Year end picks: 50 favorite albums of 2024

A multitude of reeds, bass and drums trios, and so much more

So 2024 is soon coming to an end. A rough year in way too many aspects, but in terms of new music, it’s been glorious. Although I’ve tried to write about as much of that music as possible, either in Klassekampen/Musikkmagasinet, Jazznytt, or on this Substack, a year-end list like the one below is an occasion to collectively celebrate some of the best recorded music I heard this year. I write some, as I’ve stopped at 50 albums, simply because there is a wealth of good music out there, and it would take me too long to attempt to include all of it. This means many worthy candidates have missed out on this particular version of the list, and as such, the list is neither meant to be exhaustive nor definitive. Similarly, while the order might be indicative of a certain preference as of this moment, or perhaps more precisely indicate which albums I feel most strongly about as this list is written and published, it is by no means intended to be a strict ranking.

That said, few albums I heard this year moved and invigorated me quite like Sustain by AALY Trio, that is Mats Gustafsson, Peter Janson and Kjell Nordeson. Interpreting a handful of free jazz classics, nods to their roots, in their singular fashion, and weaving them together with some excellent originals, AALY Trio continue to carve out a distinct path in the free jazz expanse. Combining brawn with an almost graceful agility, they surge forth and leap off of solid themes with expressive, often jubilant outbursts, all the while maintaining a fluid but purposeful sense of propulsion throughout. It’s an extraordinary album.

All in all, 2024 was a fruitful year for reeds, bass and drums trios. Sustain was only one of many examples of that. Truth Seeker by Ivo Perelman, Mark Helias and Tom Rainey was among my top my mid-year picks, and it remains a favorite. Even though they search and probe in slightly more abstract patterns than AALY Trio, their music too is marked by a distinct nimbleness and fluidity, and a palpable sense of forward motion as the three traverse both calm and rowdy waters. Further evidence of the many wonders that reeds, bass and drums combos can produce came from Darius Jones, Frode Gjerstad Trio (my Midweek Pick for September 25th), Luke Stewart’s Silt Trio, The Choir Invisible (Charlotte Greve, Vinnie Sperrazza, Chris Tordini), and Harald Lassen, to mention a few.

There were other trio combinations that shone, too. Those led by trumpeter Peter Evans and pianist Kris Davis respectively spring to mind. In terms of albums by larger ensembles, vibraphonist Patricia Brennan was central to three of my favorites; in addition to her own stellar Breaking Stretch, she made vital contributions to terrific new music by Mary Halvorson’s Amaryllis band, as well as veteran saxophonist Alan Braufman on the joyous Infinite Love, Infinite Tears. The band on the latter album also included the always magnificent James Brandon Lewis, whose own quartet released arguably their strongest album to date, and who also teamed up with the Messthetics — former Fugazi heroes Joe Lally and Brendan Canty plus guitarist Anthony Pirog — for a potent jazz/rock amalgamation. Even more powerful is the Danish/Haitian/Swedish/American quartet ØKSE (Mette Rasmussen, Val Jeanty, Petter Eldh, Savannah Harris), whose self-titled debut combined free-wheeling jazz with tricky rhythms, rap and electronics to stirring and engaging effect.

Outside of the expansive and ever expanding field of jazz, I found the eerie beauty of Greatest Hits by Deerlady (Mali Obomsawin and Magdalena Abrego) particularly engrossing, and was thoroughly moved by Waxahatche’s Tigers Blood. Ka, who sadly died this year, Doechii and Mach Hommy scratched my itch for good new rap, while Brazilian Caxtrinho gave me a the tropicalia-rock boost I didn’t know I needed. Just to mention a few of those listed below.

My top 50 as of this moment in time (with links to Bandcamp or label webshops where I could find them):

• AALY Trio: Sustain (Silkheart Records, CD available via RogueArt)

• ØKSE: ØKSE (BackwoodzStudioz)

• Ivo Perelman / Mark Helias / Tom Rainey: Truth Seeker (Fundacja Słuchaj)

• Alan Braufman: Infinite Love, Inifinite Tears (The Control Group / Valley of Search)

• [Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (fönsteret)

• Patricia Brennan: Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic Records)

• Kirk Knuffke: Super Blonde (Steeplechase)

• Peter Evans: Extra (We Jazz)

• Eirik Hegdal Eklektisk Samband: turnchest (Particular Recordings)

• Darius Jones: Legend of E’Boi (Hypervigilant Eye) (AUM Fidelity)

• Mary Halvorson: Cloudward (Nonesuch)

• Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (Exit) Knarr: Breezy (Sonic Transmissions Records)

• Frode Gjerstad Trio: Unknown Purposes (Circulasione Totale)

• Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers: Central Park’s Mosaic of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens (Red Hook)

• James Brandon Lewis Quartet: Transfiguration (Intakt)

• Waxahatche: Tigers Blood (Anti- Records)

• Deerlady (Mali Obomsawin & Magdalena Abrego): Greatest Hits (5729715 Records DK)

• Flukten: Flukten (ODIN Records)

• Doechii: Alligator Bites Never Heal (Top Dawg Entertainment)

• Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (Cuneiform)

• Emmeluth’s Ameoba: Nonsense (Moserobie)

• Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders: Immense Blue (West Hill Records)

• Ka: The Thief Next to Jesus (Iron Works)

• Dave Rempis / Jason Adasiewicz / Joshua Abrams / Tyler Damon: Propulsion (Aerophonic Records)

• The Attic (Rodrigo Amado / Gonçalo Almeida / Onno Govaert) Eve Risser: La Grande Crue (NoBusiness Records)

• Dubbeltrion: Bringing Scandi​-​Baltic Powerhousejazz to the People (Sonic Transmissions Records)

• Joel and the Neverending Sextet: Marbled (Motvind Records)

• Fred Moten, Brandon López, Gerald Cleaver: the blacksmiths, the flowers (Reading Group)

• Kris Davis Trio: Run the Gauntlet (Pyrocalstic Records)

• Aki Takase Japanic: Forte (BMC Records)

• Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (Cuneiform Records)

• Harald Lassen: Opplevelser fra N (impro & l​å​t) (Jazzland Recordings)

• Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie: St​å​r op med solen (Sonic Transmissions Records)

• Caxtrinho: Queda Livre (QTV)

• The Choir Invisible: Town of Two Faces (Intakt)

• The Fully Celebrated Orchestra: Sob Story (Relative Pitch Records)

• Fay Victor / Herbie Nichols SUNG: Life Is Funny That Way (TAO Forms)

• Jessiaca Ackerley: All of the Colours Are Singing (AKP Recordings)

• Ben Goldberg • Todd Sickafoose • Scott Amendola: Here to There (Secret Hatch Records)

• Bill Orcutt: How to Rescue Things (Palilalia)

• Lasse Marhaug: Provoke (Smalltown Supersound)

• Janell Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love (Cuneiform Records)

• Nacka Forum: Peaceful Piano (Moserobie Music Production)

• The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis: The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!)

• Scheen Jazzorkester & Cortex: Frameworks Music by Thomas Johansson (Clean Feed)

• Kim Gordon: The Collective (Matador Records)

• Sulida: Utos (Clean Feed)

• Mach Hommy: #RICHAXXHAITIAN (Mach-Hommy Inc.)

• David Murray Quartert: Francesca (Intakt)

• Matt Wilson: Good Trouble (Palmetto Records)