BeatCaffeine’s Favorite Albums of 2022
It’s that time again (hard to believe), where we revisit some of the best releases of the year. In regards of new music, 2022 was one of the best in recent memory. It was admittedly extremely challenging pulling together a top 30 list, as many their were many additional favorites that unfortunately didn’t make the list. If there is time before the month is up, I might go back and extend the list to 40 or 50 releases. As always, I’m sure I missed a few that were just not fully on my radar.
Following this list, I will post BeatCaffeine’s favorite reissues, EPs, singles (new & reissues), and tracks of the year. Thanks for all the continued support from so many, it’s what keeps this site moving forward. Exciting things to come for BeatCaffeine in 2023, which will be announced soon.
Without further ado, here are BeatCaffeine’s Favorite New Albums of 2022!
30. Brian Jackson — ‘This Is Brian Jackson’
(BBE)
In 2022, legendary Brian Jackson released his first solo album in 20 years on the UK-based BBE label. Produced by Phenomenal Handclap Band founder Daniel Collás, the record brings together Jackson’s soul jazz vocals and instrumentation with a fresh new modern approach. Some of the highlights include the soulful dance floor groovers “All Talk” and “Little Orphan Boy”, the Afrobeat-inspired dreamscape “Mami Wata”, and the more cosmic/balearic leaning “C’est Cette Comète” and “Path to Macondo / Those Kind of Blues”. Also, checkout the incredible Little Orphan Boy Two Soul Fusion(Louie Vega & Josh Milan) remix 2×12″.
29. Nick Walters — ‘Singularity’
(D.O.T. Records)
Over the last few years, Nick Walters has established himself as one of London’s most forward-thinking artists and trumpeters. In early 2022, he released an incredible new experimental spacey (literally!) jazz album, titled Singularity on his label D.O.T. Records. Recorded in his home studio, the foundation for this music utilizes a wide variety of space samples from NASA, including audio clips taken by the Cassini spacecraft as it studied Jupiter, Saturn, and their many moons, as well as whistler waves picked up by NASA’s Van Allen Probe as it passed around Earth and more. The samples are combined with adventurous jazz funk and fusion grooves provided by a superb cast of UK’s finest musicians, including Ruby Rushton drummer Tim Carnegie, 22a Music’s Tenderlonious on flute, and some stellar guitar playing from Thibaut Remy.
28. Kaidi Tatham — ‘Don’t Rush The Process’
(First Word Records)
Legendary Belfast-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Kaidi Tatham, who has been a pioneer among both the Broken Beat and UK jazz scenes for decades, returned for his fourth solo album under his own name, titled Don’t Rush The Process. This 12-track recording is another brilliant effort from an artist once dubbed by BBC Radio broadcaster Benji B as “the UK’s Herbie Hancock,” blending together a fusion of spacey keys, jazz-funk grooves, futuristic cosmic tones, and hi-hop beats. Where the first half of the album has a bit more of a mid-tempo boogie vibe, the second half includes more Brazilian and Latin-flavored textures and rhythms.
27. Louie Vega — ‘Expansions In The NYC’
(Nervous Records)
Louie Vega, whom is one-half of the legendary Masters At Work production team, put together one of the true gems of 2022, and arguably the best dance record of the year in Expansions In The NYC. Featuring an extremely impressive cast of guest artists, like house heavyweights Honey Dijon, Joe Claussell, Moodymann, Kerri Chandler, legendary vocalists Bernard Fowler, Cindy Mizelle, Lisa Fischer, Audrey Wheeler, Tony Momrelle and so many others, this 22-track recording includes a number of reworked and re-arranged classic dancefloor covers. Incredible from start to finish, this record acts almost like a “love letter” to the New York underground dance scene of the 70s and 80s.
26. Daniel Maunick — ‘Persistence’
(Far Out Recordings)
Over the last several years, London’s Daniel Maunick (son of Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick) has made a mark producing recordings for Azymuth, Marcos Valle, Alex Malheiros, and his partner Sabrina Malheiros. Over that time, he has also flourished as a solo artist with acclaimed releases on Eglo Records, Mother Tongue, Visions, AKO Beatz (under his Dokta Venom alias), and more. In 2022, he arguably released his best record to date, titled Persistence on Far Out Recordings. The album brilliantly combines deep house grooves with Afro-Brazilian and samba rhythms, merging the dancefloor sounds and club culture of the UK and Brazil.
