Traditionally we like to cap off the year with our list of the best jazz albums,  although ranking any music as best is a dodgy proposition. Let's just say these are our favorite 2019 jazz albums. While the album, and CD, are declining in general, jazz musicians continue to work in the album-length format and we do continue to receive a bountiful harvest of jazz CDs. And being located in the Northeast means we get music from the abundance of talented players in the New England and New York City areas.

With the usual proviso that we don't get to hear everything, here are some of the jazz albums we found most appealing and worthy in the past year, in no particular order.

"LA MARSEILLAISE" by LASZLO GARDONY (Sunnyside Communications, Inc.) This invigorating set of solo piano compositions was performed live at the 2019 Keys Fest, a piano festival at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where Gardony teaches. It's a masterful collection of five tunes from Gardony and three appealing covers, bursting with energy. The French national anthem of the title inspired "Revolution," a tune that begins in hectic bustle and clarifies into that gorgeous melody, while seemingly depicting humanity in all its glorious colors. A jaunt through "O Sole Mio" turns that familiar melody into playful joy, while Erroll Garner's classic "Misty" gets a stellar embellishment, as if professor Gardony were showing his class how to construct extra facets to the iconic melody. "Four Notes Given" arose from a Gardony request that the audience suggest four notes, which he would then improvise a song around, and the thickly textured minor key outing is an imaginative journey that could be a soundtrack to a Fellini film. But the whole album is a triumph of Gardony's flawless technique and inventive mind, and also a major advertisement for any of his concerts you can catch.

"NO BOUNDARIES" by DAVE BASS (Whaling City Sound) The third album from pianist Dave Bass continues a unique storyline, as a wrist injury 20 years ago had forced him to put music aside, and become an attorney. But in more recent years he was drawn back into music, and eventually gave up his legal practice to become a full-time musician. Bass composed eight of the tunes here, with another five covers, and his melodic imagination and vibrant technique really makes this album glow. Bass works with a core quartet here, with Ted Nash on flutes, saxes and clarinets, Carlos Henriquez on bass and Jerome Jennings on drums, with three of the cuts substituting a trio of Latin percussionists for the drummer. In general the album is a tasty mix of mainstream jazz with Latin accents. "Lennie's Pennies," from Lennie Tristano, opens the CD with kinetic swing that is just a hint of what's to come. The sax provides the mystery and sex appeal to "Spy Movie End Credits" while Bass crafts the buoyant foundation. Jazz singer Karrin Allyson guests on two standards – a lilting, Latin-flavored run through Rodgers and Hammerstein's "If I Loved You" and the Bass original "Time of My Life." It feels like a South American party has broken out on "La Mulata Rumbera," and the layered woodwinds on "Tango Adagio" highlight one of Bass' most lovely melodic themes. Bass has some fantastic two-handed ability, like on "Neither Have I Wings," where the steady comping of his left hand is so contrasted by the brightly skittering melody of his right hand, you're convinced it's more than one pianist.

"NOFO SKIES" by ALEX SIPIAGIN (The Blue Room Music) Russian-born trumpeter Sipiagin's 18th album is titled to celebrate his North Fork of Long Island home, with a core group of seven, including star saxophonists Chris Potter and Will Vinson. Sipiagin, who's played with Dave Holland, James Moody and The Mingus Big Band among others, composed nine of the 10 songs here, and they all fit, more or less, into the post-bop genre, exploring various avenues without ever losing a sense of melody and drive. The title cut has a majestic big band scope over an exciting rhythm laid down by drummer Eric Harland, bassist Matt Brewer and pianist John Escreet and takes off with a scorching tenor sax solo from Potter. There's a marvelous groove to the trumpet showcase "Savoir," and the keyboards and horns bring it home with a terrific unison chorus. "Sky 1," evoking dawn, and "Sky 2," with its inherent mystery, are intriguing mood pieces. The elegant theme of "Shadows" works off the piano and Alina Engibaryan's wordless vocals and features an intense workout from both saxes. And the warm uplift in "For You," with its superb unison lines really shows what heights this all-star band is capable of reaching.

