The Roots Music Report's
Top Jazz Album Chart
for the Year of 2021
| Album Title | Band/Artist Name | Label | Sub Genre | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday at Pilars | Chris Rottmayer | Pilars | Traditional Jazz |
| 2 | The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful | The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band | Groovy Panda | Contemporary Jazz |
| 3 | Baker's Circle | Dave Stryker | Strikezone | Contemporary Jazz |
| 4 | Uncommon Measures | Lyle Workman | Blue Canoe | Fusion |
| 5 | Tranquility | Les Sabler | New Vista | Contemporary Jazz |
| 6 | It's All Your Fault | Mike LeDonne | Savant | Jazz |
| 7 | All Rise | Gregory Porter | Decca | Jazz |
| 8 | Honoring Louis Armstrong | John Redmon & The Thomas J. Dawson, Jr. iOrchestra | Reaching | Traditional Jazz |
| 9 | For the Record | Vinnie Riccitelli Octet | Self-Release | Traditional Jazz |
| 10 | Til We Meet Again | Norah Jones | Blue Note | Crossover Jazz |
| 11 | Straight from the Soul | Hannah Baiardi | Self-Release | Contemporary Jazz |
| 12 | Best Buddies | Troy Roberts | Toy Robot | Contemporary Jazz |
| 13 | Jobim Forever | Antonio Adolfo | AAM | Latin Jazz |
| 14 | That's Life | Willie Nelson | Sony | Jazz |
| 15 | The United States Vs. Billie Holiday | Andra Day | Warner | Jazz |
| 16 | 'Round Midnight (Re-Imagined) | Amber Weekes | Amber Inn Productions | Contemporary Jazz |
| 17 | Breathe | Dr. Lonnie Smith | Blue Note | Classic Jazz |
| 18 | Crossover (feat. Nicky Orta & Abel Pabon) | Jorge Garcia | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 19 | Connections | Steve Hunt | Spice Rack | Fusion |
| 20 | I Told You So | Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio | Colemine | Contemporary Jazz |
| 21 | The Mulligan Chronicles | David Larsen | Self-Release | Traditional Jazz |
| 22 | I'd Prefer | Alexander McCabe | WAMCO | Traditional Jazz |
| 23 | Mirror Mirror | Eliane Elias | Candid | Jazz |
| 24 | Bassic Instinct | David Finck | Burton Avenue | Traditional Jazz |
| 25 | Artspoke the Best of (2007-2018) | Stuart Hamm | Guitar One | Fusion |
| 26 | Beautiful Things | Kenny Shanker | Wise Cat | Jazz |
| 27 | Jukebox | Wayne Alpern | Henri Elkan Music Co. | Crossover Jazz |
| 28 | Distance | Kenny Carr | Zoozazz | Fusion |
| 29 | The Joy of Playing | Benjamin Schnake Ensemble | Self-Release | Latin Jazz |
| 30 | I'll Never Be the Same | Jack Brandfield | Gut String | Traditional Jazz |
| 31 | Houston Person Live in Paris | Houston Person | HighNote | Jazz |
| 32 | Grateful Deadication | Dave McMurray | Blue Note | Jazz |
| 33 | I Love Paris | Melbreeze | Blue Canoe | Contemporary Jazz |
| 34 | A Gift to Pops | The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars | Verve | Jazz |
| 35 | Sing a Song of Bird | Roseanna Vitro | Skyline | Jazz |
| 36 | Lost in Centralia | Project Alcazar | Guitar One | Fusion |
| 37 | More Music | Joey DeFrancesco | Mack Avenue | Jazz |
| 38 | Ones Upon a Time | Paul Brown | Woodward Avenue | Contemporary Jazz |
| 39 | Preaching to the Choir | Vincent Herring | Smoke Sessions | Jazz |
| 40 | Latin Jazz Project, Vol. 2 | Ray Obiedo | Rhythmus | Smooth Jazz |
| 41 | What I Meant to Say | Steve Million | Origin | Contemporary Jazz |
| 42 | Next | Dave Howard | Self-Release | Fusion |
| 43 | City of Sounds | Joe Farnsworth | Smoke Sessions | Classic Jazz |
| 44 | New Love | Charnett Moffett | Motema | Jazz |
| 45 | Take Two | John DePaola Quartet | Phat Planet | Traditional Jazz |
| 46 | Future Shock | Michael Whalen | Spout | Fusion |
| 47 | Mendó | Alex Cuba | Self-Release | Latin Jazz |
| 48 | Colors of Brazil | Kenney Polson | Rosetta | Latin Jazz |
| 49 | Squint | Julian Lage | Blue Note | Avant-Garde Jazz |
