In no particular order:

Matt Stevens – Ghost

Genius looped instrumental guitar tunes with intensity and humanity

Vijay Iyer – Solo

Quite brilliant. Completely absorbing individual music. Like no solo jazz piano you ever heard before.

Steve Lawson and Trip Wamsley – Slow Food

Two great musicians improvising beautifully. They both happen to play bass but you might not notice that.
Breathtaking from the first note.

Trip Wamsley and Steve Lawson – Infrablab

Trip took a very different approach to the sessions building some intriguing soundscapes.

Das Racist – Sit Down, Man

Restored my faith in hip-hop as a viable, creative and massively enjoyable genre!

Damian Erskine

Wonderful. Odd meters, Afro-Cuban percussion, passionate playing and carefully crafted arrangements. Fine jazz fusion. Full Review.

Derek Frank – Let the Games Begin

One funky record! It sounds like it was fun to play this music and it’s definitely fun to listen to. Full Review.

Stephan Crump with Rosetta Trio – Reclamation

Inventive, deeply melodic and resonant record featuring st a unique string trio line-up (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, upright bass). Full Review

John Goldsby – The Innkeepers Gun

A wonderful jazz trio record: both within the tradition and extending it at the same time. Full review.

Esperanza Spalding – Chamber Music Society

A unique and beautiful record by a brilliant musician. Not what some might have expected, it’s fusion of jazz and chamber music with Brazilian overtones. Full review.

Scott Colley – Empire

A very special record and a very special band also featuring Bill Frisell and Brian Blade. Essential.
Full review.