"ON FIRM GROUND/TIERRA FIRMA" by JANE BUNNETT AND MAQUEQUE (Linus Entertainment) Canadian jazz star Bunnett began this all-female collective five years ago, and amid widespread acclaim, this is their third album. All six of the musicians contributed songs to the dozen songs here, and the lineup includes Bunnett on soprano sax and flute, Danae Olano on piano, Tailin Marrero on bass, Yissy Garcia on drums, Mary Paz on percussion, and Joanna Majoko on vocals. NPR has called this group "the New Queens of Afro Cuban Jazz," and this is certainly a lively and engaging collection. "La Linea" opens the record with a bright fiesta of sounds, and the insistent Latin percussion driving "Momentum" is truly infectious. The title cut shows a different side of things, as guest Nikkie D. Brown's Sacred Steel guitar lets the melody flow at a subdued pace, seamlessly blending into a soprano sax line, and the affirming conclusion where quiet voices intone "whose side are you on?" Mystery and romance abound in "Habana De Noche (Havana At Night)" and Bunnett's most intricate flute lines on "Sky High" suggest a kind of Chuck Mangione soaring quality. The breezy vocals and sax – and vocals throughout the album are not out front, but rather blended into the arrangements – have you wondering about the "Mystery of Jane's House," and the soothing groove of "Musica En El Alma (Music in the Soul)" frames an indelible melody. This group's previous album was nominated for a Grammy, and we wouldn't be surprised if they earned another nomination here.

"JOURNEY INTO NIGHT" by JOSHUA ESPINOZA TRIO (JoshuaEspinoza.com) Young pianist Espinoza seems to divide his time between Brooklyn and Baltimore, where he is on the faculty of the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University. But this engaging hour of music mostly shows how appealing and accessible his playing with his trio – Mikel Combs on bass and Jaron Lamar Davis on drums – can be. Espinoza contributes four original tunes, with five more standards, some of them being pop or rock standards. Burt Bacharach's "Always Something There to Remind Me" has its melody enhanced just a bit, but mainly it's the accelerated tempo that turns it into dazzling swing. The Beatles' "In My Life" is treated reverently, but that timeless melody gets extended and expanded in really inventive ways, which never overshadow it. Espinoza's own "Nocturne for Anna Marie" is a stately, neo-classical theme that sounds like it should be part of a dramatic film. The original "Birdsong" is a jittery, impressionist vision of birds in the morning, while "Unwelcome Dream" is a lively journey into a surreal world of imagination. One of the most notable numbers here is the trio's take on The Eagles' "Desperado," where the pianist uncovers new shadings in that exquisite melody, adding so much without losing the simple beauty of that tune – a veritable primer on how to cover a familiar song and make it your own. Casual jazz fans, or people who don't usually like jazz, will be converted by this little gem of an album.

"HOW WE DO" by JOHN YAO'S TRICERATOPS (See Tao Recordings) We've cited trombonist Yao in previous years for his work with his big band, and this is just more proof of what an amazing arranger he is. Yao teaches at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York City. This quintet features an unusual three-horn frontline, with Yao's trombone, Billy Drewes on alto sax, and Jon Irabagon on tenor sax, with the fine rhythm section of bassist Peter Brendler and drummer Mark Ferber. All the compositions here were written by Yao, and most of them were honed through the band's residency at the Terraza 7 club in Queens. "Three Parts As One" is incredibly vibrant post-bop, with the saxes leading he way. "Triceratops Blues" takes a more subtle approach, with the rhythm section dominating and the horns offering more nuanced shadings. The title cut "How We Do" is an impressive feat of precision unison playing, with a delightful melody set to swinging fun. For a more contemplative mood, "Circular Path" offers a format where the various horns take the lead to explore the theme, and then the whole combo caps it off. Yao's trombone leads the bouncy gallop "Two Sides," and this album ends with a breathtaking charge through "Tea for T," an outright romp.

"LIVE IN BROOKLYN" by THE PERRY SMITH QUARTET (Smith Tone Records) Guitarist Perry Smith has been nurturing a community of musicians by hosting weekly jam sessions since 2015, first at The Soda Bar in Brooklyn, and since 2017 at The Nest in Leffert's Gardens, with bassist Matt Aronoff. This group grew out of those sessions, with Jay Sawyer on drums and Melissa Aldana on tenor sax. Smith graduated from the music school at Southern Cal., and then earned his master's degree in 2011, after studying at NYU with John Scofield. The San Francisco native has been working in the Big Apple for the past ten years. All six of the tunes here run between seven and ten minutes, allowing all the members to stretch out, and the results are never boring. The nearly ten-minute "Premonition" is a torrid vehicle for some playful one-upsmanship between the sax and guitar, as Smith and Aldana trade licks and ideas at mind-boggling speed. Smith's Wes Montgomery influence shines through on "Don't Worry 'Bout Me," a midtempo number where his gift for a lyrical tone and superb phrasing really comes through. Aldana's sax on that tune manages to be both languid and sensual, as if offering a more visceral accent to the guitarist's romantic ideal. "Eternal Triangle," a cover from the late jazz great Sonny Stitt, starts with skittering guitar lines and then a rapid-fire sax reply, and develops into a marvelously dynamic romp where the rhythm section really stands out. The standard "All The Things You Are" finds Smith's guitar lines taking the theme far afield with bebop shadings on the main melody, but later on the tempo downshifts and the beauty of Jerome Kern's original melody emerges to shine anew.