25. Yarni — ‘Pigna’
(EMK)
Sheffield-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Harris, aka Yarni continued his ongoing exploration into new sounds with a superb soulful cosmic jazz album, titled Pigna, which references a glistening pine cone standing upright – the longstanding symbol of Sicilian openness and welcome hospitality that can be found in homes throughout the Italian island. This 10-track recording features everything from disco-funk and jazz dance groovers like “Midnight Getaway” and “Nova”, to the Afrobeat sounds of “Utopia” and the warm lush cinematic vibes of “Chic”, “In A Dream” (ft. vocalist Emily Marks), “Space Travel” (ft. vocalist Sheila Lee) and more.
24. Nat Birchall — ‘Afro Trane’
(Ancient Archive of Sound)
For well over a decade, Manchester composer, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist Nat Birchall has released some of the most standout jazz recordings, as well as some brilliant dub-infused releases work with legendary producer Al Breadwinner. In 2022, he put out his third solo recording Afro Trane, which as the the title suggests, was a homage to the great John Coltrane. The brilliant 6-track recording features a mixture of originals and Coltrane compositions, including an incredible version of “Acknowledgement” from A Love Supreme. Remarkably, Birchall played all the instrumentation of the session, including tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, Zurna, piano, Korg Minilogue, harmonium, bass, drums, hand drums, mbira, and percussion.
23. Katalyst, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad — ‘JID013’
(Jazz Is Dead)
After 10 outstanding releases over two years featuring new music by Roy Ayers, Azymuth, Gary Bartz, Doug Carn and others, Jazz Is Dead’s masterminds Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad kicked off the second wave of releases in 2022. One of these superb releases featured a collaborative effort with one of Los Angeles’s most innovative collectives in Katalyst. Based specifically out of the Inglewood area, Katalyst is a 9-piece band that was established back in September 2014, and includes a group of producers, composers, session musicians, and writers, who continue to be at the forefront of creative music and art currently coming out Southern California. There is so much to love about this record, from analog-based cosmic keys and Fender Rhodes lines, to soulful horns, and funky head-nodding drum rhythms.
22. Ezra Collective — ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’
(Partisan Records)
London’s Ezra Collective returned with an incredible new 14-track recording incorporating the group’s signature jazz-funk-meets-Afrobeat sound with elements of hip-hop, dub, soul, and Latin grooves, all primed to make a dancefloor move. The album also includes an impressive cast of special guests like Sampa The Great, Kojey Radical, Emile Sandé, Steve McQueen, and Nao. This impressive and highly talented band continues to be at the forefront of the thriving UK/London jazz scene.
21. DOMi & JD Beck — ‘NOT TiGHT’
(Apeshit Inc. / Blue Note Records)
Youthful virtuosic cosmic drum-keyboard duo DOMi & JD Beck have quickly been one of the most talked about artists in 2022, releasing a great new debut album titled NOT TiGHT on Anderson .Paak’s new Ape Shit Inc label. The quality here definitely matches the hype, as the duo incorporates JD Beck’s complex skittering drum rhythms with DOMi’s spacey cosmic keyboard grooves. The 15-track album has an overall futuristic modern-day jazz fusion feel, and features a ton of A-list special guests, including Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Mac DeMarco, and (of course) Anderson .Paak. The kids are definitely alright.
20. Flora Purim — ‘If You Will’
(Strut)
Legendary Brazilian jazz vocalist Flora Purim, who has rightfully been declared by many as the “The Queen of Brazilian Jazz”, giving the world all-time classic gems like “Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly”, “500 Miles High”, “Light As a Feather”, “Casa Forte”, “Moondreams”, “Angels”, “Samba Michel” and so many others (often collaborating with her longtime partner and percussionist great Airto Moreira), returned in 2022 to release her first new full-length album in 15 years. The 9-track release celebrates the past and the present, featuring a good mix of brand new tracks and fresh renditions of Flora’s personal favorites from across her storied career. The remarkable session also includes a number of artists that Flora feels closest to, like Airto, guitarist José Neto, her daughter Diana Purim on vocals, and percussionist Celso Alberti.
