Laufey review – charming retro romance from a deserved Grammy winner
The Icelandic Chinese singer blends jazz into pop with ease, and her honeyed contralto has found a home in gen Z hearts
Sam Gendel and Fabiano do Nascimento: The Room review – a tender, complex modern classic
The shapeshifting LA-based saxophonist and Brazilian guitarist’s LP is a bossa-tinged celebration of their instruments
Mary Halvorson: Cloudward review – compositions fuse with improv to wondrous ends
(Nonesuch)The Brooklyn jazz guitarist’s seamless, beautifully interwoven tracks are full of welcome surprises
Keyon Harrold: Foreverland review – genre-defying post-bop
Dazzling instrumentals are supplemented by guest vocals from Laura Mvula, Common and more on the US trumpeter’s classy third album
Music: Kitty Empire’s 10 best albums of 2023
It was a year of avant-rap, sex-positive R&B, polyrhythmic jazz and hyper-punk pop – plus Lana Del Rey’s glossy meditations on death and loss
Shabaka Hutchings review – soaring to unfettered heights
In his last performance on the saxophone ahead of a break, Hutchings powers through an interpretation of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme
Thomas Bartlett: Standards Vol 1 review – an intimate, spare solo piano set of American classics
The US producer and piano man to the stars reduces standards by Irving Berlin and more to single takes of soothing simplicity
Jowee Omicil: Spiritual Healing: Bwa Kayiman Freedom Suite review – on the brink of revolution
Saxophonist Omicil builds atmospheres then upends expectations in this free-jazz homage to Haiti’s successful 18th-century slave insurrection
Ambrose Akinmusire: Owl Song review – quietly joyous jazz grooves
The California-raised trumpet virtuoso provides a balming trio album to counter our information overload
Isaiah Collier: Parallel Universe review – an inspired homage to the giants of jazz and soul
Recorded in single-take live performances, the Chicago multi-instrumentalist deftly throws funk, gospel, soul and his own fine voice into the mix
Judi Jackson: My American Songbook review – a brave musical expedition
Spanning Randy Newman to Nina Simone, the US singer’s medley of favourite tunes showcases her powerhouse vocals, which outshine her backing band
Thandi Ntuli with Carlos Niño: Rainbow Revisited review – exquisitely minimal jazz
With delicate arrangements, the South African vocalist and pianist conveys everything from longing to ecstasy, as Niño adds light touches of percussion and production
An 80th Birthday Concert for Bert Jansch review – moving homage to 60s folk guitar hero
Pentangle’s Jacqui McShee as well as Robert Plant, Bernard Butler and Sam Lee were among stellar acts celebrating the late musician in impressive style
Paul Dunmall: Bright Light a Joyous Celebration review – infused with the spirit of Coltrane
As the UK saxophonist turns 70, he juggles abstraction and song forms with a starry cast including Xhosa Cole, Soweto Kinch, Corey Mwamba, Dave Kane and Hamid Drake
Corinne Bailey Rae review – a genre-mashing celebration of her artistic freedom
Showcasing her fourth album, Black Rainbows, the singer-songwriter moves away from her soulful roots to a more anguished, angry sound that is also joyful and cathartic