The Winners: 2024 Albums of the Year

The votes are in! Here are the winners of the NativeDSD Albums of the Year 2024, one in each of the 20 categories; the Solo Guitar winner also received the Audience Choice Award. Thank you to everyone who voted, and to Senior Reviewer Bill Dodd, Technical Advisor Brian Moura and David Hopkins for choosing the nominees. Congratulations to all nominees: with so many great albums this year, being nominated is already a mark of excellence in DSD sound.

View All Winning Albums in the Store

Solo Guitar (also the Audience Choice Award)

Gergely Szurgyi introduces us to Scordatura, a technique where “new horizons in guitar playing” can be achieved by changing the usual tuning of the guitar. It can trade off volume for more depth and warmth. I was not familiar with this approach to the guitar. Szurgyi’s guitar and his playing result in a wonderful album of Pure DSD 256 Stereo music. This album will make you a fan of the Scordatura!

Vocals (Jazz)

Jazz Singer Holly Cole reunites with the Jazz duo of Davis & Piltch plus drummer Davide DiRenzo on the album Night. Cole’s cool Jazz vocals are on full display here. She offers new musical insights on familiar, and in some cases unexpected selections, including Viva Las Vegas, You Only Live Twice, Goodtime Charlie’s Got The Blues and You’ve Got A Secret. The album provides an enjoyable evening of cool jazz at its finest.

Vocals (Folk)

Time To Be Brave was one of our weekly # 1 Best Sellers this year at NativeDSD. It features singer and songwriter Corrie Lynn Green, Her Band, and the Hazelrigg Brothers. All of the songs on the album were written and sung by Corrie Lynn Green. They are delivered in a heartfelt and passionate way that looks at life in Appalachia. The mix of Folk, Americana and Appalachian genres is very moving, and the musicianship is top notch. Resulting in an album that is a memorable listening experience.

Vocals (Classical Soloist)

This lovely, haunting album of Czech orchestral songs is a real winner. It’s a followup to last year’s Folk Songs, winner of Album of the Year in the vocal category. This new one from Magdalena Kozena, backed by the Czech Philharmonic with Sir Simon Rattle is even more attractive to me because many of these art songs are from Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959), a composer whose works I have fallen in love with over the last few years. The peacefulness and beauty that flows from this album is amazing!

Orchestral

Over the decades I have heard conductors try to impart the greatness of Bruckner’s music, and here’s one is completely successful. Honeck knows Bruckner inside and out. He writes, “Just as a human being consists of spirit, soul and body, I see Bruckner’s symphonic music in a similar light: Spirit — The art of designing compositional relationships, Soul — The grasping of a boundless depth of spirituality, and Body — The love of Austrian folk and dance music”

Holiday Music

Christmas Kiss is a new addition to the NativeDSD collection of Christmas Music albums. Diana Panton and her Jazz Trio bring listeners an interesting set of 15 tracks that feature not only holiday favorites but also some lesser known tunes and some original songs. Panton’s warm and gentle vocals compliment the songs wonderfully. Just the thing to put you in the Christmas spirit.

Film Music

The Year 2024 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of famed composer Henry Mancini. To celebrate this musical milestone, IBS Classical brought us the album Henry Mancini Centennial featuring the Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga conducted by José María Moreno Valiente. The album is a celebration of Mancini’s many contributions to Film and TV music during his career. Theme From The Pink Panther, Peter Gunn, Moon River, Charade, The Days of Wine and Roses, Two For The Road, Dear Heart, Baby Elephant Walk and many more bring back fond memories of the music and the movies and TV shows that featured them.

Concertos / Orchestral with Soloist

The amazing Ning Feng has a number of superb Albums available on Channel Classics, and this one is no exception. Tung-Chieh Chuang and the Bochum Symphony Orchestra (Germany) provide excellent backing as Ning Feng dazzles with these two Soviet era concertos. This is superb musicianship!

Opera

This is an opera– but hardly traditional. Marnie Breckenridge is the sole singer, and she is accompanied only by the other character, her cello! The cello is personified by cellist Matt Haimovitz who is physically present as a non- vocal character, but also plays the cello. If that seems confusing, check the album cover. Jacqueline is Jacqueline du Pre, whose rise to fame was meteoric, but very brief due to multiple sclerosis. Marnie Breckenridge handles a difficult role very well. Haimovitz, a du Pre protege, is also fine. Listen to the available samples to get a sense of composer Luna Pearl Woolf’s and librettist Royce Vavrek’s work. It’s hardly traditional, but it is remarkable.

