Carnival of Soul

There was no one dominant major figure in jazz in 2019 and no young break-out star who eclipsed their peers, like Esperanza Spalding and Kamasi Washington did earlier in this decade. That’s a good thing for a music which has long thrived on surprise, a diversity of stylistic resources and an ability to go in multiple directions at once. (My favorite pop albums of the year will run in next Thursday’s Night & Day.)

1. Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade, “Trilogy 2″ (Concord)

The first “Trilogy” album, a three-CD live outing, won a 2014 Grammy Award. This trio’s second release, an even more dazzling two-CD live album, should follow suit. Keyboard master Chick Corea, ace of bass Christian McBride and drum wizard Brian Blade don’t re-invent the jazz piano tradition, per se. But they celebrate and extend it with exceptional skill and exquisite taste. The joyous music they create is a credit to their ability to listen to each other with the same intensity and sensitivity with which they perform.

2. Art Ensemble of Chicago, “We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration” (Pi Recordings)

Last year saw the pioneering Art Ensemble of Chicago’s singular legacy saluted on a 21-CD box set that covered 40 years of this shape-shifting group’s expansive music. This year, the jazz-and-way-beyond band celebrated its 50th anniversary with a two-disc set that features 16 guest musicians, including a string quartet and three percussionists. It finds Art Ensemble co-founders Roscoe Mitchell and Famoudou Don Moye continuing to push the envelope in exciting new ways.

3. Mark Dresser Seven, “Ain’t Nothing But a Cyber Coup” (Clean Feed)

A widely acclaimed bassist and band leader, San Diego contrabass marvel Mark Dresser heads an exceptional band that includes pianist Joshua White, flutist Nicole Mitchell and trombonist Michael Dessen. The ensemble repeatedly soars on this dazzling album, which is as artistically accomplished as it is politically charged, particularly on such visceral selections as “Let Them Eat Paper Towels,” “Embodied in Seoul” and the heady title track.

4. and 5. Steph Richards, “Take the Neon Lights” (Birdwatcher) / Andrew Munsey, “High Tide” (Birdwatcher)

As wife and husband, San Diego trumpeter Steph Richards and drummer Andrew Munsey celebrated the birth of their first child in 2019. They also delivered a pair of outstanding solo albums that both perform on. Of the two, Richards’ New York- and poetry-inspired “Take the Neon Lights” is more edgy and experimental. Munsey’s “High Tide” is comparatively more straightforward, yet still rich in invention and unexpected twists and turns. Both albums also demonstrate that Richards and Munsey are as gifted as composers and band leaders as they are on their respective instruments.

6. Branford Marsalis Quartet, “The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul” (OKeh/Sony)

Elegant and electrifying, intricate and incisive, the latest album by saxophone stalwart Branford Marsalis and his band is rhythmically propulsive and melodically captivating. It vividly demonstrates how expressive and attuned a group can become after years of playing together without any changes in personnel.

7. Jaimie Branch, “Fly or Die II: bird dogs of paradise” (International Anthem)

Rising trumpet star Jaimie Branch channels her alarm at the increasingly fractured state of our nation into music that bristles with passion and power. Her singing, which draws as much from the Patti Smith school of incantatory punk-rock vocalizing as jazz, is an acquired taste, but worth the effort.

8. Joel Ross, “KingMaker” (Blue Note)

That vibraphone virtuoso Joel Ross is only 24 is less impressive than the fact he was just 21 when he recorded “KingMaker,” his remarkably accomplished (and belatedly released) debut album as a band leader. A protege of such vibraphone masters as Bobby Hutcherson and Stefon Harris, Ross is steeped in tradition and completely in the moment. It’s a winning combination.

9. The Comet is Coming, “Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery” (Impulse!)

“Astral Flying,” the title of a song on The Comet is Coming’s latest album, is also a statement of purpose. The London-based trio, which teams saxophonist/bass clarinetist Shabaka Hutchings, drum sampler/looper Max Hallett and synthesizer player Dan Leavers, mixes high-flying improvisations with adventurous electronic music and dance-fueled grooves. The ensuing sonic blast sounds like the ghost of Sun Ra jamming with German synth trio Tangerine Dream in a house of mirrors.

10. Jenny Scheinman and Allison Miller, “Parlour Game” (Royal Potato Family)

Together with pianist Carmen Staaf and bassist Tony Scher, violinist Jenny Scheinman and drummer Allison Miller make infectiously buoyant music that should be as inviting to non-jazz fans as it is to devotees.