10 Modern Jazz Artists You Need to Know in 2025
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Jazz never sits still, and in 2025, there are a handful of modern jazz artists pushing its boundaries in ways that feel effortless, inventive, and genuinely exciting. These are the musicians you’ll want to keep on your radar - those who blend tradition with forward-thinking creativity, who make albums that reward repeated listening. Here’s my roundup of ten modern jazz artists I’ve been hooked on lately, with a track or record from each that you definitely need to hear.
1. The Circling Sun
Listening to The Circling Sun feels like floating in a sensory deprivation tank, but instead of silence you’re bathed in swirling brass, hand percussion, and melodies that bloom slowly like time-lapse flowers. They channel the spiritual jazz lineage of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane but stretch it into something dreamier, less bound to earthly rhythms.
Their 2025 album Orbits is hypnotic stuff—meditative, yet full of motion. Tracks like “Constellation” don’t try to knock you over; they sneak up on you, nudging you into a trance. This is the kind of record that makes you want to dim the lights, pour a drink, and actually sit down to listen.
2. Okonski
Okonski doesn’t rush. His music sits back and lets the air around the notes do half the talking. The piano work is delicate but not flimsy, always carrying this undercurrent of warmth. It’s jazz that prioritizes mood over flash—a soundtrack for thinking or not thinking at all.
Entrance Music (2025) is the record to start with. It’s minimal without being sparse, soulful without being heavy-handed. Tracks like “Dahlia” are deceptively simple; the kind of songs you hum days later without realizing it. Among modern jazz artists, Okonski is carving out a lane that’s reflective and meditative.
3. Misha Panfilov
Misha Panfilov is proof that jazz can still feel like an adventure story. His music leans cosmic like Sun Ra’s but with a more cinematic scope. Funky rhythm sections, spacey synths, and horn arrangements that swell like movie soundtracks.
His 2024 release To the Mesosphere and Beyond is practically a sci-fi opera disguised as a jazz record. There’s groove, sure, but also expansiveness - you can close your eyes and imagine starfields unfolding. If you’re the type who likes your jazz exploratory and grand, Panfilov is one of the modern jazz artists who will scratch that itch.
4. Sholto
London-based drummer, producer and composer Sholto's sound blends intricate piano lines with modern rhythmic sensibilities, sometimes flitting into near-classical minimalism, sometimes into funky jazz or library grooves. There’s always a narrative to his playing - you can almost follow the story arc of each piece.
His album Letting Go of Forever is a fantastic entry point. Tracks like “Ligurian Storm” showcase his ability to shift dynamics on a dime, while “The Sunrise Fool” floats effortlessly with a haunting melodic line. Among modern jazz artists, Sholto manages to balance technicality and soul in a way that sneaks under your skin without ever feeling showy.
5. Gerald Bailey
Trumpeter Gerald Bailey has bite. His sound isn’t just pretty melodies — it’s angular, rhythmic, and restless, like a boxer circling in the ring. He writes with the precision of someone who knows exactly when to jab and when to pull back.
His 2025 record Gross Means is a stunner. “Sandboxing” and “Bench Seat” are taut, infectious, and muscular in their delivery. You can hear his Chicago roots in the urgency of the playing, but also his sense of fun — his songs never overstay their welcome. Among this crop of modern jazz artists, Bailey’s music is direct and unflinching, but still playful.
6. Matthew Halsall
Matthew Halsall’s music is meditative and immersive. His trumpet floats gently over warm textures, often in spiritual jazz arrangements that lean on repetition and delicate harmonic shifts. There’s a serene quality to his compositions, like music designed for introspection.
His 2023 album An Ever Changing View is a masterclass in this approach. Tracks unfold slowly, rewarding patience. The interplay of brass, harp, and percussion creates a sense of calm that’s meditative rather than static. Halsall is one of the modern jazz artists who demonstrates that atmosphere and feeling can be just as powerful as technical complexity.
7. Duval Timothy
Duval Timothy isn’t content to sit in one genre. His piano playing is rooted in jazz but he also weaves in field recordings, ambient textures, even flashes of hip-hop. The result is music that feels deeply personal, almost diary-like.
Timothy's 2025 album, Wishful Thinking, is a great illustration. The album opens with delicate piano lines that soon intertwine with subtle beats and unexpected samples. Timothy is a standout among modern jazz artists for bridging genres while keeping the music organic and cohesive.
8. Kassa Overall
Kassa Overall is a drummer first, but his music is more than rhythm - it’s production, composition, and improvisation in one. His style blends jazz with hip-hop and electronic elements, often blurring genre lines in ways that feel natural rather than forced.
2025's CREAM, an incredible album of hip-hop covers, is a perfect example. You get intricate drum patterns, rich improvisation, and moments of groove that make it hard not to move. Overall’s work is kinetic, playful, and clever - he’s one of those modern jazz artists whose technical skill never overshadows the joy in the music.
9. Organic Pulse Ensemble
Under his Organic Pulse Ensemble alias, Swedish multi-instrumentalist Gustav Horneij combines jazz with funk, soul, and social commentary. His sound is energetic and engaged; you can feel the pulse not just in the rhythm but in the ideas behind the music. They’re articulate without preaching, making statements with groove and melody.
Oppression Is Nine Tenths Of The Law shows Organic Pulse Ensemble at his best. Intricate rhythms and tight arrangements support compositions that are socially conscious but never heavy-handed. Listening feels like you’re part of a conversation, and OPE stands among modern jazz artists for his ability to merge musicality with message.
10. Phi-Psonics
Phi-Psonics take jazz and stretch it out into ambient territory. Their music feels like being underwater—soft edges, drifting melodies, rhythms that pulse rather than pound. It’s patient, meditative, and quietly transportive.
Expanding to One (2025) is the best entry point. It layers textures in a way that feels both grounded and otherworldly, never flashy but always mesmerizing. This is jazz for deep listening, the kind of record you put on when you want the outside world to fade away for a while.
Final Thoughts
Jazz isn’t dead, it’s just evolving in real time — and these ten modern jazz artists are the proof. Some are expanding the tradition into ambient or electronic territories, some are doubling down on groove, some are stripping everything back to just a piano and a mood. The common thread? They’re all deeply alive, and deeply worth your time in 2025.
If you’ve ever thought jazz was just smoky standards or museum-piece music, give these albums a spin. You might not only hear something new — you might hear the future.