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
Man-Child cover

Man-Child

Herbie Hancock
The Music Of Wayne Shorter cover

The Music Of Wayne Shorter

Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
United cover

United

Woody Shaw
Speaking in Tongues cover

Speaking in Tongues

David Murray, Fontella Bass
Human Dust Suite cover

Human Dust Suite

Miki Yamanaka
The Dark Keys cover

The Dark Keys

Branford Marsalis
The Source cover

The Source

Tony Allen
Listen With Your Eyes cover

Listen With Your Eyes

The Adam Larson Band