AllMusic 2014 Year In ReviewAllMusic Best of 2014 Favorite Rap and Hip - Hop Albums Favorite Electronic Albums Favorite Folk Albums Favorite Latin and World Albums Favorite Jazz Albums Favorite Indie Pop and Indie Rock Albums Favorite Box Sets Favorite R & B Albums Favorite Metal Albums Favorite Singer / Songwriter Albums Favorite Classical Instrumental Albums Favorite Country Albums Favorite Compilations Favorite Classical Vocal Albums Favorite Reissues Favorite Blues Albums Favorite Reggae Albums Favorite Americana Albums Favorite Pop Albums Favorite Rock Albums AllMusic 2014 Year In ReviewAllMusic Best of 2014 Favorite Rap and Hip - Hop AlbumsFavorite Electronic AlbumsFavorite Folk AlbumsFavorite Latin and World AlbumsFavorite Jazz AlbumsFavorite Indie Pop and Indie Rock AlbumsFavorite Box SetsFavorite R & B AlbumsFavorite Metal AlbumsFavorite Singer / Songwriter AlbumsFavorite Classical Instrumental AlbumsFavorite Country AlbumsFavorite CompilationsFavorite Classical Vocal AlbumsFavorite ReissuesFavorite Blues AlbumsFavorite Reggae AlbumsFavorite Americana AlbumsFavorite Pop AlbumsFavorite Rock AlbumsFavorite Jazz Albums - Big names like Branford Marsalis , Jason Moran and Nels Cline make appearances on our list of best jazz albums of the year , alongside younger artists like Theo Croker , Tumi Mogorosi and Hiromi . Afro - Latin Jazz Orchestra / Arturo O ' Farrill The Offense of the Drum Buoyed by guests and 28 percussion instruments , this date celebrates the drum as a cultural force in a spirited , wide - ranging program of big - band jazz . Alfredo Rodriguez The Invasion Parade A deep dive into Cuba ' s vast musical variety and wound in a thoroughly modern , utterly enchanting mix of originals , folk songs , and classics . Ambrose Akinmusire The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint On his sophomore Blue Note date , this trumpeter puts the emphasis on his bold and diverse compositions to thrilling effect . Anthony Pirog Palo Colorado Dream The guitarist and loop - meister has made a big splash on the D . C . experimental music scene ; here ' s the evidence why . Arild Andersen / Tommy Smith / Paolo Vinaccia Mira The second offering by this trio was recorded in a studio ; it ' s more exploratory , lyric , and deeply satisfying . Billy Childs Map to the Treasure : Reimagining Laura Nyro Pianist Billy Childs celebrates the music of the late folksinger Laura Nyro . Billy Hart Quartet / Billy Hart One Is the Other This experienced quartet delivers expansive , disciplined group interplay in composition and improvisation over eight tunes . Branford Marsalis In My Solitude : Live at Grace Cathedral The great saxophonist adds depth and breadth in a new chapter of his long career by delivering a stunning solo concert . Brian Blade Landmarks On its fourth album , the band returns to Blue Note and goes deeper into its exploration of song forms through modern jazz . Bruno Vansina Orchestra Morning Forest aka Nose Up Bottom Down Colorful , vibrant , and often rhythmically charged large - ensemble jazz influenced by the likes of Gil Evans and Charles Mingus . Bushman ' s Revenge Thou Shalt Boogie ! On its sixth studio album , this Norwegian trio comes across with more disciplined writing , a bigger sonic palette , and wider horizons . Charlie Haden / Keith Jarrett Last Dance This volume was taken from the same sessions that resulted in the duo ' s lovely 2010 offering Jasmine . Chris Speed Really OK An inimitable spin on the sax - bass - drums trio form , covering Ornette , Coltrane , and even " All of Me " along with the reedman ' s spirited originals . Craig Handy Craig Handy & 2 nd Line Smith A buoyant celebration inspired by the organ jazz of Jimmy Smith and the joyous New Orleans second - line tradition . Danilo Pérez Panama 500 Pérez explores the folkloric traditions of his homeland with a mix of jazz , classical , and Latin American sounds . Darius Jones / Matthew Shipp Cosmic Lieder : The Darkseid Recital Three years after their auspicious debut , the pair deliver a brilliant live offering compiled from two years of performances . David Virelles Mbókò The ECM debut by this up - and - coming pianist offers a bold jazzman ' s take on Afro - Cuban ritual music that is at once striking and deeply moving . Edward Simon / Edward Simon & Ensemble Venezuela Venezuelan Suite Pianist / composer / arranger Edward Simon and his Ensemble Venezuela create a vibrant meld of jazz and Venezuelan folk forms . Elizabeth Shepherd The Signal On her return to original material , the Canadian pianist and songwriter delivers a striking new direction . Lionel Loueke guests . Erik Jekabson / John Santos Live at the Hillside Club Adventurous , organic music performed in front of a warmly receptive audience by a band that never fails to swing Harvey Mason , Sr . Chameleon The journeyman drummer reimagines his ' 70 s funk - jazz roots . Helen Sung Anthem for a New Day The adept jazz pianist delivers her first quintet album , featuring trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and others . Hiromi / The Trio Project Alive On her third album with this trio , the pianist delivers genuine surprise with advanced compositions and colorful grooves . I Compani Verdi 2 . 00 Returning to the world of Italian opera , Bo van de Graff and company celebrate Verdi ' s 200 th birthday in freewheeling Dutch jazz style . Ideal Bread Beating the Teens : Songs of Steve Lacy Edgy , experimental group once again pays homage to the late forward - thinking jazz saxophonist . Jacob Young Forever Young On his third ECM date , the Norwegian guitarist showcases a fine new quintet with Trygve Seim and pianist Marcin Wasilewski ' s trio . James Farm City Folk The quartet ' s sophomore offering builds on the strengths of its debut with tunes that meld near pop accessibility with modern jazz sophistication . Jason Moran All Rise : A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller A marvelous tribute that still retains its own shape and coherency . Jeremy Pelt Face Forward , Jeremy Pelt pushes the boundaries of jazz with deep fusion and electronica influences . Jimmy Greene Beautiful Life A jazz saxophonist ' s loving tribute to his daughter who was killed in the Sandy Hook shootings in 2012 . Joey DeFrancesco / Bobby Hutcherson / David Sanborn Enjoy the View A swinging hard bop and soul - jazz - inflected date that harks back to classic ' 60 and ' 70 s Blue Note albums . John Medeski / Matt Wilson Quartet Gathering Call A joyous mix of the jazz tradition , both avant - garde and swinging , that makes the most of Wilson and Medeski ' s influences . Juhani Aaltonen To Future Memories To Future Memories is a marvelous offering -- Its roots may lie in outside jazz , but its discipline and songlike qualities are numerous and profound . Kenny Barron / Dave Holland The Art of Conversation Subtle , beautifully performed collaboration between the influential jazz pianist and bassist . Klaus Gesing / Glauco Venier / Norma Winstone Dance Without Answer The trio ' s third offering poignantly juxtaposes provocatively reimagined covers against their trademark originals . Krokofant Krokofant This Norse sax - guitar - drums power trio delivers an exciting debut that walks the line between electric jazz , prog rock , and metal . Machine Mass Inti Now featuring Dave Liebman , the freewheeling trio still sounds like a larger band thanks to mastery of live electronics and looping . Mark Turner Quartet / Mark Turner Lathe of Heaven Inspired by Ursula K . Le Guin ' s dystopian novel , Turner delivers this deeply thoughtful pianoless quartet recording . Matthew Shipp I ' ve Been to Many Places On this captivating solo outing , the pianist revisits and re - envisions some of his musical travels and juxtaposes them with bracing new tunes . Michael Formanek / Tomas Fujiwara / Mary Halvorson / Thumbscrew Thumbscrew Three top avant jazzers with decades of experience among them create a distinctive band identity on Thumbscrew ' s 2014 debut . Michael Mantler The Jazz Composer ' s Orchestra : Update Forty - five years after the original , the composer profoundly re - envisions his tunes for a new generation , adding period material never before recorded . Nels Cline / Julian Lage Room An excellent conversational meeting between two very different