My favorite Jazz songs from the past year.
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Karrin Allyson turns “The Shadow Of Your Smile” into the kind of late-night standard that sounds newly uncovered instead of politely preserved. On 'Round Midnight, she makes a familiar song feel immediate, cool, and worth a replay right now.
Katie Melua turns “This Year’s Love” into the kind of quiet headline that stops the room. Fresh ears catch the ache immediately, and the song lands like a late-night favorite you somehow missed the first time.
Diana Krall turns Cry Me a River into the kind of track that sneaks up on you and owns the room. The song sounds brand-new today, all cool nerve and late-night poise.
Luísa Sobral turns “Don’t Let Me Down” into the kind of track that stops a scroll and holds the room. The melody lands cleanly, the title carries real stakes, and the whole thing feels newly arrived, like a tune people should already be arguing over.
Melody Gardot turns If I Tell You I Love You into the kind of track that stops the room. The song feels fresh, intimate, and a little dangerous, exactly what you want when everything else on the dial sounds polite.
Madeleine Peyroux slides into Instead like she already owns the room. The song feels freshly found, the kind of slow-burn gem that cuts through the noise and lands with adult confidence.
Rene Marie turns Black Lace Freudian Slip into the kind of track that feels newly arrived and impossible to ignore. The song lands like a smart, sideways wink, with enough bite and poise to sound essential right now.
Club des Belugas and My Hunger Hurts - Live land like a smart after-hours surprise: smoky, polished, and just playful enough to feel irresistible. The track sounds essential right now because it cuts through the holiday noise with style instead of volume.
Jill Barber turns Never Quit Loving You into the kind of song that sneaks up fast and stays put. Fresh, polished, and instantly replayable, it sounds like the sort of track that should already be climbing every sensible playlist.
Stacey Kent makes "Shall We Dance" feel like a secret worth hearing right now. The tune arrives with the poise of a fresh favorite, all cool confidence and zero fuss.
Gare Du Nord turns Marvin & Miles into the kind of cut that sounds instantly important, like it has already earned a place in your best-of stack. The groove lands with cool confidence and zero apology, which is exactly why it feels like the right pick today.
Joss Stone turns "It's A Man's Man's Man's World - Live" into a living, breathing rebuke, and it feels urgent right now. The performance lands like a fresh arrival: big voice, bigger nerve, zero hesitation.
Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse make Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse) - Version Revisited feel newly arrived, like a single you catch just before everybody else does. The hook lands with swagger and no wasted motion, which is exactly why it belongs in the day’s best-song slot.
Eliane Elias lands “Jammin’” like a fresh late-year cut that knows exactly how to light up a room. The groove feels immediate, slick, and just loose enough to sound dangerous in the best way.
Madeleine Peyroux lands The Kind You Can't Afford like a secret worth stealing from the rack. The song feels newly arrived, too stylish to ignore and too sharp to sleep on.
Club des Belugas slides in with Save a Little Love for Me, and the timing feels almost suspiciously perfect. The track arrives like a fresh radio favorite—slick, stylish, and too cool to ignore.
Caro Emerald turns You Don't Love Me into the kind of comeback single that grabs attention fast. The title sounds like a breakup line, but the groove says keep moving.
Ane Brun lands Do You Remember with the kind of hush that still stops a room. The song feels immediate, all nerve and no filler, and it sounds like the rare track everyone pretends they found first.
My favorite Mellow songs from the past year.
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Neil Halstead drops “Full Moon Rising” like a quiet headline you somehow missed, and that is exactly the charm. The song sounds newly arrived and immediately essential, all the more so for anyone craving something unhurried and sharply human.
Michael Kiwanuka sounds like the real deal the second Home Again starts breathing. Fresh off the release radar, he makes a song that feels instantly familiar, like it has been on your best mixtape all along.
Praything drops Soon Soon like a quiet surprise that somehow feels overdue. The track lands with enough emotional bite to sound fresh, immediate, and worth hearing before anyone else catches on.
Passenger keeps “Feather on the Clyde” feeling freshly essential, like a quiet track everybody suddenly finds at once. The cut lands with the kind of intimacy that cuts through louder songs on the playlist and asks for a second listen.
