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Top Contemporary Jazz Albums – June 22, 1991

John Hilderbrand — Sat, 23 May 2026 13:04:18 +0000

The Crusaders, down to just original members Joe Sample and Wilton Felder, released their penultimate recording Healing the Wounds in April 1991. It hit the top of the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart on June 22, 1991. The album was produced by Marcus Miller, who also wrote two of the tracks. One of those is “Maputo” originally recorded by Bob James and David Sanborn on their iconic Double Vision collaboration. Sample wrote four of the eight songs including a couple of gems: the strong opening “Pessimisticism” and “Little Things Mean a Lot”. Sample (often feisty) and Felder are in great form and Miller really puts his stamp on the album with his bass playing and production. This may be an overlooked contemporary jazz recording but it’s a favorite of mine.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
June 22, 1991

#	Artist	Album
1	The Crusaders	Healing the Wounds	▶
2	Earl Klugh	Midnight in San Juan	▶
3	John Lucien	Listen Love	▶
4	Yellowjackets	Greenhouse	▶
5	Tuck & Patti	Dream	▶
6	George Howard	Love and Understanding	▶
7	Diane Schuur	Pure Schuur	▶
8	Joe Sample	Ashes to Ashes	▶
9	Dave Koz	Dave Koz	▶
10	Spyro Gyra	Collection	▶
11	Jean Luc Ponty	Tchokola	▶
12	Kilauea	Antigua Blue	▶
13	Arturo Sandoval	Flight to Freedom	▶
14	Special EFX	Peace of the World	▶
15	Kenny Blake	Interior Design	▶
16	Steve Laury	Stepping Out	▶
17	Kevyn Lettau	Kevyn Lettau	▶
18	Bireli Lagrene	Acoustic Moments	▶
19	T Lavitz	Mood Swing	▶
20	Lee Ritenour	Collection	▶
21	Ronnie Laws	Identity	▶
22	Pat Coil	Steps	▶
23	Grant Geissman	Flying Colors	▶
24	Gary Burton	Cool Nights	▶
25	Sam Cardon	Serious Leisure	▶

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Top Contemporary Jazz Chart – April 24, 1996

John Hilderbrand — Sun, 03 May 2026 23:01:17 +0000

Looking back 30 years at the top-selling contemporary jazz albums chart, it was the all-star Q’s Jook Joint from Quincy Jones keeping perennial number one Kenny G from the top spot. Like his previous multi-Grammy-winning recording Back on the Block recording, Q went through his mile-thick rolodex and called artists from several genres including jazz and hip hop. The album is a one-of-a-kind wonder from the master producer. Where else are you gonna have Phil Collins and Joshua Redman on a Duke Ellington composition? Or Herbie Hancock ripping a mean keyboard solo, the cast of Stomp, and a rap appearance from Shaquille O’Neal on “Stomp” – I mean, come on. In addition to the stellar names like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bono, and Chaka Khan, you’ll find James Moody, Hubert Laws, Brandon Fields, Grant Geissman, Kirk Whalum, Take 6, and Toots Thielemans.

At number three is Jerald Daemyon, a Detroit native who became a breakout star in the mid-90s by blending classical violin technique with R&B, hip-hop, and contemporary jazz. He had a hit of sorts with his cover of Kool and the Gang’s “Summer Madness“. Daemyon produced, arranged, and programmed most of the Thinking About You himself. He even rapped and sang on a few tracks, which was highly unusual for a GRP artist at the time.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
Week of May 4, 1996

#	Artist	Album
1	Quincy Jones	Q’s Jook Joint	▶
2	Kenny G	Breathless	▶
3	Jerald Daemyon	Thinking About You	▶
4	Will Downing	Moods	▶
5	Randy Crawford	Naked and True	▶
6	Boney James	Seduction	▶
7	Fourplay	Elixir	▶
8	Najee	Najee Plays Songs from the Key of Life	▶
9	Soundtrack	Get Shorty	▶
10	The Jazzmasters (Paul Hardcastle)	The Jazzmasters II	▶
11	Bobby McFerrin	Bang! Zoom	▶
12	David Sanborn	Love Songs	▶
13	John Tesh Project	Sax by the Fire	▶
14	John Tesh Project	Sax on the Beach	▶
15	George Benson	The Best of George Benson	▶
16	Avenue Blue	Naked City	▶
17	Various Artists	A Celebration of the Songs of the Beatles	▶
18	Paul Taylor	On the Horn	▶
19	David Sanborn	The Best of David Sanborn	▶
20	Incognito	100 Degrees and Rising	▶
21	David Benoit	The Best of David Benoit 1987-1995	▶
22	Bobby Caldwell	Soul Survivor	▶
23	Michael Franks	Abandoned Garden	▶
24	Keiko Matsui	Sapphire	▶
25	Maysa	Maysa	▶

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Top Contemporary Jazz Albums – September 15, 1990

John Hilderbrand — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:56:50 +0000

ContemporaryJazz.com is looking back at the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart from 35 years ago.

Michael Franks’ 1990 release Blue Pacific glowed with his trademark lyrical cleverness – playful turns of phrase and gentle humor wrapped in breezy storytelling. The album’s uncommon trio of producers: Jeff Lorber, Tommy LiPuma, and Walter Becker (yes, the Steely Dan Becker) each bring a distinct touch. The album’s opening track “The Art of Love” is a clear Lorber production and we played it a lot on the late night contemporary jazz radio show. No matter which producer is used, Franks will always sound unique, not just because of his voice but because of his uniqueness as a lyricist.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
Week of September 15, 1990

#	Artist	Album
1	Michael Franks	Blue Pacific	▶
2	Spyro Gyra featuring Jay Beckenstein	Fast Forward	▶
3	John McLaughlin Trio	Live at the Royal Festival Hall	▶
4	Bob James	Grand Piano Canyon	▶
5	Najee	Tokyo Blue	▶
6	Anita Baker	Compositions	▶
7	Stanley Clarke / George Duke	3	▶
8	The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman	Welcome to the St. James’ Club	▶
9	Basia	London Warsaw New York	▶
10	Larry Carlton	Collection	▶
11	Lonnie Liston Smith	Love Goddess	▶
12	Richard Elliot	What’s Inside	▶
13	Tom Grant	Edge of the World	▶
14	Stanley Jordan	Live	▶
15	Ricardo Silveira	Amazon Secrets	▶
16	Bob Berg	In the Shadows	▶
17	Bobby Lyle	The Journey	▶
18	Max Groove	Maximum Groove	▶
19	Alex Bugnon	Head Over Heels	▶
20	Ronnie Laws	True Spirit	▶
21	Acoustic Alchemy	Reference Point	▶
22	Vernell Brown, Jr.	A Total Eclipse	▶
23	John Patitucci	Sketchbook	▶
24	Brandon Fields	Other Places	▶
25	Kenny G	Live	▶

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