19. John Carroll Kirby — ‘Dance Ancestral’
(Stones Throw Records)
Los Angeles-based composer, producer, and pianist John Carroll Kirby continued to move the needle in 2022, releasing an incredible new cosmic groove-oriented album. For this brilliant 9-track recording, Kirby teams up with Canadian producer, composer, DJ and sound artist Yu Su (Ninja Tune). More electronically focused than his previous records, this full-length takes the listener a cosmic meditative voyage that loosely follows the narrative of a day unfolding, reflecting on what Kirby calls, “the innate steps we take in life.”
18. Laurent Bardainne & Tigre d’Eau Douce — ‘Hymne au Soleil’
(Heavenly Sweetness)
Following the impressive 2020 debut Love Is Everywhere recording, Paris-based composer, bandleader and tenor saxophonist Laurent Bardainne returned with his quintet project Tigre d’eau Douce, releasing a stellar new album, titled Hymne au Soleil. The full-length nicely blends together Bardainne’s soaring saxophone lines with soulful B3 organ melodies, spacey synths, funky bass grooves, and layered percussion rhythms. The record ranges from spiritual and meditative-like astral jazz to tracks geared towards the dancefloor.
17. Lance Ferguson — ‘Rare Groove Spectrum Vol. 2’
(Freestyle Records)
Lance Ferguson, who is a producer, guitarist, DJ, and bandleader of the Melbourne-based funk outfit The Bamboos, returned in 2022 to release volume two of his brilliant Rare Groove Spectrum series, featuring live band re-edits of essential jazz-funk rarities, balearic gems, Latin groovers and everything in-between. Some of these new arrangements included Carly Simon‘s “Why,” Kool & The Gang‘s “Summer Madness,” Marcos Valle‘s “Estrelar,” Azymuth‘s “Voo Sobre O Horizonte,” Kitty Winter & Gipsy Nova‘s “New Morning,” and Pat Metheny‘s “Sueno Con Mexico”.
16. Barney McAll — ‘Precious Energy’
(Extra Celestial Arts)
Australian-born, New York-based composer and pianist Barney McAll, who has made his mark playing along side legendary artists like Gary Bartz, Billy Harper, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesely, Dewey Redman, and so many others, released a great uplifting soulful cosmic jazz album on his Extra Celestial Arts label, titled Precious Energy. Pulling together a phenomenal cast of musicians including Bartz, bassist Paul Bender, keyboardist Simon Mavin, Hiatus Kaiyote drummer Perrin Moss and others, the session blends together spacey keys with soaring saxophone solos, spiritual grooves, and soulful hypnotic vocals and chants.
15. Sélène Saint-Aimé — ‘POTOMITAN’
(Komos Jazz)
Highly talented Afro-French composer, bassist, and vocalist Sélène Saint-Aimé released her second album for the Komos Jazz label, bringing together Caribbean-rooted percussion rhythms, and layered horns with Sélène’s earthy bass lines and beautifully haunting scat vocals. Absolutely stunning from start to finish!
14. Rosa Brunello — ‘Sound Like Freedom’
(Domanda Music)
The adventurous and highly talented Italian bassist and composer Rosa Brunello really made waves in 2022, releasing a remarkable and highly acclaimed full-length record, titled Sound Like Freedom, on Tommaso Cappellato’s new label Domanda Music. The remarkable session also included UK jazz star and trumpeter Yazz Ahmed, Arabic experimental music pioneer Maurice Louca, and Italian drumming sensation Marco Frattini. Taking the listener on a cosmic journey, the music fuses together hypnotic percussion rhythms, spacey tones and textures, souring trumpet lines, and Brunello’s foundational bass grooves.
13. Makaya McCraven — ‘In These Times’
(International Anthem/ XL Recordings/ Nonesuch Records)
Chicago-based percussionist, composer and producer Makaya McCraven, who continues to be at the forefront of jazz, released an incredible 11-song suite, titled In These Times. Put together over a 7 year stretch, this epic large ensemble work features lush string arrangements and spiritual meditative jazz grooves, combined with McCraven’s unique edit-heavy production-style, sometimes referred to as “organic beat music”. The album also includes a phenomenal cast of musicians (16 total artists!), many in which McCraven has work with closely over the years, like Junius Paul, Brandee Younger, Joel Ross, Jeff Parker, and Marquis Hill.
