This post may be called a “best of,” but let’s acknowledge that list-making is inescapably subjective. Even if we agree to look for excellence within a defined area – such as the best progressive and experimental music of 2023 – my preferences, listening habits, and context for music appreciation will differ from yours, and our lists may also be very different. So I think the value in list making is the exercise of appreciation, and hipping you to some music that means a lot to me. Sharing the love of music makes the world a better place (really, I mean that) and helps support musicians who need the community of listeners to make a living and keep on making great art.
So, while this list may reflect my preferences, I hope these personal favorites from the past year will also resonate with you. In 2023, I sought out music that stirred the imagination, provoked thought, and awakened emotion. It was an excellent year for music that checked off those boxes – this year’s experimental albums expanded the language of improvisation, freely drew from a variety of genres, used harmony, rhythm, and melody in innovative ways, drew on biography and history, or were simply beautiful. The music on this list embraces these concepts and more, helping us get through a dark world by providing enlightenment, entertainment, diversion, and appreciation for the connection that art brings. With those thoughts in mind, here are the albums of experimental music that kept me coming back, thinking, and dreaming in 2023.
1 Kate Gentile – Find Letter X (Pi)
TNB’s coverage of drummer/composer Kate Gentile started in April when I attended pianist Matt Mitchell’s album release show for the excellent Oblong Aplomb. Half of that show was duets with Gentile, who I had never heard before. I was impressed with the drummer’s fluent use of polyrhythmic patterns and odd meters, which prompted me to write a profile of her music. Little did I know that 2023 would be such a big year for Gentile; shortly after the album release gig, she started a music label (Obliquity Records) and released biome i.i, a collaboration with the International Contemporary Ensemble. biome i.i is one of the year’s best, a successful third stream vision of “jazz” drumming set against Gentile’s writing in a “contemporary classical” vein. Gentile then topped herself with the release of Find Letter X, containing three discs of music that she’s been writing and conceptualizing for years. Throughout Find Letter X, you’ll encounter a shifting kaleidoscope of ideas that quickly mutate, restlessly flowing into new and surprising musical vistas. I hesitate to use tired genre markers like “new music,” “jazz,” or “metal” because, on this release, the hybrids and interactions between those strains are so numerous that the music is really unclassifiable, moving beyond genre categories. Even within the same song, you may end up in an entirely different place than where you began and immediately jump back to the start to re-trace how you got there. Also, I have to mention the terrific band – Matt Mitchell’s synths and piano are indispensable, Jeremy Viner’s tenor sax and clarinet playing show him to be one of the most underrated reed players working today, and Kim Cass’s acoustic and electric bass are both one of a kind. An exceptional release and a benchmark for where the language of improvised music is headed.
2 Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet – As Things Do (Intakt)
Michael Formanek makes some of the most lively and interesting music around, and this album is perfectly realized by saxophonist Tony Malaby, pianist Kris Davis, and drummer Ches Smith (he plays some vibes, too). As Things Do has a terrific arc and is smartly programmed; it opens with the stormy “Bury the Lede,” followed by music that centers melody and cleverness and closes with the satisfying harmonies of “Gone Home.” More people need to listen to this great composer, bandleader, and bassist. Formanek appears to be based in Europe these days, but I hope he’ll be back in New York soon.
3 Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily – Love In Exile (Verve)
This much-loved record is as good as you’ve heard. Combining Aftab’s haunting vocals, Iyer’s pianos and electronics, and Ismaily’s bass produces luminescent and mysterious music. Every time I return to Love In Exile, I fall into a trance – it’s simply the most beautiful album of 2023.
4 – Mendoza Hoff Revels – Echolocation (AUM Fidelity)
With Echolocation, guitarist Ava Mendoza and bassist Devin Hoff create a program of big, loud riffs backed by wailing sax from James Brandon Lewis and Ches Smith laying out wild rock-like drum beats. For all the guitar madness, there’s a lot of detail subtly packed in here too, which makes the moments of chaotic noise that much more fun. If you’re in New York for Winter Jazz Fest, don’t miss them at Brooklyn’s Union Pool on January 13.
5 David Virelles – Carta (Intakt)
I don’t know why Carta got so little attention this year. David Virelles has proven once again he’s one of the world’s most important pianists and composers. Carta convincingly deploys Afro-Caribbean rhythms and jazz harmony and beautifully mashes up the past and the present. Virelles could only do this so well with the right support; bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric McPherson are both exceptional here, the perfect rhythmic teammates.
6 Jaimie Branch – Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) (International Anthem)
Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)), Jaime Branch’s third and last studio recording, may be her most vibrant. Branch put together a program that gleefully romps through jazz, blues, folk and country, hip-hop, as well as her distinctive and politically prescient vocals. The album is direct, passionate, and easy to love. Jaimie Branch is a legend, and that legend will only grow – she is sorely missed by fans and musicians alike.
