Home » Jazz Articles » Year in Review » Glenn Astarita's Best Recordings of 2021

Glenn Astarita's Best Recordings of 2021

By Glenn Astarita
January 2, 2022
View read count

No doubt, 2021 was a tumultuous year on many fronts, but the jazz world had a spectacular year in the recording studio and beyond, although live appearances were limited. Hence, the following is a top ten list (in no particular order) that highlight some of the superb recordings released during 2021.

Steve Coleman

saxophone, alto
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Coleman
Live at the Village Vanguard II (MDW NTR)
PI Recordings

Stephan Thelen

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Stephan Thelen
Fractal Guitar 2
Moonjune Records

9 Horses

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">9 Horses
Omegah
Adhy?ropa Records

Ohad Talmor

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Ohad Talmor
Long Forms
Intakt Records

Ray Suhy

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Suhy—

Lewis Porter

piano
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Lewis Porter
Transcendent
Sunnyside Records

Ghost Rhythms

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Ghost Rhythms
Spectral Music
Cuneiform Records

Frank Zappa

guitar, electric
1940 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Zappa
Zappa '88 The Last U.S. Show
Unbranded

John Zorn

saxophone, alto
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">John Zorn
The Ninth Circle
Tzadik

David Sanford

composer / conductor
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">David Sanford
A Prayer for Lester Bowie
Greenleaf Music

Kaja Draksler

piano
b.1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Kaja Draksler—

Petter Eldh

bass
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Petter Eldh—

Christian Lillinger

drums
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Christian Lillinger SOMIT
PUNKT.VRT.PLASTIK
Intakt Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.