Best Jazz Songs of 2026

The jazz revival of the 2020s — Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, Thundercat, Domi & JD Beck — has expanded into a real renaissance. Modern jazz is hip-hop-aware, harmonically adventurous, and finally finding listeners who didn't grow up on Coltrane.

Artists defining the genre right now

• • Kamasi Washington
• • Robert Glasper
• • Thundercat
• • Domi & JD Beck
• • Esperanza Spalding
• • Nubya Garcia
• • Shabaka Hutchings
• • Christian Scott
• • Cécile McLorin Salvant
• • Brad Mehldau

Where to look beyond the obvious

Modern jazz is best discovered live or via long-form. A 30-minute Kamasi piece needs the time it takes; clip it down to a Spotify edit and you lose the whole arc.