The Centennial Trilogy cover

The Centennial Trilogy

Released

Despite calling his own work “stretch music,” trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah celebrated jazz’s centennial in 2017 by releasing three albums — Ruler Rebel, Diaspora, and The Emancipation Procrastination — which were compiled after the fact into this 3CD set. They’re all the work of the same group of musicians, so there are stylistic through-lines, most notably the combination of his piercing horn and the rumbling, bouncing trap beats of his native New Orleans. But there’s a thrilling variety displayed on these 31 tracks, and the journey from the synth drone that opens “Ruler Rebel” to the powerful live-band interaction on “New Heroes” is like entering an entirely new world of sound.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
Hot Rats cover

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa
Without Deception cover

Without Deception

Johnathan Blake, Kenny Barron, Dave Holland
Compassion cover

Compassion

Linda Oh, Tyshawn Sorey, Vijay Iyer
Bitches Brew cover

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis
Ming cover

Ming

David Murray Octet
The Melodic Line cover

The Melodic Line

Vincent Courtois, Reverso, Frank Woeste, Ryan Keberle
 Old and New Dreams cover

Old and New Dreams

Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell