The Roots Music Report's
Top Contemporary Jazz Album Chart
for the Year of 2025
| Album Title | Band/Artist Name | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stryker with Strings Goes to the Movies | Dave Stryker | Strikezone |
| 2 | Mystical | Reza Khan | Painted Media |
| 3 | Across the Field College Fight Songs Reimagined | Visions Jazz Ensemble | Patios |
| 4 | So Much to Say | Paul Brown | Shanachie Ent. |
| 5 | Cool Shades | Nils | Baja |
| 6 | Destiny | Brendan Rothwell | Self-Release |
| 7 | Feelin' Good | Nils | Baja |
| 8 | It Hits Different | Norman Brown | Shanachie Ent. |
| 9 | Love and Rhythm | Blake Aaron | Innervision |
| 10 | Zebra Stories | Steve Allee | Self-Release |
| 11 | JAMB | Dave Erickson Project | Self-Release |
| 12 | Hidden Gems | Brent Laidler | self-Release |
| 13 | Promised Land | Paul Brown | Shanachie |
| 14 | Emerge Dancing (feat. Jeff Pittson) | Suzanne Pittson | Vineland |
| 15 | Tributes | Marcus McLaurine | Jade Elephant Productions |
| 16 | Soul Searchin' | Larry Carlton | Shanachie Ent |
| 17 | Time Takes Odd Turns | Tom Johnson Jazz Orchestra | Self-Release |
| 18 | Silver Lining | Andrea Lisa | Self-Release |
| 19 | As We Think | Chris Standring | Ultimate Vibe |
| 20 | Ones Upon a Time | Paul Brown | Woodward Avenue |
| 21 | Tranquility | Les Sabler | New Vista |
| 22 | For Dinah | Ledisi | Candid |
| 23 | Into You | Incognito | Shanachie |
| 24 | Unstoppable | Adam Hawley | MBF Ent. |
| 25 | Refuge | Mitch Towne | Cross Towne |
| 26 | Finger Painting | Nick Colionne | Trippin N Rhythm |
| 27 | Midnight Groove | Brian Simpson | Shanachie |
| 28 | Rise | Bonnie J Jensen | Self-Release |
| 29 | Dreams Realized | Rose Mallett | Self-Release |
| 30 | Songs from the Deep | Eric Essix | Essential |
| 31 | Seriously | BPM | Shanachie |
| 32 | Dr. Jaz | Jazmin Ghent | Self-Release |
| 33 | Second Line Sunday | Trombone Shorty and New Breed Brass Band | Treme |
| 34 | Mind over Matter | Skinny Hightower | Trippin 'n Rhythm |
| 35 | A New Light | Steve Oliver | Self-Release |
| 36 | We Got This | Pieces of a Dream | Shanachie |
| 37 | Bowmanville | Bowmanville | Stoneagle |
| 38 | Escape with Me | Vincent Ingala | Shanachie |
| 39 | Risin' Up | Adam Hawley | MBF Ent. |
| 40 | Timeless | David Benoit | SRG Jazz |
| 41 | Boundless | Lemek | Trippin N Rhythm |
| 42 | Oasis | Randy Scott | Trippin 'n Rhythm |
| 43 | Straight Up Down | Richard Elliot | Shanachie |
| 44 | Portrait | Samara Joy | Verve |
| 45 | Just Doing Me | Marion Meadows | Shanachie |
| 46 | Cali Mambo | Dred Scott Trio | Ropeadope |
| 47 | In Real Life | Oli Silk | Trippin N' Rhythm |
| 48 | What It Means | Bria Skonberg | Cellar Live |
| 49 | Radiance | Lonnie Plaxico | Self-Release |
| 50 | Side Hustle | Thom Rotella | HighNote |
| 51 | It's a Brand New Day | Paul Taylor | Shanachie |
| 52 | Lady in Satin | Kandace Springs | SRP |
| 53 | Just Like That | Nick Colionne | Trippin N Rhythm |
| 54 | My Heartbeat | Eric Essix | Self-Release |
| 55 | And then Some | Steve Houghton Group | Watercourse |
