T. R. Johnson, host of the Tuesday edition of Jazz from Jax Brewery, 4-7p

History will remember this year in music as the Year of the Woman, because there are at least 16 women-led recordings that I would put in my top-20 for the year. See below for my list of roughly 40 records that came out this year that will continue to interest me for years to come, arranged alphabetically by album title, and note that I put a little star after the ones that, in my view, will become classics – there are 10 of these, and 9 of them are either led by a woman or feature a woman instrumentalist prominently.

Alkemi by Daymé Arocena*
Alternate Summer by Tom Harrell
Alone by Wayne Escoffery
And Then Again by Bill Charlap
Bewitched by Laufey*
Compassion by Vijay Iyer
Cuban Jam Session, Vol 1 by Zanja All Stars
Eagle’s Point by Chris Potter
Echoes of the Inner Prophet by Melissa Aldana
Endlessness by Nala Sinephro*
Gifts by Dave Douglas
Gratitude by Cassie Kinoshi
Heart Trio by William Parker
Here in the Pitch by Jessica Pratt*
How We Care for Humanity by Cole Williams*
If You Could See Me Now by Zara McFarlane
Legend of e’Boi by Darius Jones
Mighty Vertebrate by Anna Butterss
Messages by Jazzmeia Horn
Montrose by Charlie Hunter
Odyssey by Nubya Garcia
Pheonix Reimagined by Lakecia Benjamin
People, Please by Sam Fribush*
Portrait by Samara Joy*
Regreso a Gondwana by Andres Levin
Resuscitate by Bill Callahan
Shadow by Lizz Wright
Small Medium Large by SML*
Speak to Me by Julian Lage
Sun Prints by Matt Booth
Super Blonde by Kirk Knuffke
Technically Acceptable by Ethan Iverson
Three of Us . . . by Walter Smith III
Tomorrow’s Another Day by Jeremy Pelt
The Dark, the Light, the Gray by JD Allen
The Mezzthetics by The Mezzthetics
The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow by Charles Lloyd
The Way Out of Easy by Jeff Parker’s ETA IVtet*
Visions by Norah Jones*
Walk a Mile in My Shoe by Orrin Evans
Water Map by Dustin Wong and Gregory Uhlman
Y’Y by Amaro Freitas
3 Sides of the Coin by Dafnis Prieto

Boudin Man, co-host of Kitchen Sink with A.J. Rodrigue and A.A., Wednesdays, 10pm-MIDNIGHT.

Houma Records Volume 1 Best of 1966-1974 Various Artist (Vinyl LP only)

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Carols Miguel Prieto and Lost Bayou Ramblers - Live Orpheum Theater - NOLA (Vinyl LP)

Brother Dege - Aurora

Happy Talk Band - Low Shoulder

Whip Appeal - Shimmering Seed

Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive

The Deslondes - Roll It Out

Roussel Maajon - Kyle Rousel and Clint Maedgen (Vinyl LP)

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets - Indoor Safari

Fun Boy Three - Extended Fun Boy Three (Record Store Day Vinyl LP)

Clint Maedgen and the Bandapandas - a) Sandra Already Knows b) Eli The Sugar Static (Vinyl 7")

Bobby M.G. / Quintron - a) Mardi Gras Creep b) The Mouth Of Harahan (Ballad of King Louie Bankston (Vinyl 7")

Digital
Ryan Scully - Obligations at the Lounge

Duane Williams, host of What's New, Sundays, 10pm-MIDNIGHT.

In no particular order, the highlights to 2024 have been:

Charles Mingus' Reincarnations. This collection of tracks rarely found on vinyl and being put on vinyl for no other reason was a very pleasant surprise and addition to my collection.

Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs was just an amazing revisit to an "ain't dere no more" club outside of New Orleans which brought the energy and sound of the sixties right back into play and moved everyone with the drumwork on the album.

Miles in France 1963 & 1964 - Miles Davis Quintet: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 is just a blast from the past. I can only compare it to when The Bibliotheque national de France open their time capsule of musicians going back a century and put it up on their website for the world to enjoy works captured on wax cylinders and any available format. This collection of full performances takes you back to not only enjoy the work Miles put into his work but the full audience appreciation of the man and how he could work that horn.

Big Creek Slim's GOING TO GERMANY album was a great reminder to me to remember the blues are global and not only an American fixture. I was surprised to receive this album in the mail of a Dane performing some great blues work across the pond. If you haven't heard it, now's a good time to check him out.

Songs for the COSMIC SOFA COWBOY BEBOP and The Real Folk Blues Legend COWBOY BEBOP were a great surprise when I preordered them and well worth the wait until the vinyl finally arrived into my hands. The works of Yoko Kanno are near and dear to my heart and became even more warmly embraced when I learned her inspiration behind creating the band came from a trip to New Orleans decades ago. It felt so full circle and I can only hope to one day be fortunate enough to interview her and learn even more about what went into these soundtracks.

Dolly Parton's Rockstar was a very unexpected collection of tracks featuring a number of original artists performing with this living legend. I didn't expect to enjoy the long list of covers as much as I did and everyone I recommended it to absolutely loved it. You probably will, too.

Jim Hobbs & Charles Laborde, hosts of Lâche Pas! Cajun & Zydeco Show, Sundays, NOON-2:00pm.

Best Cajun, Creole and Zydeco recordings of 2024 by Charles Laborde and Jim Hobbs.

4Horses. Live Part Two La Poussiere avec les Amis et la Famille. Swallow. Big band, Belton Richard-style. Follow-up to last year's Live Part One.

Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers. Now Is the Time. Self-released. Continuing his straight ahead, energetic sound.

Louis Michot. Rêve de Troubadour. Nouveau Electric. First recording out under Michot's own name, signalling a breakaway from the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Numerous collaborators such as Leyla McCalla, Quintron, Corey Ledet, Dickie Landry, Bombino, and String Noise.

MunckMusic. Live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. There were copious Cajun and zydeco releases from the 2024 Jazz Fest, including: Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, and many others. They are available directly online and in a few record stores.

T-Marie & Bayou JuJu. Sometimes. Self-released (distributed by BandCamp). Joyous New Orleans-based band.