"STORIES TOLD" by DAVE ZINNO'S UNISPHERE (Whaling City Sound) Bassist Zinno and his quintet do a fine job here of incorporating edgy jazz with their Brazilian influences, and Zinno's love of Rio is an obvious factor throughout--which is a good thing. Five of the tunes here are penned by band members, while four more are covers. Unisphere includes Zinno on bass, Mike Tucker on tenor sax, Eric "Benny" Bloom on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tim Ray on piano, and Rafael Barata on drums. The peppy jazz/samba "Neurotico" kicks things off by showcasing all the players. "Larrytown," written by Zinno about a Rio neighborhood, deftly portrays the hustle-bustle and multi-colored hues of the city, over a lovely piano foundation, before bursting out in a torrid sax sprint. One remarkable piece is Ray's arrangement of the Beatles' ballad "Michelle," which gets a bit of a bop interpretation, and shimmering harmonic explorations, before the trumpet brings it home with a gradual return to that timeless melody. Tucker's "Requiem," written for his late father, is stately and melancholy, but its bluesy theme also resolves into hope, as if in gratitude for having known this person. Zinno's "Backup" is the kind of toe-tapping swing you can't find much these days, and the band's rendition of Jobim's "Triste" is gorgeous exhilaration.

"BRIGHT IDEA" by GREG MURPHY TRIO (Whaling City Sound) It's been a good year for dynamic piano trios, none more so than Murphy's, which includes bassist Eric Wheeler, and Wynton Marsalis cohort Jeff 'Tain' Watts on drums. Murphy is a Chicago native whose jazz journey took him, over four decades, from his home to New Orleans, then New York City, where addiction overcame him, and then back to Chicago to clean up, and finally back to the Big Apple. He had a lengthy association with legendary drummer Rashied Ali, and then also bassist Reggie Workman, which accounts for his solid background in the music associated with John Coltrane. So many jazz players are technically advanced and conceptually daring, but just not appealing to a listener. But Murphy is a sterling example of avoiding that pitfall, for no matter how dazzling his technique or far afield his themes go, they are always tuneful and accessible. The rapid sprint through "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise" is a bop showcase, with a hot drum solo in its midst. Murphy includes a handful of pop covers here, proving he doesn't take himself too seriously, and the electric piano-centered take on Pharell Williams' huge hit "Happy" is funky but enhanced from the original. The title cut "Bright Idea" kind of careens out of the gate, but despite the breakneck pace, Murphy's articulation is flawless, as he crafts a thickly textured theme evocative of McCoy Tyner. The intriguing midtempo number "Well, Of All Things," could be a movie all by itself, with so many things going on melodically. And a recently discovered Coltrane piece, "Untitled Original 11383," begins as a 12-bar blues before going off into all sorts of tangents, but Murphy deftly keeps it on track and driving forward throughout.

"ALEGRIA" by SAMUEL TORRES (Blue Conga Music) Here's an album that practically jumps off the turntable to grab the listener and get them moving, as Colombian percussionist/composer Samuel Torres presents some of his joyous music with a ten-piece band of all stars. A native of Bogota, Colombia, Torres has been based in New York City since 1999, and spent several years playing with acclaimed trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. This album includes music inspired by a host of musical strains, from Colombia, Peru, Cuba, Ecuador, Central Africa, and of course, NYC boogaloo. The happy romp through "Salsa, Jazz y Choke" could be a symbol for the whole album, a mind blowing blend of rhythms and melodies that is irresistible, especially when Luis Perdomo's piano comes to the fore. Even the life-affirming ballad "The Strength to Love," comes with a subtly percolating foundation, and reaches new heights with Joel Frahm's tenor sax solo. "Barretto Power," written to honor Torres' musical idol Ray Barretto, is a premier example of NYC boogaloo, kind of groovy soul-jazz with an absurdly infectious rhythm. There's a delightful kalimba-based tune in "Little Grasshopper," and the album's title cut "Alegria" finds Perdomo's piano and Will Vinson on alto sax leading the way on a bright blast of exuberance. Feeling a little down in this dreary winter? Here's your musical cure, and don't forget your dancing sneakers!