The Benoit/Freeman topped the chart 25 years ago

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The top ten contemporary jazz recordings from the week of Feb. 13, 1994!

The Benoit/Freeman Project
  1. David Benoit and Russ Freeman, The Benoit/Freeman Project
  2. Nelson Rangell, Yes Then Yes
  3. Tom Scott, Reed My Lips
  4. Richard Smith, From My Window
  5. Torcuato Mariano, Paradise Station
  6. Marcus Miller, The Sun Don’t Lie
  7. Yellowjackets, Run for Your Life
  8. Fourplay, Between the Sheets
  9. Gary Burton/Rebecca Parris, It’s Another Day
  10. Charles Michael Brotman, Pacific Rendezvous

Top Contemporary Jazz – 15 Years Ago

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Here are the top selling contemporary jazz recordings as listed by Billboard on March 2, 2002. The Pat Metheny Group’s Speaking of Now debuted at #1.

  1. Pat Metheny Group –  Speaking Of Now
  2. Boney James – Ride
  3. Chris Botti – Night Sessions
  4. Various Artists –  Hidden Beach Recordings Presents: Unwrapped Vol. 1
  5. Walter Beasley – Rendezvous
  6. David Benoit – Fuzzy Logic
  7. Andre Ward Orpheus – Feelin’ You
  8. Peter White – Glow
  9. The John Scofield Band – Uberjam
  10. St. Germain – Tourist

Speaking of Now from the Pat Metheny Group

Top 10 – Years 1999 and 1994

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In the earlier days of this site, I ran a top ten list of the most popular contemporary jazz recordings at the time. This chart was based on sales and radio play. Here were the top 10 from April 30, 1999:

  1. Boney James – Body Language
  2. Joe Sample featuring Lalah Hathaway – The Song Lives On
  3. Tom Scott & the L.A. Express – Smokin’ Section
  4. David Sanborn – Inside
  5. Inner Shade – 4 Corners
  6. Gota – Let’s Get Started
  7. Nite Flyte – Ascension
  8. Quincy Jones – From Q, With Love
  9. 3rd Force – Force Field
  10. Kenny G, Greatest Hits

And the top 10 from April 17, 1994:

  1. David Benoit/Russ Freeman – The Benoit/Freeman Project
  2. Paul Hardcastle – Hardcastle
  3. Dave Weckl – Hard-Wired
  4. The Solsonics – Jazz in the Present Tense
  5. Mark Johnson – Mark Johnson
  6. Incognito – Positivity
  7. Bob James – Restless
  8. Pat Metheny/John Scofield – I Can See Your House from Here
  9. United Future Organization – United Future Organization
  10. Mark Portmann – Driving Beverly Hills

Top of the Chart – July 1988

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Reflections by George HowardHere were the top-selling contemporary jazz recordings in summer 1988, according to the July 8, 1988 issue of Billboard!

  1. George Howard – Reflections
  2. Bobby McFerrin – Simple Pleasures
  3. Basia – Time and Tide
  4. Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman – Kilamanjaro
  5. David Benoit – Every Step of the Way
  6. Tim Heintz – Searching the Heart
  7. Chick Corea – Eye of the Beholder
  8. Dianne Reeves – Dianne Reeves
  9. Kirk Whalum – And You Know That!
  10. Shadowfax – Folksongs for a Nuclear Village

Entering the chart that week was a number of releases that would be headed toward the top: Spyro Gyra’s Rites of Summer, Politics by Yellowjackets, If This Bass Could Talk by Stanley Clarke, and Sade’s Stronger Than Pride.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums of 1997 and 2012

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Billboard reported these as the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums of 1997:

  1. The Moment – Kenny G
  2. Sweet Thing – Boney James
  3. Dream Walk – Keiko Matsui
  4. Que Pasa – Gato Barbieri
  5. A Twist of Jobim – Various Artists
  6. Soulful Strut – Grover Washington, Jr.
  7. Breathless – Kenny G
  8. Caravan of Dreams – Peter White
  9. Beneath the Surface – Incognito
  10. Body and Soul – Rick Braun

This year’s top jazz albums are on the Billboard site. Looks like another good year for Tony Bennett.