Jazz

Rickie Lee Jones Astor Morgan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Guitarist Jeff Parker, whose free-form album Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy was among the best jazz releases of the year, according to our critics. Mikel Patrick Avery/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Charles Mingus, photographed at a party in New York on Aug. 4, 1976. For poet and critic Harmony Holiday, the complexities that underpin legacies like Mingus' were a constant puzzle this year. Lynn Karlin/Penske Media via Getty Images hide caption

Composer, conductor, multi-instrumentalist and MacArthur "genius" Tyshawn Sorey, whose work this year was central for critic Larry Blumenfeld. John Rogers/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Julius Rodriguez, whose album Let Sound Tell All was a through line this year for journalist and author Marcus J. Moore. Erik Barden/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Immanuel Wilkins in a performance for Jazz Night in America at PhilaMOCA in January 2022. NPR hide caption

Eliane Elias performs a Tiny Desk concert. Credit: Bob Boilen/NPR hide caption

Sun-Mi Hong Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Immanuel Wilkins' album The 7th Hand tops WRTI editorial director Nate Chinen's album list this year. Courtesy of Blue Note Records/NPR hide caption