Record of the Year: Jakob Bro – Returnings / ECM in 2018: Christjan Randalu – Absence / Andy Sheppard Quartet – Romaria / Nik Bärtsch – Awase / Bobo Stenson Trio – Contra La Indecisión / Shinya Fukumori Trio – For 2 Akis / Mathias Eick – Ravensburg / Florian Weber – Lucent Waters / Various from 2018: Sonar w. David Torn – Vortex / Dave Holland – Uncharted Territories / Dave Liebman – Fire / Dhafer Youssef – Sound of Mirrors / Julian Lage – Modern Lore / Gilad Hekselman – Ask For Chaos / Ben Wendel – The Seasons / Aaron Parks – Little Big / Discovered in 2018: Marc Copland & Dave Liebman Quartet – Lunar (2002) / Chico César – Mama Mundi (2000) / Eliane Elias – Dance of Time (2017) / Chico César – Respeitem Meus Cabelos, Brancos (2002) / Anna-Lena Schnabel – Books, Bottles & Bamboo (2016)