There were many truly remarkable jazz albums released in 2022 and after listening to as many as I could, I’ve decided that these are the top 30 releases and they’re albums you need to own.  

After examining this list, make sure to listen and bookmark my bi-monthly jazz show, Port Authority: Explorations in Jazz. 

1. Makaya McCraven – In These Times (International Anthem / Nonesuch)
2. Tyshawn Sorey – Mesmerism (Yeros7 Music)
3. Immanuel Wilkins – The 7th Hand (Blue Note)
4. Mary Halvorson – Amaryllis (Nonesuch)
5. Jeff Parker – Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy (Eremite)
6. Billy Drummond – Valse Sinistre (Cellar Live)
7. Cécile McLorin Salvant – Ghost Song (Nonesuch) 
8. Joshua Redman – Long Gone (Nonesuch / Warner)
9. Jakob Bro – Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian (ECM)
10. Charles Lloyd – Trios: Scared Thread (Blue Note)
11. The Bad Plus – The Bad Plus (Universal)
12. Shabaka – Afrikan Culture (Impulse!)
13. James Brandon Lewis Quartet – MSM Molecular Systematic Music (Intakt)
14. Shuta Hasunuma – Irie (Golden Harvest Recordings)
15. Dezron Douglas – ATALAYA (International Anthem)
16. Tom Skinner – Voices of Bishara (International Anthem / Brownswood)
17. Joel Ross – The Parable of The Poet (Blue Note)
18. John Scofield – John Scofield (ECM)
19. Yussef Dayes – Yussef Dayes Experience: Live at Joshua Tree (Brownswood)
20. Garrett Saracho – Jazz Is Dead 15 (Jazz Is Dead)
21. Mathew Halsall – The Temple Within (Gondwana)
22. Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – Cold As Weiss (Colemine)
23. The Comet is Coming – Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam (Impulse!)
24. Oren Ambarchi – Ghosted (Drag City)
25. Anteloper – Pink Dolphins (International Anthem)
26. Bill Frisell – Four (Blue Note)
27. Henry Franklin – Jazz Is Dead 11 (Jazz Is Dead)
28. Kokoroko – Could We Be More (Brownswood)
29. DoomCannon – Renaissance (Brownswood)
30. Vega Trails – Tremors in the Static (Gondwana)