7 John Dikeman, Pat Thomas, John Edwards, Steve Noble – Volume 2 (577 Records)
For those obsessed with British pianist and electronic musician Pat Thomas, the year 2023 brought a lot of interesting electronic experiments (the fascinating Burdah Variations and two more volumes of synths as WAZIFAH, vol. 1 and vol. 2), but less of the piano-led group albums that are Thomas’ forte – no [Ism] or [Ahmed] this year. I should also say there was a lot of great “jazz” Thomas in 2023 – Fathom (with John Butcher, Dominic Lash, and Steve Noble), which focused on unusual group dynamics, Know: Delirium Atom Paths, which pairs Thomas on synth with Chris Sharkey’s guitar, and Scatter (with Phil Minton, Dave Tucker and Roger Turner) which brought Minton’s idiosyncratic and mesmerizing vocals on board. I also love the live pianos and “small instruments” in Pat Thomas & Steve Beresford – One Or Two Pianos. Once you’ve got the Pat Thomas bug, you’re never at a loss for new music! But for my money, Thomas’ best release this year was Volume 2 with Dikeman/Edwards/Noble. Here, Thomas is at his most commanding, opening the half-hour first track with demonic piano runs and using space to great effect in his comping throughout. Noble’s drums sound like a freight train, and Dikeman’s sax screams. Recorded live at Cafe Oto, this might just be another night as Thomas’ home base, but it will give you your fix. And looking ahead – the new [Ism] will be out on February 16! It’s on my calendar; is it on yours?
8 Anna Webber – Shimmer Wince (Intakt)
Anna Webber has a knack for putting out one heavy record after another, and her releases are rapidly becoming an event. In the wake of the best album of 2021 (the incredible Idiom), Webber has released a fascinating album that reconfigures medieval “just intonation” techniques in a modern context. The title aptly describes the result – radiant and subtle music with biting dissonance lurking underneath. As always, the leader’s flute and tenor sax are breathtaking. A heady conceptual experiment and also deeply satisfying – a rare combination.
9 Ben Wendel – All One (Edition Records) & 10 Nate Wooley – Four Experiments (Pleasure of the Text Records)
I will talk about Ben Wendel’s All One and Nate Wooley’s Four Experiments in tandem because ever since I heard these two albums, they have been in dialogue with each other for me. Wendel’s is the quintessential pandemic album – he worked tirelessly in the studio to layer and multitrack his saxophones to achieve a rhapsodic statement, then invited collaborators to play (or on two tracks sing) over his creations. On the other hand, Wooley enacts a musical concept that relies on the “mutual aid” of the musicians to achieve its effect. Both All One and Four Experiments are music intended to convey what Wendell calls a “message of togetherness, friendship, and unity.” They share an introspective quality that is both an aesthetic and ethical statement. But it’s fascinating how these projects enact their humanistic projects in wildly different ways. Wendel crafted poised musical lines amidst lockdown isolation and created an album that feels perfect. Wooley embraces imperfection and puts together his compositions to make his players embrace mistakes – “failure,” as he calls it. Both of these albums have the divinity of great human art – Wendel strives for a flawless statement, while Wolley’s music is all about the transience of existence. I put these two albums at the end of my top ten, but I love them both and could easily flip the list and put them at the top.
11 André Roligheten – Marbles (Odin Records)
I’d never heard of Roligheten before this album, but now I’m a fan. Play Marbles and listen to sax that moves slickly in and out of “the tradition,” exciting drums from Euro free-jazz star Gard Nilssen (see Family below, also featuring Roligheten), and very fetching steel pedal guitar – the album has everything you might want or need, whether you are looking for melodic beauty, shake em’ up energy, or the elegant craft that ties the two together.
12 Angelika Niescier – Tomeka Reid – Savannah Harris – Beyond Dragons (Intakt)
German alto sax star Angelika Niescier has delivered another passionate, intense, and triumphant free jazz album. I call this “free jazz” for it’s unrestrained blowing and because Niescier’s reach never exceeds her grasp, but make no mistake – this freedom is very intentional and structured, and she delivers the music with maximum impact. Cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Savannah Harris match Niescier and provide the taunt and explosive support that makes this my favorite from Niescier yet. There was no better way of introducing somebody to improvised music in 2023 than playing “Hic Svnt Dracones,” the opening track of this fiery gem.
13 London Brew – London Brew (Concord Jazz)
London Brew is a collective that recreates the electric groove of 70s Miles Davis for the here and now. The TNB post “London Brew Starter Kit” was our longest of 2023, but that survey of the London improvised music scene just scratches the surface. London Brew, both band and album, is sprawling yet also focused, and it sounds so of the moment. Out of many standout contributions, I keep coming back to Shabaka Hutchings’s bass clarinet, which rocks; somebody needs to talk him out of his recent decision to just play flute. Spin this for your non-jazz friend, and see if worlds grow.