| 50 | Con Moto | Bill DiCosimo and Edgar Pagán | Sub Cat | Latin Jazz |
| 51 | What Comes Next | Peter Bernstein | Smoke Sessions | Jazz |
| 52 | JMB4 | Joe Marcinek Band | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 53 | For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver | Christian McBride | Mack Avenue | Big Band |
| 54 | 400 | Acute Inflections | Self-Release | Crossover Jazz |
| 55 | Transmigration | Makram Aboul Hosn | Self-Release | Contemporary Jazz |
| 56 | My Funny Valentine | Grace Haggerty | Self-Release | Traditional Jazz |
| 57 | Road Trip | Slide Attack | Self-Release | Contemporary Jazz |
| 58 | Wheelhouse | Greg Howe | Bad Racket | Fusion |
| 59 | Look Up! | Band of Other Brothers | Ear Up | Jazz |
| 60 | Florida Rays | Flying Horse Big Band | Flying Horse | Big Band |
| 61 | Let's Ride | The Smooth Jazz Alley | Self-Release | Smooth Jazz |
| 62 | Art of Protest | Sonic Portraits Jazz Various Artists | Sonic Portraits Jazz | Contemporary Jazz |
| 63 | Midnight Blue | Kenny Burrell | Blue Note | Jazz |
| 64 | Color in Motion | Jenny Klukken | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 65 | Time Traveler | Nnenna Freelon | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 66 | Symbiotic Souls | Luico Hopper | Self-Release | Smooth Jazz |
| 67 | This Bitter Earth | Veronica Swift | Mack Avenue | Jazz |
| 68 | Tres Libre | Dan Moretti | Roots Grooves | Contemporary Jazz |
| 69 | Untitled (Rise) | Sault | Forever Living Originals | Crossover Jazz |
| 70 | Love is for All Time | Lorraina Marro | Self-Release | Contemporary Jazz |
| 71 | Sounds from the Ancestors | Kenny Garrett | mack Avenue | Classic Jazz |
| 72 | Caught in the Groove | Nils | Baja | Contemporary Jazz |
| 73 | SuperBlue (feat. Charlie Hunter) | Kurt Elling | Edition | Contemporary Jazz |
| 74 | With Every Turn | Roberto Restuccia | Trippin N Rhythm | Smooth Jazz |
| 75 | How Deep is the Ocean | Pat Coil | Burton Avenue | Traditional Jazz |
| 76 | Love is the Key | Sue Maskaleris | Jazilian | Latin Jazz |
| 77 | Sentiment | Brendan Rothwell | Self-Release | Contemporary Jazz |
| 78 | Take Me out to the Ball Game | Tom Kubis Big Band | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 79 | Fire Wire | Larry Carlton | BMG | Smooth Jazz |
| 80 | Who's the Old Guy Now | Ben Sidran | Bonsaï Music | Jazz |
| 81 | You Must Believe in Spring | Josie Falbo | Southport | Jazz |
| 82 | No Turning Back | Lowell Hopper | Self-Release | Smooth Jazz |
| 83 | Anything Mose! | John Chin | Jinsy | Jazz |
| 84 | Sir Duke | Mercer Hassy Orchestra | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 85 | Michael Stephenson Meets Alexander Claffy with His Trio | Michael Stephenson & Alexander Claffy | Celler Live | Contemporary Jazz |
| 86 | Too Close for Comfort | George Cables | High Note | Jazz |
| 87 | Dedications – Jazz from Planet Flippo | Dave Flippo Trio | Oppilf | Contemporary Jazz |
| 88 | Finger Painting | Nick Colionne | Trippin N Rhythm | Contemporary Jazz |
| 89 | Frankenstein | Wayne Alpern | Henri Elkan | Crossover Jazz |
| 90 | Keep Steppin Down | Brennen Schedler Quartet | Ruthanne | Contemporary Jazz |
| 91 | Nascentia (Birth) | Steve Slagle | Panorama | Contemporary Jazz |
| 92 | Folk Songs, Jazz Journeys | Alex Martin | Pajarito Verde | Latin Jazz |
| 93 | Restless | Jackson Potter | Wise Cat | Contemporary Jazz |
| 94 | Sky Blossom: Songs from My Tour of Duty | Alexis Cole | Zoho Music | Traditional Jazz |
| 95 | Magic Dance: the Music of Kenny Barron | Greg Abate | Whaling City Sound | Contemporary Jazz |
| 96 | Homes | Gilad Hekselman | Jazz Village | Jazz |
| 97 | The Diary of Patrick Xavier | Stuart Hamm | Self-Release | Fusion |
| 98 | Alta Vista | David Correa | Zocalo | Latin Jazz |
