Best Albums of 2023

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Follow the link to check out the 4-, 4.5- and 5-star album reviews published in DownBeat in 2023!

(Photo: DownBeat)

What were the best albums of 2023? DownBeat’s annual list of the top albums reviewed in the magazine gives a glimpse. Of course, it does not include those year-end beauties due to publishing deadlines, but there’s plenty of great music to dig into. Check out the full list by clicking HERE or on the image below. DB






  • Russell_Malone_4x6_751_copy.jpg

    In addition to his instrumental prowess, Malone was praised for his musical generosity and his singular sense of humor.

  • Benny_Golson_by_Michael_Jackson.jpg

    Benny Golson soaks in the music during a late-career performance at Chicago’s Jazz Showcase.

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    ​Harpist Brandee Younger is among the performers on the program for this year’s Hyde Park Jazz Fest in Chicago.

  • DB24_Charles_Lloyd_by_Douglas_Mason_at_New_Orleans_Jazz_Fest_copy.jpg

    “I don’t focus on the harshness of the music business,” Lloyd says. “I focus on the profundity of what we’re doing because that’s the real stuff. You can change the world with that.”

  • Herbie_Hancock_at_Sierra_at_Surf__Photo_by_Mars_Breslow_copy.JPG

    Hancock has a new project on the horizon but says he will not put it out until he’s ready.