My last Best of 2014 list ois reserved for those falling into the “fusion jazz” category, which for me is a catch-all bucket for jazz-like music that isn’t straight-ahead and not quite “wack,” either. Thusly, the records chosen as the best under this broad class are inventive in so many different ways.

It’s been a very good year for fusion — I’m of the opinion that every year is a good year for fusion — and like the avant-garde/experimental list, it was a struggle to keep the number of entries down to a manageable size. Selecting the top album overall was no easy task, either, but hey, somebody’s gotta do it. On another day, it might be Anthony Pirog’s utterly fantastic Cuneiform Records debut instead of the prime one that ultimately got the prize.

Here are the Best of 2014 choices, unranked except for number one, with a special shout-out to an archival release and the still-excellent honorable mentions. To read the full reviews on any of these, just click on the album titles…

THE BEST OF THE REST:

Troker – Crimen Sonoro: Muscular and brainy, this tight little band from south of the border shows how to mine the culturally rich tradition of Mexican music and work it ingeniously into fusion jazz.