| 99 | 25 Years | Edward Simon | Ridgeway | Jazz |
| 100 | Time of My Life | Dylan Nau | RocketSnake | Jazz |
| 101 | Acceptance | Billy Childs | Mack Avenue | Mainstream Jazz |
| 102 | Shadows Fall (Feat. Joshua White) | Jonathan Karrant | Self-Release | Traditional Jazz |
| 103 | Invisible Time | Ghost Jazz Trio | Self-Release | Fusion |
| 104 | All About Love | Tony Saunders | Baja/TSR | Smooth Jazz |
| 105 | Rise | Lawson Rollins | Infinita | Jazz |
| 106 | A Fresh Perspective | Ian Charleton Big Band | Self-Release | Big Band |
| 107 | The Art of Conversation | Leo Sidran | Nardis | Mainstream Jazz |
| 108 | Kinds of Love | Renee Rosnes | Smoke Sessions | Jazz |
| 109 | Plain 'n' Simple | Chuck Loeb | Tweety | Jazz |
| 110 | Countermelody | Evan Arntzen | Dot Time | Contemporary Jazz |
| 111 | Plays the Music of Buddy Montgomery | Isaiah J. Thompson | Wj3 | Jazz |
| 112 | Solitude | Frank Kohl | Self-Release | Traditional Jazz |
| 113 | Don't Stop the Carnival | Mercer Hassy Orchestra | MHO | Jazz |
| 114 | Deviate from Standards | David Larsen | Self-Release | Traditional Jazz |
| 115 | Mosaic | Rahsaan Barber | Jazz Music City | Jazz |
| 116 | We Want All the Same Things | Erin Propp & Larry Roy | Chronograph | Crossover Jazz |
| 117 | Thank You Mr. Mabern | Leon Lee Dorsey | Jazz Avenue 1 | Jazz |
| 118 | L.A. Source Codes | Will Lyle | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 119 | Lovesome Thing (feat. Emmet Cohen) | Anaïs Reno | Harbinger | Traditional Jazz |
| 120 | New Orleans High Society | New Orleans High Society | 1718 | Traditional Jazz |
| 121 | Bridges | Jesse Ryan | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 122 | The Latin Side of Horace Silver | Conrad Herwig | Savant | Latin Jazz |
| 123 | Serendipity | John Stein | Whaling City Sound | Jazz |
| 124 | 2020 Hindsight | Grant Ferguson | Guitar One | Fusion |
| 125 | A Centering Peace | Brian Woodruff Sextet | QJOG | Contemporary Jazz |
| 126 | Coming Down Roses | Billy Test Trio | ATM | Traditional Jazz |
| 127 | The Hidden Standard | Paul Silbergleit | BluJazz | Big Band |
| 128 | Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women | Melanie Charles | Verve | Jazz |
| 129 | Ella: the Lost Berlin Tapes (Live) | Ella Fitzgerald | Verve | Classic Jazz |
| 130 | Open Sky | Art Hirahara | Posi-Tone | Jazz |
| 131 | Live at Vitellos | Michael Wolff | Sunnyside | Jazz |
| 132 | Lost in a Dream | Kristin Callahan | Ivy Door | Contemporary Jazz |
| 133 | What's the Hurry | Kenny Washington | Lower 9th | Contemporary Jazz |
| 134 | Songs from the Deep | Eric Essix | Essential | Contemporary Jazz |
| 135 | Artemis | Artemis | Blue Note | Jazz |
| 136 | Introducing Kendall Carter | Kendall Carter | Eladnex | Jazz |
| 137 | All in All | Dan Wilensky | Polyglot Music | Jazz |
| 138 | Midtown Walk | Francesco Amenta | AMI | Jazz |
| 139 | Time Outtakes | The Dave Brubeck Quartet | Brubeck Editions | Jazz |
| 140 | Adjustments | Scott Kinsey and Mer Sal | Blue Canoe | Fusion |
| 141 | Five Down Blues | The Kyle Asche Organ Trio | Cellar Live | Contemporary Jazz |
| 142 | Desde Lejos | The Dominican Jazz Project | Summit | Jazz |
| 143 | Dreams of Waking: Music for a Better World | Dara Tucker | Green Hill | Jazz |
| 144 | Jimi | 2B3 | Self-Release | Fusion |
| 145 | Not a Novelty | Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm | Sunnyside | Modern Jazz |
| 146 | The Trio, Vol. 1 | Dave Bass | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 147 | Bredux: Collected Edges | Kayle Brecher | Penchant Four | Avant-Garde Jazz |
| 148 | Sexy Somethin | Tony Saunders | San Francisco | Smooth Jazz |
| 149 | Firefly | Alexa Tarantino | Posi-Tone | Jazz |
| 150 | Solo Live | Edward Simon | Ridgeway | Jazz |
