The 10 best jazz albums of 2023
Wayne Shorter, one of a few musical sages who left our earthly plane this year, had a standard take on the subject of finality. "To me, there's no such thing as a finished anything," Shorter, the august saxophonist and composer, liked to say. By his estimation, there was also no such thing as a beginning or an ending. It's a mindset I've struggled to embrace since reckoning with Shorter's departure in early spring, and making the cross-country pilgrimage to an all-star memorial concert in late summer.
Like many of us, I had a year of listening defined by season and circumstance. I communed extensively with Shorter's music, not only as a way of processing my emotions but also because it kept surrendering new truths — partly as a matter of course, but also because of the many enticing details in Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity, an immersive three-part documentary that arrived on Amazon Prime in August. Considering the many splendors of Shorter's musical life was a welcome reminder of how much space there is to move within this art form, how many layers and levels are still waiting to be found.
Looking back on 2023, my mind turns first and foremost to the moments that felt supercharged with that spirit of discovery. I think about two live encounters with — a band that fiercely challenges every strain of complacency, not least on a studio album, , that came close to making the list below. I recall another uncontainable's New Jawn, unpacking another terrific new release, And I reflect on involving , either at the helm of his own music or with collaborators like , and (each of whom also released excellent albums this year, in case you weren't aware).
