The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents

Best of 2025

Air Date: 1/11/2026 on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET
 
Another year rolls around, and another Best Of show comes your way. Three hours of the best CDs with the best tracks, where else can you hear such a surfeit of great jazz? Tune in to the Sunday Jazz Brunch this coming Sunday and plan to hang and relax for the whole show, because I doubt you'll be able to turn it off once you hear these great songs by today's jazz artists.
 
I don't want to say too much here because the music speaks for itself mostly. Sure, I will guide you through during the show and I will provide the backstories and artist notes where appropriate, but make no mistake, it's all about the music.
 
Certainly, this list is really the Marty Friedman Best Of 2025 show, because I did not get every new jazz CD released. In fact, there are a few that I discovered I had not yet listened to by the end of the year, and it's killing me! But I'll have to put those that are good enough, into next year's show. 
 
I played 272 new CDs in 2025 and here is the result of my winnowing. It's a great mix of vocal and instrumental, Great American Songbook and originals, well-known artists and lesser-known ones, small groups and large. All a reflection of a great art form that isn't just viable, but flourishes, if you know where to listen. And the Sunday Jazz Brunch is one of those places to listen.
 
Note that some of these artists did Musician's Corner interviews, which you can access by clicking on word INTERVIEW where it appears.
 
After listening to the show this Sunday you might like to send me an email. I would enjoy that. My email address is marty@wicn.org.
 
Enjoy!
 
Marty 
 
Photo of Royce Campbell by Patrick Hinely, Work/Play®
 

HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning

Stella Cole\It's Magic 2025 feat Alan Broadbent\My Ideal (Vocal with Strings)
Andrew Carroll\Speaking of Gravity 2025\You Make it Sound So Simple (Piano Trio)
Neil Gray\In The Streets 2025\Somewhere (Drums in Quintet)
Rachael & Vilray-West of Broadway 2025-09 To Change (Vocal Duet)

Paul Marinaro\Mood Ellington 2025\Sophisticated Lady (Vocal with Jazz Orchestra)
Ted Rosenthal Trio\Ted Rosenthal Songbook 2025\Crossing the Rubicon (Pianio Trio) INTERVIEW
Gustavo Cysne\Deep Blue 2024\feat. Ithamara Koorax - Dive Into The Deep Blue (Vocal)
Carmen Bradford\Carmen Sings Carmen 2025\Hey John (Vocal with Jazz Orchestra) INTERVIEW

Erik Jekabson Sextet III\Breakthrough 2025\Jane Wants to Tell You Something P1 (Trumpet with Chamber Orchestra)
Aaron Parks\By All Means 2025\For Maria Hose (Piano Trio)
John Nau\Four Corners 2025\River Run (Piano/Synth)
Bruce Harris & Ehud Asherie\Thank You Barry Harris 2025\008 Em Barry Harrisable You (Vocal with Piano)

HOUR TWO: New For You

Solid Jackson - Peter Bernstein & Brad Meldhau\M.T.B. 2025\Maury's Grey Wig (Piano and Guitar in Quintet)
Alberto Pibiri Trio\A New World 2025\What The World Needs Now (Piano Trio)
Jeffrey Gimble\Brand New Key 2025\In The Glow of the Moon (Vocal)
Kandace Springs\Lady in Satin 2025\I Get Along Without You Very Well (Vocal/Piano)

Peter Erskine\Vienna to Hollywood 2025\A Summer Place (Drums with Music Lab and String Quartet)
Jon Gold\Chasing Echos 2025\An Aeon of Ages (Piano with Strings, Horns, etc)
Mark Grandfield\It's Getting Late 2025\Night and Day (Vocal)
Geoffrey Dean Quartet\Conceptions 2025\Came and Went (Piano Trio with Trumpet)

Anaïs Reno\Lady of the Lavender Mist 2025\Poinciana (Vocal)
Tyler Henderson\Love Endures 2025\I'll Never Smile Again (Piano Trio)
Royce Campbell\Royce Campbell & Vosbein Magee Big Band 2025\Gentle Breeze (Guitar and Big Band)
Tessa Souter\Shadows and Silence 2025\Peace (Gnossienne No. 2) (Vocal)

HOUR THREE: Brazil/World/Groove

Marina Pacowski-New Jazz Standards, Vol. 7- The Music of Carl Saunders 2025-04 Feels Like Home (Vocal)
Thom Rotella-Side Hustle 2025-10 On A Misty Night (Guitar)
George Coleman\George Coleman with Strings 2025\Dedicated to You (Tenor Sax with Strings)
Michael Mayo\Fly 2025\I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Vocal)
Jazz Funk Soul-Simpatico 2025-03 Janyce (Groove)

Jamile with Miki Yamanaka\Pursuit of a Pulse 2025 - Come With Me to the River (Vocal)
Franck Amsallem\The Summer Knows 2025\Unforgettable (Piano Trio) INTERVIEW
Peter Campbell\Haunted Melody 2025\He Never Mentioned Love (Vocal)
Lauren Henderson\Sonidos 2025\La Legada (Vocal)
Antonio Adolfo-Carnaval- The Songs Were So Beautiful 2025-02 Vassourinhas (Brazilian Instrumental)

Brian Simpson-Midnight Groove 2025-10 Sunset Mirage (Keyboard Groove)
Georgia Mancio\A STORY LEFT UNTOLD 2025\10_A Story Left Untold (Vocal with Strings)
Josie Falbo\Kickin It 2025\05 I Just Found Out About Love - v2 (Vocal)
Mafalda Minnozzi\Riofonic 2025\Rio (Brazilian Vocal)
Jay D'Amico-Ginevra 2025-10 Ballad In E (Piano Trio)  

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