| 151 | Live in Hawaii | Doug MacDonald | Self-Release | Classic Jazz |
| 152 | The Lowdown | Ian Hendrickson-Smith | Cellar Live | Contemporary Jazz |
| 153 | 3-Ree | Manuel Muzzu | Self-Release | Smooth Jazz |
| 154 | Samba De Maracatu | Joe Chambers | Blue Note | Classic Jazz |
| 155 | In Harmony (Live) | Roy Hargrove & Mulgrew Miller | Resonance | Contemporary Jazz |
| 156 | Dream Dancer | Beverley Beirne | 33 Jazz | Jazz |
| 157 | Rainbow Sign | Ron Miles | Blue Note | Jazz |
| 158 | Gary Bartz JID006 | Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad | Jazz is Dead | Crossover Jazz |
| 159 | Future Stride | Emmet Cohen | Mack Avenue | Contemporary Jazz |
| 160 | My Original Plan | Joanie Pallatto | Southport | Contemporary Jazz |
| 161 | Jake & Friends | Jake Shimabukuro | Music Theories | Jazz |
| 162 | Major Influence | Graham Dechter | Capri | Traditional Jazz |
| 163 | Kinetic | Steven Feifke Big Band | Outside In Music | Big Band |
| 164 | Monsters' Impromptu | Lee Heerspink | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 165 | Still Doing Our Thing | Behn Gillece | Posi-Tone | Jazz |
| 166 | Inflexion | Russell Ferrante Trio | Blue Canoe | Traditional Jazz |
| 167 | Musa | Lauren Henderson | Brontosaurus | Contemporary Jazz |
| 168 | Freelance Subversives | Will Bernard | Ropeadope | Crossover Jazz |
| 169 | Ojoyo Plays Safrojazz | Ojoyo | Sunnyside | Latin Jazz |
| 170 | Long in the Tooth | The Budos Band | Daptone | Jazz |
| 171 | Freedom Jazz Dance | Leon Lee Dorsey | Jazz Avenue 1 | Jazz |
| 172 | Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster | Mark Masters Ensemble | Capri | Mainstream Jazz |
| 173 | Distant Voices | David Janeway | SteepleChase | Traditional Jazz |
| 174 | Sharkskin | Acme Jazz Garage | Solar Grooves | Jazz |
| 175 | A Meeting of Minds | Sheryl Bailey | Cellar Live | Jazz |
| 176 | Open World | Chad Lefkowitz-Brown | La Reserve | Big Band |
| 177 | The Story Behind the Story | David Boswell | My Quiet Moon | Contemporary Jazz |
| 178 | Love, Dad (feat. Jake Newcomb) | Larry Newcomb Quartet | Essential Messenger | Swing |
| 179 | Mystified | Professor Aucoin and the Jazz Scientists | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 180 | Weekend in London (Live) | George Benson | Provogue | Mainstream Jazz |
| 181 | Herplusme | Max Light Trio | Self-Release | Jazz |
| 182 | Curious Fabrications | Dutch Falconi | Aurore | Big Band |
| 183 | Dreamcatcher | George Khan | CD Baby | Jazz |
| 184 | Do You Know a Good Thing? | The Nightcrawlers | Cellar | Jazz |
| 185 | Time to Swing | Joe Farnsworth | Smoke Sessions | Classic Jazz |
| 186 | Be Water | Christian Sands | Mack Avenue | Jazz |
| 187 | Kate's Soulfood | Allan Harris | Love Productions | Jazz |
| 188 | Wabi Sabi | The Tiptons Sax Quartet | Sowiesounds | Jazz |
| 189 | Transparency | Dafnis Prieto Sextet | Dafnison Music | Latin Jazz |
| 190 | Look Out! | The Cookers | Gearbox Jazz | Hard Bop |
| 191 | Leimert Park After Dark | Bobby West | Soulville Sound | Contemporary Jazz |
| 192 | Convergence | Lunar Octet | Summit | Fusion |
| 193 | Hear at Last | Mark Jaimes | Trippin N Rhythm | Smooth Jazz |
| 194 | Somewhere Different | Brandee Younger | Impulse! | Contemporary Jazz |
| 195 | Event Horizon | Event Horizon Jazz Quartet | Ehjq | Jazz |
| 196 | Quartet + (with Harlem Quartet) | Helen Sung | Sunnyside | Contemporary Jazz |
| 197 | Source | Nubya Garcia | Concord | Contemporary Jazz |
| 198 | Color and Passion | Blake Aaron | Innervision | Contemporary Jazz |
| 199 | Give It All You Got | Michael Dease | Posi-Tone | Jazz |
| 200 | You Must Believe in Spring | Sue Anne Gershenzon | Self-Release | Traditional Jazz |
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