Top 10 UK jazz albums in 2026

Wheels within wheels: Norma Winstone, pictured, abidingly inspirational, plays from Vital Spark, at Kings Place, London on 22 November in a concert with the Milesian Bitches Brew legend Dave Holland and London Vocal Project. It is one of 2 albums NW features on included in marlbank‘s top 10 UK jazz albums of the year

Organising my thoughts into some sort of order, these 10 stand out records emanate from all sorts of inspirations. But all rely on top musicianship, ideas, superb group interplay and compositional vision.
Some things rub together well, some don’t. One reason why jazz in all its variety does and continues to attract listeners I think is that it is a music that hasn’t got strict rules or traditions more than a century on from its black origins in New Orleans.
It isn’t a monolith but if for the sake of argument you feel it is in order to speak generally, jazz is far bigger than fixed musical certainties, racial or religious pride, any one of many kinds of nationalism or even hometown, familial or friend circle love and admiration.
That said, and it isn’t a contradiction, much of what works best is built on shreds of some or all of these vital factors, transformed by feeling, mood and the unique individualism of the artist or band to make sense of the musical notes. As a global music the huge internationalism and ability of jazz to morph into something new via innumerable hyphenates are only part of its great strength.
We shouldn’t get too hung up on technical factors such as how much improvisation – or not – is part of the process. The outcome is far more important. That outcome is when what is produced finds meaning somehow, however mysteriously or even trivially, with a listener.
As I return to relisten to what’s here after frequent replay on earlier occasions the benefit of the passage of time helps usher in further thought, space and more insights of a music that has proved it is built to last and, time after time, somehow regenerates itself.