14 Zoh Amba & Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt – The Flower School (Palilalia)
The best introduction in 2023 to Albert Ayler-style free jazz was The Flower School. The album delivers the goods with Orcutt’s giant guitar feedback and Amba’s passionate and hypnotic saxophone. Corsano’s drums are perfect – these are three of the most dynamic players in improvised music. One thing I especially loved was the pacing and focus of an album that hardly breaks a half hour (this is a good thing). The Flower School beautifully transitions from waves of guitar/sax noise to tender moments of beauty, where these musicians show they can scream and whisper with equal authority. Rainbows follow the storm.
15 Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra – Family (We Jazz Records)
Riotous, boisterous, alive (and live), this is a family I want to sit down for dinner with. I imagine holidays with Nilssen and his crew – you might get overheated, exhausted even, and the windows are dripping with steam, but the excitement does not stop. And because this is only a metaphor, you can wake up from your daydream and play the album again. Listen in wonder at one of the most potent big bands in the world show off their chops and stretch their imagination. The closing number, “SP68,” is the most ecstatic moment of music-making released in 2023.
16 Fire! Orchestra – Echoes (Rune Grammofon)
Like Family above, another legendary European big band with a potent album out in 2023. The first track of this momentous, almost 2-hour opus may be the highlight. Beautifully recorded, the music slowly builds in a minimalist vein – a softly played snare drum, evocative strings, and a distant piano lock in over a bass groove. Then, at 4:20, Mats Gustafsson’s baritone materializes in all its ragged glory, slicing through the hypnotic vamp. It’s a thrilling moment and one of many among the rich and varied music here. This quote from the press materials sounds about right to me: “Echoes is a two-hour work of epic proportions; full of beauty, energy, haunting passages, and stunning musicianship, embracing progressive rock, contemporary avantgarde, cosmic, free jazz, ethnic experimentalism and more.”
17 Kid Millions and Sarah Bernstein – Forest Park Live (Island House Recordings)
Forest Park Live documents an intense September 2021 duet at the titular park. It’s a fascinating exchange of timbres and ideas; Kid Millions’ drums roil and push while Bernstein intones poetry and plays the violin. And that violin is something else! Played through an amplifier and effects pedals, Bernstein’s playing suggests all kinds of sound associations (white noise machine, tacks hitting the floor, or the spaceship at the end of Close Encounters of the Third Kind all came to mind for me). Very inventive stuff! You can see videos of the performance here: part one and part two.
18 Gaia Wilmer Large Ensemble – Folia: The Music of Egberto Gismonti (Sunnyside Records)
Saxophonist, bandleader, and composer (photographer too) Gaia Wilmer “recomposes” music by Brazilian legend Egberto Gismonti, played with depth and various sonorities by a 19-piece orchestra. Composer Gismonti plays the piano, a particular highlight such as on “7 Anéis.” But the orchestra is the center of attention, and when it’s in full flight, like on “Folia,” “Infância,” and “Baião Malandro,” the depth of the arrangements, tightness of the playing, and power of the horns (seven reeds, eight brass) is thrilling. Folia: The Music of Egberto Gismonti came out last January and stayed with me all year.
19 Jason Moran – From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes Records)
Moran opened 2023 by dropping this album, a passion project devoted to the music of James Reese Europe. Even amidst a strong year for music, Moran’s album was not one to be forgotten. The excavation of overlooked repertoire, but with modern treatment, reminds us that the old can be new and the past, present, and future can meet through art. The Bandwagon (Moran with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits) sounds better than ever. Will Moran drop another new album on January 1, like he has in the last two years? We’ll see . . .
20 Rogue Parade – Dion’s Quest (Sugah Hoof Records)
The latest by Rogue Parade, Dion’s Quest, features layers of electric guitars (two of them sparring throughout) and drums, which together kick up an exciting, swirling din, the perfect setting for group leader Greg Ward’s alto sax. Sometimes, Ward adds to the riot; other times, he cools the fervor. Either way, Dion’s Quest invokes the search in the album’s title and is a memorable listen.
That’s 20 albums and all I could write for now. There was lots of other fantastic music released over the last year, really far too much for me to write about. Plus, there’s a lot that I missed, and I keep on making new discoveries. I recommend a number of places to check out what albums made the grade – try Tom Hull on the Web (an encyclopedic listener’s guide to new releases) and year-end lists by Nate Chinen at NPR, Giovanni Russonello at The New York Times, or Dave Summer at Bandcamp. Or you can check out TNB’s album round-ups from our prior post in 2023. We will be shaking up the format for next year, and you can expect more frequent, focused coverage of new experimental and progressive music in the next year. Happy holidays, and see you in 2024!