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Top Contemporary Jazz Chart – July 2, 1994

John Hilderbrand — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:43:12 +0000

Tenderness from Al Jarreau was a live-in-the-studio recording that blended the intimacy of a concert performance with the polish of a studio album. Produced by Marcus Miller, the project featured an all-star cast including Joe Sample, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, Patches Stewart, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, and acclaimed soprano Kathleen Battle. The album found Jarreau revisiting classics such as “Try a Little Tenderness,” “Your Song,” “My Favorite Things,” “She’s Leaving Home,” and “Summertime,” while also including updated versions of his own compositions like “We Got By” and “Save Your Love for Me.” Tenderness may be one of the most relaxed and inspired recordings of Jarreau’s career, pairing his vocal agility with stellar talent and songs that gave him plenty of room to soar.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
Week of July 2, 1994

#	Artist	Album
1	Kenny G	Breathless	▶
2	David Sanborn	Hearsay	▶
3	Al Jarreau	Tenderness	▶
4	Norman Brown	After the Storm	▶
5	John Tesh Project	Sax by the Fire	▶
6	The Benoit/Freeman Project	The Benoit/Freeman Project	▶
7	Boney James	Backbone	▶
8	Incognito	Positivity	▶
9	Nancy Wilson	Love, Nancy	▶
10	Paul Hardcastle	Hardcastle	▶
11	Gerald Albright	Smooth	▶
12	Bob James	Restless	▶
13	Patti Austin	That Secret Place	▶
14	Fourplay	Between the Sheets	▶
15	Dave Koz	Lucky Man	▶
16	Marion Meadows	Forbidden Fruit	▶
17	Gil Scott-Heron	Spirits	▶
18	Candy Dulfer	Sax-A-Go-Go	▶
19	Ronny Jordan	The Quiet Revolution	▶
20	Stanley Clarke	East River Drive	▶
21	Carl Anderson	Heavy Weather Sunlight Again	▶
22	Tom Scott	Reed My Lips	▶
23	Joe McBride	A Gift for Tomorrow	▶
24	Yellowjackets	Run for Your Life	▶
25	Nelson Rangell	Yes, Then Yes	▶

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Top Contemporary Jazz Chart – June 22, 1991

John Hilderbrand — Sat, 23 May 2026 13:04:18 +0000

The Crusaders, down to just original members Joe Sample and Wilton Felder, released their penultimate recording Healing the Wounds in April 1991. It hit the top of the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart on June 22, 1991. The album was produced by Marcus Miller, who also wrote two of the tracks. One of those is “Maputo” originally recorded by Bob James and David Sanborn on their iconic Double Vision collaboration. Sample wrote four of the eight songs including a couple of gems: the strong opening “Pessimisticism” and “Little Things Mean a Lot”. Sample (often feisty) and Felder are in great form and Miller really puts his stamp on the album with his bass playing and production. This may be an overlooked contemporary jazz recording but it’s a favorite of mine.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
June 22, 1991

#	Artist	Album
1	The Crusaders	Healing the Wounds	▶
2	Earl Klugh	Midnight in San Juan	▶
3	John Lucien	Listen Love	▶
4	Yellowjackets	Greenhouse	▶
5	Tuck & Patti	Dream	▶
6	George Howard	Love and Understanding	▶
7	Diane Schuur	Pure Schuur	▶
8	Joe Sample	Ashes to Ashes	▶
9	Dave Koz	Dave Koz	▶
10	Spyro Gyra	Collection	▶
11	Jean Luc Ponty	Tchokola	▶
12	Kilauea	Antigua Blue	▶
13	Arturo Sandoval	Flight to Freedom	▶
14	Special EFX	Peace of the World	▶
15	Kenny Blake	Interior Design	▶
16	Steve Laury	Stepping Out	▶
17	Kevyn Lettau	Kevyn Lettau	▶
18	Bireli Lagrene	Acoustic Moments	▶
19	T Lavitz	Mood Swing	▶
20	Lee Ritenour	Collection	▶
21	Ronnie Laws	Identity	▶
22	Pat Coil	Steps	▶
23	Grant Geissman	Flying Colors	▶
24	Gary Burton	Cool Nights	▶
25	Sam Cardon	Serious Leisure	▶

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Top Contemporary Jazz Chart – April 24, 1996

John Hilderbrand — Sun, 03 May 2026 23:01:17 +0000

Looking back 30 years at the top-selling contemporary jazz albums chart, it was the all-star Q’s Jook Joint from Quincy Jones keeping perennial number one Kenny G from the top spot. Like his previous multi-Grammy-winning recording Back on the Block recording, Q went through his mile-thick rolodex and called artists from several genres including jazz and hip hop. The album is a one-of-a-kind wonder from the master producer. Where else are you gonna have Phil Collins and Joshua Redman on a Duke Ellington composition? Or Herbie Hancock ripping a mean keyboard solo, the cast of Stomp, and a rap appearance from Shaquille O’Neal on “Stomp” – I mean, come on. In addition to the stellar names like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bono, and Chaka Khan, you’ll find James Moody, Hubert Laws, Brandon Fields, Grant Geissman, Kirk Whalum, Take 6, and Toots Thielemans.

At number three is Jerald Daemyon, a Detroit native who became a breakout star in the mid-90s by blending classical violin technique with R&B, hip-hop, and contemporary jazz. He had a hit of sorts with his cover of Kool and the Gang’s “Summer Madness“. Daemyon produced, arranged, and programmed most of the Thinking About You himself. He even rapped and sang on a few tracks, which was highly unusual for a GRP artist at the time.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
Week of May 4, 1996

#	Artist	Album
1	Quincy Jones	Q’s Jook Joint	▶
2	Kenny G	Breathless	▶
3	Jerald Daemyon	Thinking About You	▶
4	Will Downing	Moods	▶
5	Randy Crawford	Naked and True	▶
6	Boney James	Seduction	▶
7	Fourplay	Elixir	▶
8	Najee	Najee Plays Songs from the Key of Life	▶
9	Soundtrack	Get Shorty	▶
10	The Jazzmasters (Paul Hardcastle)	The Jazzmasters II	▶
11	Bobby McFerrin	Bang! Zoom	▶
12	David Sanborn	Love Songs	▶
13	John Tesh Project	Sax by the Fire	▶
14	John Tesh Project	Sax on the Beach	▶
15	George Benson	The Best of George Benson	▶
16	Avenue Blue	Naked City	▶
17	Various Artists	A Celebration of the Songs of the Beatles	▶
18	Paul Taylor	On the Horn	▶
19	David Sanborn	The Best of David Sanborn	▶
20	Incognito	100 Degrees and Rising	▶
21	David Benoit	The Best of David Benoit 1987-1995	▶
22	Bobby Caldwell	Soul Survivor	▶
23	Michael Franks	Abandoned Garden	▶
24	Keiko Matsui	Sapphire	▶
25	Maysa	Maysa	▶

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