Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves Pay Tribute to Coltrane
Of all the John Coltrane tributes we’ll likely hear in 2026, Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves’ Dedicated to You will be the most heartfelt and authentic.
Will Layman
Will Layman is a writer, teacher and musician living in the Washington, DC area. He has been a contributor to National Public Radio and WNYC's "Soundcheck" as a jazz critic. He plays rock, funk, and jazz in the bars and clubs in and near the nation's capital. His fiction and humor appear in print and online.
John Hollenbeck’s Singular Voice Animates’ Peace and Justice’
John Hollenbeck’s music is as distinct as Gil Evans’ or Oliver Nelson’s. You immediately hear the colors he whips up in distinct ways. It’s a prize for our ears.
Drummer Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble Fight Power with Love
Jazz drummer Matt Wilson’s political outrage and resistance are present but come through an embrace of love, community, and gorgeous music.
Gretchen Parlato Spins Jazz and Soul Into a Charmed Thing
Gretchen Parlato’s The Wise Ones is the perfect place to first encounter her. I still call it jazz, but we can also call it joyful, sublimely crafted music.
Henry Threadgill and Zooid Evoke Old and New Jazz Elements
Henry Threadgill’s Cut You Where You Was has a pointillistic quality. It offers tapas from his kitchen: one main dish to start, plus a masterpiece of more than 12 minutes.
Henry Threadgill’s Trio Creates Brilliant Art Jazz
For jazz that is still moving the art forward, Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer, and Dafnis Prieto’s Fifteen is right on the money.
The Jazz Organ Trio Lives on Thanks to Larry Goldings et al.
Rhombus is a strong album, and its choice of repertoire makes it unusually interesting to revisit multiple times. May the organ trio format live on!
Linda May Han Oh and Melissa Aldana Play Bebop and Beyond
Linda May Han Oh and Melissa Aldana create a duet album that freshly straddles a couple of eras, showing that the center of jazz in 2026 is pleasantly de-centered.
Mary Halvorson and Ambrose Akinmusire Connect to Jazz History
Mary Halvorson and Ambrose Akinmusire’s new LP feels more like an hour of tapas than a tasting menu, which makes it charming and crystalline and leaves room for something more.
DOMi & JD Beck Create a Brilliant, Jazzy Genre Mash-up
Gen Z “jazz” duo DOMi & JD Beck conjure the breathtaking sophomore release Who Asked?, which straddles jazz, classical, electronica, and pop.
Jazz Pianist Nduduzo Makhathini Mixes Yearning with a Modern Sound
As a South African artist, Nduduzo Makhathini inherits a grand tradition of cross-pollination between American jazz and the music of his own culture.
Tyshawn Sorey Triumphantly Renews a 1968 Jazz Classic by Max Roach
Tyshawn Sorey convenes a searing band for his refraction and elevation of Max Roach’s original Members Don’t Git Weary, and the result is a fresh message for 2026.