| 56 | Prime (feat. Jared Gold & McClenty Hunter Jr.) | Dave Stryker | Strikezone |
| 57 | It’s Always Been You | Rich Siegel | Self-Release |
| 58 | The Chill | Lin Rountree | Trippin N Rhythm |
| 59 | Nascentia (Birth) | Steve Slagle | Panorama |
| 60 | Kickin' It | Josie Falbo | Self-Release |
| 61 | The Sage | Jacob Chung | Cellar Live |
| 62 | Odyssey | Nubya Garcia | Concord |
| 63 | With Eyes Closed | Matt Panayides Trio | Pacific Coast Jazz |
| 64 | Horns Locked | Nick Hempton | Cellar |
| 65 | Just Us | Bob James & Dave Koz | Self-Release |
| 66 | Wintersongs | Laila Biali | Self-Release |
| 67 | Full Circle | Steve Allee Big Band | Jazzville |
| 68 | Anew | Kayla Waters | Shanachie |
| 69 | Captain Hubs | Todd Herbert | Th Productions |
| 70 | Archaic Humans | Nation Beat | Ropeadope |
| 71 | Run Your Race | Kandace Springs | Self-Release |
| 72 | After the Storm | Chris "Big Dog" Davis | Trippin 'n Rhythm |
| 73 | Gentle and Smooth | Nathan Mitchell | Trippin 'n Rhythm |
| 74 | Secret Message | Joe Syrian Motor City Jazz Octet | Circle 9 |
| 75 | Color and Passion | Blake Aaron | Innervision |
| 76 | Hardcastle 9 | Paul Hardcastle | Trippin N Rhythm |
| 77 | Something About Her | Marc Antoine | Shanachie |
| 78 | Hardcastle X (The Eclipse) | Paul Hardcastle | Trippin N Rhythm |
| 79 | Burning Room Only | Ron Bosse | Deep Cat |
| 80 | Stride | Eric Essix | Self-Release |
| 81 | It Was Time | Mark Ortwein | Terra Voce |
| 82 | Square One | The Empress | Cellar Live |
| 83 | NU-JIVE: Nations United | Troy Roberts | Self-Release |
| 84 | A Beautiful Dream | Andy Snitzer | Goose Song Music |
| 85 | Alright! | Roger Lewis | Irresistible |
| 86 | Interlude of the Duende | Emaginario | Ropeadope |
| 87 | Re-Imagined Songbook | Ben Tankard | Self-Release |
| 88 | Memory in Motion | The Jazz Defenders | ITI |
| 89 | Bridges (feat. Paul Bollenback & Byron Landham) | Brian Ho | Cellar Live |
| 90 | I Told You So | Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio | Colemine |
| 91 | Rhythm, Melody and Harmony | Cyrus Chestnut | HighNote |
| 92 | Brotherhood | Belmondo Quintet | Jazz & People |
| 93 | Latin Crossroads 2 | Gino Amato | Ovation |
| 94 | Santa Monica Session | Doug MacDonald | Self-Release |
| 95 | Mueller's Wheel: the History of Jazz | Tobin Mueller | ArtsForge |
| 96 | Step Down | The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble | MERLIN |
| 97 | Groove Street | Dave Stryker | Strikezone |
| 98 | Soul Connection | Brian Simpson | Shanachie |
| 99 | Three Chord Monte | Tony Romano | Self-Release |
| 100 | The Big Room | Joe Farnsworth | Smoke Sessions |
| 101 | Movin' | John Lamkin II & the Favorites Jazz Quintet | Self-Release |
| 102 | Jagged Spaces | The Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble | Grassvita |
| 103 | Morning Star | Thomas Heflin | Blue Canoe |
| 104 | A New Beat | Ulysses Owens Jr. | Cellar |
| 105 | Call for Winter II: Resonance | Daniel Herskedal | Edition |
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