: CM:+; am:* -- A:80/1, TH:***
  9. Art Pepper: Geneva 1980 (Omnivore) {5}: AAJ:*, TN:* -- TH:***
  10. Irène Schweizer/Rüdiger Carl/Johnny Dyani/Han Bennink: Irène's Hot Four (1981, Intakt) {5}: CM:+ -- TH:A-
  11. Sun Ra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght () {5}: PO:*; am:* -- A:90/1, TH:***
  12. Horace Tapscott's Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra: Live at Widney High December 26th, 1971 (The Village) {5}: PO:* -- TH:A-
  13. Ryan Truesdell: Gil Evans Project Live at Jazz Standard, Vol. 2 (2014, Outside In Music) {5}: AAJ:* -- TH:A-
  14. Roy Brooks: The Free Slave (1970, Time Traveler) {4}: -- TH:A-
  15. Dave Burrell/Sam Woodyard: The Lost Session: Paris 1979 (NoBusiness) {4}: -- TH:A-
  16. Stanley Cowell/Billy Harper/Reggie Workman/Billy Hart: Such Great Friends (1983, Strata-East) {4}: -- TH:A-
  17. Marco Eneidi Quartet: Wheat Fields of Kleyehof (2004, Balance Point Acoustics) {4}: PO:* -- TH:***
  18. Ellery Eskelin: Trio New York About (or On) First Visit (2011-13, Ezz-Thetics) {4}: -- TH:A-
  19. Ivan Farmakovskiy: Epic Power (2010, SteepleChase) {4}: DB:* -- TH:***
  20. Shamek Farrah: First Impressions (1974, Strata-East) {4}: PO:* -- TH:***
  21. Freddie Hubbard: On Fire: Live From the Blue Morocco (1967, Resonance) {4}: AAJ:*; am:* -- A:90/1, TH:**
  22. Misha Mengelberg/Sabu Toyozumi: The Analects of Confucius (2000, NoBusiness) {4}: -- TH:A-
  23. James Moody: 80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note March 26, 2005 (Origin) {4}: -- TH:A-
  24. Kristen Noguès & John Surman: Diriaou (1998, Souffle Continu) {4}: -- TH:A-
  25. Horace Silver: Silver in Seatte: Live at the Penthouse (1965, Blue Note) {4}: -- TH:A-
  26. Larry Stabbins/Keith Tippett/Louis Moholo-Moholo: Live in Foggia (1985, Ogun) {4}: -- TH:A-
  27. Cecil Taylor/Tony Oxley: Flashing Spirits (1988, Burning Ambulance) {4}: -- TH:A-
  28. Charles Tolliver Music Inc: Compassion (1977, Strata-East) {4}: -- TH:A-
  29. Charles Tolliver With Gary Bartz/Herbie Hancock/Ron Carter/Joe Chambers: Right Now . . . and Then (1968, Strata-East) {4}: -- TH:A-
  30. Motoharu Yoshizawa/Kim Dae Hwan: Way of the Breeze (1993, NoBusiness) {4}: -- TH:A-
  31. Gato Barbieri: Standards Lost and Found 2 (1968, Red) {3}: -- TH:***
  32. Kenny Barron: Sunset to Dawn (1973, Time Traveler) {3}: AAJ:* -- TH:**
  33. Charles Brackeen: Rhythm X (1968, Strata-East) {3}: -- TH:***
  34. The Brass Company: Colors (1974, Strata-East) {3}: -- TH:***
  35. Stanley Cowell: Musa: Ancestral Streams (1974, Strata-East) {3}: -- TH:***
  36. Shamek Farrah & Sonelius Smith: The World of the Children (1976, Strata-East) {3}: PO:* -- TH:**
  37. Ella Fitzgerald: The Moment of Truth: Ella at the Coliseum (Verve) {3}: am:* -- A:80/1, TH:**
  38. Melvin Gibbs: Amasia: Anamibia Sessions 2 (2006-25, Hausu Mountain) {3}: PO:* -- TH:**
  39. John Hicks: Hells Bells (1975, Strata-East) {3}: -- TH:***
  40. Keith Jarrett: New Vienna (2016, ECM) {3}: -- TH:***