12. Claude Cooper — ‘Myraid Sounds’
(Friendly Recordings)
Early in 2022, Bristol saxophonist Claude Cooper made waves with a superb psychedelic jazz debut full-length, titled Myraid Sounds. The breakthrough recording blends together free-wheeling saxophone solos with psych-funk grooves, cosmic hypnotic textures, and break beat rhythms. On the session, Cooper is backed by some of the best Bristol-based musicians, including Reprazent’s Si John and Billy Fuller sharing bass duties, Pete Judge on trumpet, Anthony (Errol) Flynn on drums, Tom Wilding on keyboards, guitarist Sean Snook, pioneering flautist Nathan Flutebox Lee, and cellist Nick Pascalides. Also appearing is famed American saxophonist Jeff Hollie, who’s notably recorded with Frank Zappa.
11. Greg Foat Group — ‘Blue Lotus’
(Blue Crystal Records)
2022 was another very active year for London-based composer and pianist Greg Foat, releasing a number of great recordings (also see Photosynthesis), including the first album in 6 years from his longstanding ensemble Greg Foat Group. This outstanding 9-track record fuses together jazz-funk, synth-laden cosmic grooves, cinematic spacey tones, and electronic-based modulated melodies. As with many of Foat’s recordings, there is a strong presence of Fender Rhodes, Moog, and analog based synths throughout each track. From start to finish, Blue Lotus takes listeners on an orbiting journey through a sonic trip that no one will be in a rush to get off of.
10. Jazzanova — ‘Strata Records: The Sound of Detroit – Reimagined By Jazzanova’
(BBE)
For this brilliant concept recording, Berlin’s groundbreaking collective Jazzanova reimagines essential material from the now-legendary and short-lived 70s era Detroit label Strata Records. In association with DJ Amir (aka Amir Abdullah) and 180 Proof Records, who have been officially reissuing material from the label’s vaults for almost a decade, the group takes on and re-creates some of the label’s most notable material like Lyman Woodard Organization’s “Saturday Night Special” and “Creative Musicians”, Kenny Cox’s “Lost My Love”, Sam Sanders “Face at My Window”, Malauwi’s “Root in 7/4 Plus” and others. Jazzanova are also successfully able to breath new life into these soulful jazz-funk classics by incorporating elements of Afrobeat, Latin grooves, broken beat, and electronic influences into the music.
9. Kyoto Jazz Massive — ‘Message From A New Dawn’
(Especial Records / Extra Freedom)
Technically released during the final week of 2021 (with the vinyl coming out in Spring of 2022), Kyoto Jazz Massive returned with their first record in 19 years. Led by two hugely influential DJs and artists among the Japanese music scene in Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Sextet & owner of The Room in Shibuya) and Yoshihiro Okino (owner of Especial Records), this new full-length recording covers a lot of territory, from jazz-funk and broken beat to soulful house, cosmic electric grooves and everything in-between. The album also sees the a more expanded version of the project, featuring great contributions from vocalist Vanessa Freeman(who sings on five of the tracks), Soil & “Pimp” Sessions’ trumpeter Tabu Zombie, keyboardists Takumi Kaneko and Kaztake Takeuchi, the legendary Roy Ayers (on “Get Up”) and more.
8. Sun Ra Arkestra — ‘Living Sky’
(Omni Sound)
Following up on their first new release in over 20 years (2020’s Swirling for Strut Records), the Afro-futuristic pioneer ensemble Sun Ra Arkestra, led by 98 year-old Marshall Allen, have put out a brilliant instrumental full length recording, titled Living Sky. This incredible 7-track album was recorded in one session on June 15, 2021, and features 19 musicians, which included a string section. When the New York label Omni Sound approached Marshall Allen about the recording, they suggested the band create an all instrumental album with a focus on a more downtempo spiritual and hypnotic sound — music that is accessible and healing in the Covid era. In return, the group turned out one of their greatest works over the last 40 years (not mentioned here lightly).
7. Work Money Death — ‘Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction’
(ATA Records)
Following the stellar 2021 release The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides, Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises, UK saxophonist Tony Burkill returned with his large ensemble Work Money Death for another incredible spiritual jazz recording on ATA Records, paying tribute to the recently passed Pharoah Sanders. Remarkably recorded in just one take, the album features soaring solos, meditative soulful grooves, layered horns, dynamic percussion, hand claps, spoken word and even a choir, capturing the true essence of those essential late 60s/early 70s spiritual jazz recordings on Impulse! and Strata-East Records.