Classical Crossover

Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen provides us with a fascinating look at how a number of famed rock classics are influenced by the music of Bach. He does this by performing classics like Light My Fure, People Are Strange, Stairway To Heaven and A Whiter Shade of Pale, among others, alongside several Bach compositions on the Organ. By the end of the album’s 74 minutes of music Mikkelsen proves his thesis. And it’s a wonderful journey of musical discovery along the way.

Compilation Album

This year 2xHD Mastering brought us another excellent sampler of Jazz from the Resonance Records, Storyville Records and Jazzology Records catalogs with Piano Piano. The album features 18 tracks and over 90 minutes of music from Jazz Stars including Bill Evans, Monty Alexander, Bob James, Hank Jones, Les McCann, Teddy Wilson and Dick Hyman. If you like Jazz, this is a must have addition to your music collection.

Meditation & Relaxation

This album by musician, producer, engineer and educator Karttikeya presents a joyous glimpse into the enthralling world of hand pans. In equal parts resonant and rhythmic, these 15 tracks showcase Karttikeya’s deep connection with these incredible handcrafted instruments and deliver a truly hypnotic listening experience.

Jazz Trio

The Studio Sessions is the second in a three album trilogy from Jazz pianist Rob van Bavel. The trilogy focuses on ballads favored by the pianist and some of his musical collaborators. On this album bassist Frans van Geest and drummer Marcel Serierse are featured. The trio brings new insights to favorites including Slow Boat to China, Misty, A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square and Cinema Paradiso. This is fine Jazz pianist artistry and well worth a listen.

Jazz Ensemble

The First At Last was a frequent visitor to the weekly Top 10 Best Sellers List during 2024. And its no mystery as to why. Featuring two European Jazz stars – sax player Jasper Staps and pianist and composer Rembrandt Frerichs and two up and coming Jazz musicians, the album offers smooth and cool Jazz music. One NativeDSD Listener called it “The Perfect Jazz album.” I’d say it’s an album not to be missed.

Jazz Fusion

Trees From Underneath was inspired by articles on science, nature, stars, and physics according to quartet leader Balázs Rodek. The album features 6 original songs that feature a unique “dreamy” sound created by the improvised nature of the ensemble’s interactions and playing. An interesting addition to the NativeDSD Jazz catalog.

Solo Instrumental

*DANISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR -POLITIKEN
*EDITOR’S CHOICE – GRAMOPHONE

The Six Suites for Cello— Amazing music! We’ve had some very good original cello performances arrive over this past year, but this one by Henrik Dam Thomsen instantly became my favorite modern recording– perhaps even beating the older ones by Casals or Starker. I can give no higher praise. In a very crowded field, this wonderful performance becomes the one to beat.

Chamber Music

Over the last few years I have become a fan of Nielsen’s symphonies, but I was not prepared for the power of this 4 hand / two piano arrangement of the Third. These two very talented pianists have gone way beyond a simple rearrangement– this is a whole new piece of music that stands proudly on its own. Equally fine are the Saul and David excerpts. Although these were written for “4 hands” I think there is a huge benefit from having two separate pianos. Highly recommended!

Tribute Album

The Ghost, The King and I is a Jazz trio featuring bassist Frans van Geest, guitarist Vincent Koning and pianist Rob van Bavel. Here they play eight songs composed by George Gershwin. Recorded live with an audience using a main microphone and three microphones to support or “spot” the trio members. The trio’s approach to the Gershwin tunes is both familiar and yet improvised. Listeners will recognize the melodies yet enjoy the Jazz improvisations.

Latin Jazz

Suite Cubana, Vol. 1 (Immersive Edition) brings a historic Jazz album to the world of high resolution audio and 5.1 Channel Surround Sound. It features band leader Bebo Valdes and a band of Latin Jazz all-stars in a rich and lively recording. Available in Stereo and 5.1 Channel Surround Sound DSD and Dolby Atmos TrueHD, it’s a musical treat guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. The Stereo edition of the album is fun, but the 5.1 Channel Surround Sound DSD and Dolby Atmos versions spreads the music around the listening room for an even more musically engaging experience. An album not to be missed.

Vocals (Pop & Soul)

Canadian singer Diana Panton highlights the music of Brazil including Samba and Bossa Nova on the album To Brazil With Love. But she doesn’t stop there. The album also features Pop, French Chansons and Jazz songs sung in English and French. Nominated for an Independent Music Award, it highlights Panton’s vocals and some wonderful music.

Thank You for Voting!

See all the nominees

The NativeDSD Team would like to thank Bill Dodd and Brian Moura for having spent an eternity listening to all of the albums released in 2024, and for selecting the albums they believe you should not miss.