jazz guitarists that juxtaposes energy and ideas in ten colorful presentations . Nels Cline Singers Macroscope The Nels Cline Singers fifth album shows that they ' re still making some of the most interesting , adventurous , genre - smashing music of the early 21 st century . Nicola Conte Free Souls The Italian bandleader and composer creates a classic - sounding , seamless integration of jazz , Latin , Brazilian , and soul . Nils Wogram ' s Root 70 Riomar Swinging , expressive , harmonically advanced chamber jazz from Wogram ' s longstanding quartet and three empathetic string players . Otis Brown III The Thought of You On his Blue Note debut , the noted drummer assembles a killer core band and three special vocal guests to deliver an ambitious , affirmative set . Pat Metheny / Pat Metheny Unity Group Kin <--> The group ' s stellar sophomore effort showcases a quintet as informed by lyric feel , and emotional ｅxpression as sophistication . Regina Carter Southern Comfort On her fine Sony debut , the violinist explores the folk traditions of the American South . Richard Galliano Sentimentale On his debut for Resonance Records , the iconic accordionist and his quintet deliver a gorgeous program of international jazz standards and originals . Rufus Reid Quiet Pride : The Elizabeth Catlett Project Using Catlett ' s art as inspiration , Reid composed these songs that touch upon swinging post - bop and gospel , spirituals , and classical music . Simple Undeletable A simply irresistible high - energy avant jazz - rock quartet album from Belgium , suitable for retaining on hard drives everywhere . Somi The Lagos Music Salon On her OKeh debut , the American vocalist and songwriter delves deeply into her direct experience with Nigerian music and culture . Stefano Bollani Joy in Spite of Everything Using his decade - long trio and special guests Mark Turner and Bill Frisell , the Italian pianist delivers an excellent collection of colorful new material . Steven Bernstein / Henry Butler / The Hot 9 Viper ' s Drag The NOLA pianist and New York trumpeter / arranger initiate the rebirth of Impulse ! with a swinging party of visionary reads of early jazz and blues . Takuya Kuroda Rising Son The jazz trumpeter ' s funky , soul - and hip - hop infused Blue Note debut produced by vocalist Jose James . The Bad Plus Inevitable Western Six months after their rigorous reading of The Rite of Spring , the Minnesota trio returns to its own musical universe with a bracing set of originals . The Bureau of Atomic Tourism Spinning Jenny The transatlantic sextet of avant electric jazz heavyweights careens between chaos and calm on its freewheeling second live album . The Ocular Concern Sister Cities The Portland creative jazz quintet -- plus strings and bandoneon -- defy expectations with an appealing , wide - ranging stylistic blend . The Souljazz Orchestra Inner Fire Here the Canadian sextet and friends deliver their most sophisticated recording to date , yet never sacrifice groove for ambition . Theo Croker Afro Physicist The trumpeter ' s vibrant , ' 70 s jazz fusion - infused third album , with production and vocals from Dee Dee Bridgewater . Tord Gustavsen / Tord Gustavsen Quartet Extended Circle The pianist ' s quartet expands its physicality and harmonic palette on this compelling set without sacrificing its lyric core . Tumi Mogorosi Project Elo A fully realized , beautifully played , inspiring modern jazz that uses the music ' s post - 1960 history to craft a statement as timeless as its spiritual subject . Wadada Leo Smith The Great Lakes Suites These dynamite suites are fantastically performed by the composer , Henry Threadgill , Jack DeJohnette , and John Lindberg . Wil Blades Field Notes Field Notes extends the B - 3 trio tradition by using the rudiments of greasy tuneology in tandem with a wider jazzman ' s palette of colors and textures . Zara McFarlane If You Knew Her The second album from the jazz producer , songwriter , vocalist , and multi - instrumentalist is richer , more imaginative than her MOBO - nominated debut . via http : / / www . allmusic . com / year - in - review / 2014 / favorite - jazz - albums