# What is the best modern jazz album of the 21st century?

> Jazz didn't die — it evolved. From Kamasi Washington's epic fusion to Robert Glasper's R&B crossover and Thundercat's electric grooves, 21st-century jazz is richer and more diverse than ever. Which modern album gets your vote?

*By YPB Team · Published April 21, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-modern-jazz-album-of-the-21st-century*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **The Epic**
   Kamasi Washington's three-hour 2015 debut — spiritual jazz reborn for a new generation.
2. **We Like It Here**
   Snarky Puppy's 2014 live fusion album — tight, joyful, virtuosic.
3. **Makaya McCraven - Universal Beings**
   Makaya McCraven's 2018 improvisation-to-production masterpiece spanning four cities.
4. **Nubya Garcia - Source**
   Nubya Garcia's 2020 debut — the heart of London's new jazz scene.
5. **Vijay Iyer Trio - Historicity**
   Vijay Iyer Trio's genre-spanning 2009 standard-bearer for 21st-century piano trio jazz.
6. **BADBADNOTGOOD - IV**
   BADBADNOTGOOD's 2016 jazz-hip-hop hybrid featuring Sam Herring and Kaytranada.
7. **Flying Lotus - You're Dead!**
   Flying Lotus's 2014 psychedelic jazz-electronic odyssey with Kendrick Lamar and Herbie Hancock.
8. **Mary Halvorson - Meltframe**
   Mary Halvorson's 2015 solo guitar album — avant-garde jazz guitar's most original voice.
9. **Ambrose Akinmusire - When the Heart Emerges Glistening**
   Ambrose Akinmusire's 2011 Blue Note debut announced a major new trumpet voice.
10. **Thundercat - Drunk**
   Thundercat's 2017 bass-virtuoso masterpiece — funk, jazz, and pop colliding.
11. **Shabaka and the Ancestors - Wisdom of Elders**
   Shabaka Hutchings's 2016 album with South African musicians — urgent, essential, spiritual.
12. **Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society**
   Esperanza Spalding's 2010 Grammy-winning bass-led masterwork blending jazz and classical.

Tags: 2000s, music, jazz, 2020s, 2010s