It just sort of creeps up on you....having spent most of October thinking what a wonderful summer we'd had, November arrives, the clocks change and suddenly it's December. So here is the first part of my Top ten albums of 2025. I'll preface the selection by saying that it's been a pretty thin year as far as really good new releases are concerned. Some spectacular re-releases, especially the extensive Blue Note releases, here on vinyl and from Japan on CD. 

I always want to reiterate that my choice has nothing at all to do with the expressed preferences of others, but does reflect my own tastes, after all there's not much point in having a show on a radio station that doesn't have playlists or adverts, and where presenters make choice without being able to select what I've enjoyed during the course of the year. So here's ten to six, and one that nearly made the cut, but eventually didn't. Please savour (and comment if you want to!)

10. 'Solidarity' - Zak Rich:

Oddly, one that I found grew on me after extensive playing. There aren't too may trombone led bands' and this one is a recording funded by the American Pathways to Jazz fund. A basic quintet is filled out on various tracks by trumpet, tenor sax and oboe and one vocal track. Zak Rich wrote and arranged all the self written tracks. he explains in the sleeve notes that he sees the album as 'exploring and bridging the gap between classical, jazz and other branches of American music. It fills the gap well. Find it if you can!

9. 'By all means' - Aaron Park:

Moving away from a trio format to embrace a saxophoist has enabled Park to extend the texture of the music he writes - this album is all self written. ben Solomon on sax brings another dimesion to the compositions though truth to say, Rarks' writing has proved equal to the new format. It's held together by Ben Street on Bass and especially Billy Hart on drums who turns in a really empathetic performance. Start with 'Parks lope' and then listen to 'Anywhere together'. . Probably my favourite Blue Note album of the year.

8. 'Taking turns' - Jakob Bro:

       Bro has been recording for ECM records since 2015, but I rate this as one of his best to date. It helps to have first class support, so here is Bill Frisell on guitar, Jason Moran on piano. the laste lee Konitz on sax  Thomas Morgan on drums and Andrew Cyrille on drums. It's a mainly laid back session in which all the soloists are given time to stretch out across the whole album. This is (mainly) late night stuff but done in a supremely confident and satisfying way. I stand by everything I said in my review earlier in the year.

7. 'Where in the World' - Tom Olendorff:

    A late-ish arrival. Olendorff is a guitarist aand this is his fourth album. (his 2024 album 'Solo volume' is worth checkingout ,too) This is a quartet album and in addition to the UK based James Maddern on drums and Conor Chaplin on bass he has recruited Blue Note pianist Aaron Parks ( see 9 above ) on an album that embraces a plethora of styles all written by Olendorff, whose guitar playing is sinewy and technically excellent. I'd recommend 'Three Bridges' as an introduction, whilst the single released 'past Lives' came out in shotened version earlier in the year. Well worth seeking out.

6. 'The Big Room' Joe Farnsworth:

   I would describe Farnsworth as a veteran drummer. His ability, shown in spades on this album, is to choose support players who contribute to a group based effort. That he has managed to attract luminaries from other labels to play on this album speaks volumes about both taste and his reputation. There are two Farnsworth written track, ut all the other musicials contribute at least one tune (Joel Ross the vibes player has two) and there;s one 'standard' The whole album is very strong but I'd start with Jeremy Pelt (Trumpet - but see also 5 to 1 - spoiler alert! ) 'All said and done' and a vigorous reworking of Emmet Cohen's 'You already know'  Another belting album from Smoke Session Records.

One that nearly made it:

'You're exaggerating' - Paul Cornish.

The ability by the Blue Note gang to turn up new talent continues to amaze. Cornish has been around for quite a long period, but this album is the first for Blue Note and it marks him out as a remarkable talent. The trio album ( extended on track 7 by Jeff Parker on guitar) is a confident opening for his new label. Recommended to get into the album are 'Queen Geri' and the aformentioned 'Palindrome' I look forward to the next outing.

 The next instalment will be here next week!