‘The ghosts of Armstrong and Handy smile down as Trovesi’s octet roars through a programme that cross-references the spirit of New Orleans with Italian popular song and European classical music.’

With John Abercrombie, John Taylor, Dave Holland, Pete Erskine.

The Weather Report bassist brilliantly driving a core group including a bandoneon, three saxes, two drummers and Randy Brecker through and around swells of orchestra and choir. Ambitious and original.

Marimba, bowed vibraphone and waterphone, hang, bells, gongs, cymbals, magic drum, log drum, sheep bells, Indian cowbells, udu drum, various drums and metal-utensils… with Jan Garbarek.

Septet settings for his Magnetic North Orchestra: textured, melodic and alert in the great tradition of the Duke and Gil Evans. The title is the Greek word for blue.

The Argentinean bandoneon giant with German cellist Anja Lechner (from the Rosamunde Quartet). Crafted, free chamber music with inspirational roots in South American tradition — this is fab.

A quartet session, with Jan Garbarek.

With Ustad Fateh Ali Khan singing; Ustad Shaukat Hussain, tabla; Ustad Nazim Ali Khan, sarangi; Deepika Thathaal, voice; Manu Katche, drums.

With bassist Mats Eilertsen and saxophonist Tore Brunborg — and introducing the seductive, bluesy voice of Kristin Asbjornsen on Tord’s settings of the poetry of W.H. Auden.

Mick Goodrick guitar, Pat Metheny guitars, Steve Swallow bass guitar, Bob Moses percussion, Eberhard Weber bass.

The title — ‘coming together’ in Sanskrit, sometimes ‘the meeting-point of three rivers’ — alludes to the mixture here of jazz, contemporary composition and diverse world folk traditions.

Mark Turner, tenor and soprano saxophones; Larry Grenadier, double-bass; Jeff Ballard, drums.

Beautiful, balladesque quartet album — moody, blue and restrained.

With Miroslav Vitous and Pete Erskine.

With Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, live in 2001 — this trio at its peak — kicking off with a Cole Porter and closing with a heart-rending solo piano reading of It’s All In The Game.

Dusting off Armenian, Greek, Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian, Persian, Caucasian roots — and ‘a stillness that has not been darkened at all, and has the degree of density that leaves the Gurdjieffian silence immaculate.’

Based on recordings by John Abercrombie, Miroslav Vitous, Louis Sclavis, Bennie Maupin, Paul Motian, Arvo Part and co.

Engrossing, luminous, abstract pianism from Evan Parker, Roscoe Mitchell cohort.

Polish piano trio lining up Ornette, Hermeto Pascoal, Hans Eisler, Paul Bley and Fran Landesman alongside five of its leader’s compositions.

Violin or hardanger fiddle, piano or harmonium duets: moody, contemplative, melodic crossings of Norwegian folk and classical in the manner of its nineteenth century muse. Recommended.

Poetic ballads for piano, cello, saxophone and accordion, taking inspiration from the Russian film-maker (and nodding to Bach, Pergolesi and Shostakovich).

His lovely, lyrical jazz trumpet-playing blended with the Corsican polyphony of A Filetta, and the bandoneon of Daniele Di Bonaventura, in the tradition of Miles’ take on Rodrigues’ Concierto de Aranjuez.

Farsi love songs, including a tribute to Norma Winstone, from the German-Iranian singer Cymin Samawatie.