  41. Frank Kimbrough: The Call (2010, Sunnyside) {3}: AAJ:* -- TH:**
  42. Charles Kynard: Woga (1972, We Want Sounds) {3}: -- TH:***
  43. Rob Mazurek: Alternate Moon Cycles [IA11 Edition] (2012, International Anthem) {3}: TN:* -- TH:**
  44. Nellie McKay: Gee Whiz: The Get Away From Me Demos (Omnivore) {3}: -- TH:***
  45. Gerry Mulligan: Nocturne (1992, Red) {3}: AAJ:* -- TH:**
  46. Music Inc. [Charles Tolliver/Stanley Cowell/Cecil McBee/Jimmy Hopps]: Live at Slugs' Volume I & II (1970, Strata-East) {3}: -- TH:***
  47. Cecil Payne: Zodiac (1972, Strata-East) {3}: -- TH:***
  48. The Charlie Rouse Band: Cinnamon Flower: The Expanded Edition (Resonance) {3}: AAJ:* -- TH:*
  49. Pharoah Sanders: Love Is Here: The Complete Paris 1975 ORTF Recordings (Transcendence Sounds, 2CD) {3}: AAJ:* -- TH:**
  50. Soft Works: Abracadabra (2002, MoonJune) {3}: -- TH:***
  51. Masahiko Togashi: Session in Paris Vol. 1: Song of Soil (1979, We Want Sounds) {3}: PO:* -- TH:**
  52. Charles Tolliver: Live in Berlin: At the Quasimodo (1988, Strata-East) {3}: -- TH:***
  53. Charles Tolliver's Music Inc: Live at the Loosdrecht Jazz Festival (1972, Strata-East) {3}: -- TH:***
  54. Strata-East: The Legacy Begins (1968-75, Strata-East -4CD) {3}: -- TH:***
  55. Anthony Braxton: B-X0 N0-47A (1969, BYG) {2}: -- TH:**
  56. Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (Burning Ambulance) {2}: CM:+, G:*
  57. Jaki Byard: Blues for Smoke (1960, Candid) {2}: -- TH:**
  58. George Colligan: Live at the Jazz Standard (Whirlwind) {2}: -- TH:**
  59. Manu Dibango: Dibango 82 (1982, We Want Sounds) {2}: -- TH:**
  60. Armen Donelian: Stargazer (Sunnyside) {2}: -- TH:**
  61. Bill Evans: Further Ahead: Live in Finland 1964-1969 (Elemental Music) {2}: -- TH:**
  62. Erik Friedlander and Michael Nicolas: John Zorn's Bagatelles: Vol. 2 (2019, Tzadik) {2}: -- TH:**
  63. Dexter Gordon: Landslide (1961-62, Blue Note) {2}: -- TH:**
  64. Green Cosmos: Abendmusiken (1981-82, Frederiksberg) {2}: -- TH:**
  65. Vince Guaraldi Trio: Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964, Craft -2CD) {2}: -- TH:**
  66. Billy Harper: Capra Black (1973, Strata-East) {2}: -- TH:**
  67. John Hicks: Steadfast (1975, Strata-East) {2}: -- TH:**
  68. Louis Stewart: I Thought About You (1977, Livia) {2}: -- TH:**
  69. Joni Mitchell: Joni's Jazz (Rhino -4CD) {2}: U:*; am:* -- S:78/4
  70. Jovino Santos Neto Quartet: Mais Que Tudo: Live at Kerry Hall 1995 (Origin) {2}: -- TH:**
  71. David "Fathead" Newman/Ellis Marsalis/Cornell Dupree: Return to the Wide Open Spaces (1990, Amazing/Steady Boy) {2}: -- TH:**
  72. Mark O'Leary Group: I See Further Than You (2001, TIBProd.) {2}: -- TH:**
  73. Billy Parker's Fourth World: Freedom of Speech (1974, Strata-East) {2}: -- TH:**
  74. Sun Ra: On Jupiter (1979, Saturn/Strut) {2}: -- TH:**
  75. Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (1970s-80s, Modern Harmonic) {2}: -- TH:**
