| Rank | Artist | Recording | Label |
| 1 | CHARLES LLOYD AND MARIA FARANTOURI | Athens Concert | ECM |
| 2 | JEFF LORBER FUSION | Galaxy | Heads Up |
| 3 | DON BYRON NEW GOSPEL QUINTET | Love, Peace, And Soul | Savoy Jazz-Savoy |
| 4 | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Spiritual Jazz, Vol. 2: Esoteric, Modal And Deep European Jazz 1960-78 | Jazzman |
| 5 | SOUL REBELS BRASS BAND | Unlock Your Mind | Rounder |
| 6 | CHICK COREA/EDDIE GOMEZ/PAUL MOTIAN | Further Explorations | Concord |
| 7 | CHICAGO TRIO | Velvet Songs: To Bara Fred Anderson | ROGUE ART |
| 8 | CATHERINE RUSSELL | Strictly Romancin' | World Village |
| 9 | CHARLES GAYLE TRIO | Streets | Northern Spy |
| 10 | BILL FRISELL | All We Are Saying | Savoy Jazz |