6. STR4TA — ‘STR4TASFEAR’
(Brownswood)
Following their groundbreaking debut (named BeatCaffeine’s ‘2021 Favorite Album of the Year‘), Gilles Peterson and Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick have teamed up again for a their sophomore STR4TA release, titled STR4TASFEAR (as a nod to the British group Atmosfear). This 15-track record continues to pay homage to the Brit-funk sound, while now including a touch of early 90s UK street soul vibes. The album also features a solid range of notable special guests, including Omar, Theo Croker, Emma-Jean Thackray, Brighton’s Anushka and vocalist Valerie Etienne.
5. Chip Wickham — ‘Cloud 10’
(Gondwana Records)
Over the last several years, saxophonist and flautist Chip Wickham has been at the forefront of some of the best releases in jazz. In 2022, he took things to new heights with an incredible new full-length on Matthew Halsall’s Manchester-based Gondwana Records, titled Cloud 10. This album is arguably Wickham’s greatest recording to date, fusing together a perfect mix of spiritual jazz, modal hard-bop, and grooves aimed at the jazz dance floor.
Also checkout his superb 2022 12inch tribute single to Lonnie Liston Smith, also on Gondwana Record.
4. Daniel Villarreal — ‘Panamá 77’
(International Anthem)
Panamá-born, Chicago-based drummer and DJ Daniel Villarreal, who also notably plays and co-leads in a number of groups including Dos Santos, stepped out on his own in 2022 with an incredible collaborative cosmic psych-jazz debut for the International Anthem label. The album was recorded in three completely different locations, including an outdoor open-air garden behind International Anthem co-founder Scottie McNiece’s home in Los Angeles. Brilliant from start to finish, the music blends together heavily-layered instrumental textures and percussion rhythms, psychedelic grooves, folk-funk, spacey electronics, and jazz-inspired improvisation featuring guitar, synth, and horn led melodies.
3. SOYUZ (aka СОЮЗ) — ‘Force of the Wind’
(Mr Bongo)
The highly creative Belarus-based collective СОЮЗ / SOYUZ put themselves on the global map with one of the true gem recordings of 2022. Released on the UK-based Mr. Bongo label, this remarkable album, titled Force of the Wind, is heavily inspired by the popular Brazilian sounds of the 70s (known as Música popular Brasileira or MPB). While this record has all the elements we have come to love from this golden era of Brazilian music (see artists like Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Arthur Verocai), this session is very unique, as the vocals are sung in both Russian and Portuguese, and the group is able to incorporate Eastern Europe rooted jazz influences and electronics into the overall sound. The full-length also features a nice blend of rich warm Rhodes piano, soaring strings, cosmic tones, and dynamic drum grooves.
2. Kokoroko — ‘Could We Be More’
(Brownswood)
Following the releases of their breakthrough 2019 self-titled debut EP, and last year’s standout double A-side 12″ single Baba Ayoola / Carry Me Home, the London 8-piece collective Kokoroko, led by trumpeter and vocalist Sheila Maurice-Grey, returned with their highly-anticipated full length album for Brownswood Recordings. This 15-track record builds off the foundation of the group’s two previous releases, blending together West-African and Caribbean influences with Afrobeat, highlife, jazz, hypnotic cosmic textures, and soulful vocals and chants. The session also includes some of London’s finest musicians, all of who come from different backgrounds, including Cassie Kinoshi (alto saxophone, vocals), Richie Seivwright(trombone, vocals), Tobi Adenaike-Johnson (guitar), Yohan Kebede (synths, keyboards), Duane Atherley (bass, synths, keyboards), Onome Edgeworth (percussion), and Ayo Salawu (drums).
1. Sol Set — ‘Olá de Novo’
(All Good Music)
Legendary Michigan-based producer and DJ John Beltran has been at the forefront of techno and ambient electronic music since the mid-1990s. In 2022, he launched his brand new label All Good Music, and produced it’s first release — a brilliant Brazilian-inspired jazz dance debut by the Detroit collective Sol Set. This incredible 9-track recording, which features over a dozen contributing musicians including Beltran playing keyboards, percussion, vocals, production duties and more, nicely blends sun-filled tropical grooves, samba and Latin-based rhythms, jazz, cosmic textures, and soulful vocal harmonies. Each song has it’s own vibe with contributions from a number of different vocalists, however the album flows nicely and works well collectively.