  76. Sun Ra: Uncharted Passages: New York Piano Soliloquies 1977-79 (Modern Marmonic) {2}: -- TH:**
  77. John Taylor: Tramanto (2002, ECM) {2}: -- TH:**
  78. The New York Bass Violin Choir: The New York Bass Violin Choir (Strata-East) {2}: -- TH:**
  79. Clifford Thornton: Ketchaoua (1969, BYG Actuel) {2}: -- TH:**
  80. Steve Tintweiss and the Purple Why: Live in Tompkins Square Park 1967 (Inky Dot Media) {2}: -- TH:**
  81. Masahiko Togashi: Session in Paris Vol. 2: Colour of Dream (1979, We Want Sounds) {2}: -- TH:**
  82. Charles Tolliver Music Inc & Orchestra: Impact (1975, Strata-East) {2}: -- TH:**
  83. Trigger: John Zorn's Bagatelles: Vol. 3 (2019, Tzadik) {2}: TN:* -- TH:*
  84. Alts 'N Outs: The Other Side of Blue Note (1958-64, Blue Note) {2}: -- TH:**
  85. Albert Ayler Trio: Prophecy Live First Visit (1964, Ezz-Thetics) {1}: TN:*
  86. Blackbyrds: City Life (1975, Craft/Jazz Dispensary) {1}: -- TH:*
  87. Paul Bley: Open, to Love (1973, ECM) {1}: AAJ:* -- TH:[*]
  88. Paul Bley Trio: Floater & Syndrome: The Upright Piano Sessions Revisited (1962-63, Ezz-Thetics) {1}: TN:*
  89. Jaki Byard: Blues for Smoke (1960, Candid) {1}: AAJ:*
  90. Walter Davis Jr: A Being Such as You (1979, Red) {1}: -- TH:*
  91. Miles Davis: Miles '55: The Prestige Recordings (Craft) {1}: AAJ:*
  92. Christy Doran's May 95 Sextet: Same but Different (Unit) {1}: AAJ:*
  93. Bill Evans: Explorations (1961, Craft) {1}: AAJ:*
  94. Carlos Garnett: Cosmos Nucleus (1976, Time Traveler) {1}: -- TH:*
  95. Joe Henderson: Our Thing to In 'n Out Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) {1}: TN:*
  96. Michael Gregory Jackson: Frequency Equilibrium Koan (1977, Moved-by-Sound) {1}: PO:*
  97. Keith Jarrett: At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings (1992, ECM -4LP) {1}: AAJ:*
  98. Ginger Johnson and His African Messengers: African Party [Deluxe Edition] (Innovative Collective/BBE Music) {1}: AAJ:*
  99. Steve Lacy Three: Live Lugano 1984 First Visit (Ezz-Thetics) {1}: TN:*
  100. Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet: Turn It Up! (2004-24, Cellar Music) {1}: AAJ:*
  101. Joe Maneri/Tyson Rogers & Jacob Braverman: In the Shadow First Visit (2002, Ezz-Thetics) {1}: TN:*
  102. Mark O'Leary Quartet: White Album (TIBProd.) {1}: -- TH:*
  103. The Piano Choir: Handscapes 2 (1974, Strata-East) {1}: -- TH:*
  104. Dom Salvador: Simplicity (1993, Salvador) {1}: AAJ:*
  105. Soft Machine: Floating World Live [Remastered] (1975, MoonJune) {1}: AAJ:*
  106. Fred Van Hove: Wim Fanfare - Free Music (1975-1988) (Cortizona Heritage) {1}: AAJ:*
  107. Music Is a Message From Space (Corbett vs. Dempsey) {1}: -- TH:*
  108. New Awakening: Adventures in British Jazz 1966-1971 () {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  109. Salsa de la Bahia Vol. 3: A Colection of SF Bay Area Salsa and Latin Jazz: Renegade Queens (1991-2025, Patois, 2CD) {1}: -- TH:*
  110. Scarborough Jazz Festival Present: 2024 Live Festival Compilation (self-released) {1}: AAJ:*