| 1 | Rahsaan Roland Kirk | The Man Who Cried Fire | Hyena |
| 2 | Kahil El Zabar Trio | Love Outside Of Dreams | Delmark Records |
| 3 | Toufic Farroukh | Drab : Zeen | Le Chant Du Monde |
| 4 | Liquid Soul | Evolution | Shanachie |
| 5 | Kermit Ruffins | Big Easy | Basin Street Records |
| 6 | Rob Burger | Lost Photograph | Tzadik |
| 7 | Les McCann | Les Is More | Hyena |
| 8 | Radio Chongching | Radio Chongching | First World |
| 9 | William Parker/Joe Morris/Hamid Drake | Eloping With The Sun | Riti Records |
| 10 | Hugh Masekela | Time | Columbia Records |
| 11 | The Motet | Live | Self Produced |
| 12 | Horace Silver | Paris Blue | Pablo Records |
| 13 | Pickpocket Ensemble | If I Were A Highway | Self Produced |
| 14 | Happy Apple | Youth Oriented | Nato Records |
| 15 | Matthew Shipp | Equilibrium | Thirsty Ear Communication |
| 16 | Fred Hess / Marc Sabatella | Right At Home | Tapestry |
| 17 | Fred Hess Quartet | Extended Family | Tapestry |
| 18 | Whit Dickey/Trio Ahxoloxha | Prophet Moon | Riti Records |
| 19 | Theo Bleckmann & John Hollenbeck | Static Still | GPE |
| 20 | Daniel Carter + Reuben Radding | Luminescence | Aum Fidelity |