Food and drink—check. Swap the Christmas decor for the New Year’s Eve decor—check. Music—we’ve got you covered. Everyone remembers what song was playing when the new year was brought in last, so spend some time preparing the perfect soundtrack. 

These five albums will take you through every stage of the night, whether you’re hosting or being hosted; if it’s the latter, turn up with a record that has some thought behind it because trust me, they probably have enough bottles of bubbles already. 

Madlib – Shades of Blue

If you’re looking to break the ice amongst a bunch of music heads, then spinning “Shades of Blue” is sure to do the trick; American DJ, record producer and rapper Madlib sampled several tracks from the Blue Note catalogue—including ‘La Mesha’ from Joe Henderson’s Page One and ‘Footprints’ by Wayne Shorter—to create what many consider to be one of the greatest hip-hop albums of the ‘00s. 

Some tracks have been on a lengthy journey through the ears of several musicians. Take ‘Stormy’ for example, a 1969 track by soul-jazz organist Reuben Wilson which Madlib chose to cover. On that track, Madlib added a sample from ‘Variations on the Little Chocolate Boy’—a 1976 Joe Bonner tune. Later on in 2009, Madlib’s track was itself sampled by American rapper Stalley on ‘Stay’. 

This album is a masterclass in cool elegance. Do yourself a favour and clue yourself up on a few of the samples ahead of time to impress your mates. 

Jimmy Smith Live! – Root Down

Opening with an amusing introduction from Jimmy Smith, the revolutionary jazz organist, “Root Down” is both a live recording and a landmark jazz-funk album. Smith popularised the Hammond B-3 organ; taking inspiration from blues, gospel, R&B and of course jazz, he reshaped ideas about the organ forever, showing us that it could be a leading solo and rhythm instrument. 

Featuring Arthur Adams on guitar and Paul Humphrey on drums, Root Down was recorded at Los Angeles’ Bombay Bicycle Club in 1972. The opening track, ‘Sagg Shootin’ His Arrow’, is a high-energy, melodious, wah-wah drenched offering. Later comes a soulful, mid-tempo take on Al Green’s classic ‘Let’s Stay Together’, whilst ‘Slow Down Sagg’ makes it pretty hard to stay still. 

Donald Byrd – Stepping Into Tomorrow

Could there be a more fitting title for a New Year’s Eve party soundtrack? Perfect in name and in nature, Donald Byrd was a master of groove, exploring funk and soul through a jazz lens. Music heads will be excited as soon as they hear the needle drop on that scuzzy, rocket like introduction. As for the uninitiated? They’ll discover one of the greatest genre-blending trumpeters of all time thanks to your selection. 

This record was Byrd’s third collaboration with the iconic production duo the Mizell Brothers, and was even further bolstered by an all-star line-up of saxophonist Gary Bartz alongside a first-class rhythm section; bassist Chuck Rainey and drummer Harvey Mason. 

“Stepping Into Tomorrow” is one the greatest classics in Byrd’s discography, with the title track and ‘Think Twice’ holding timeless appeal. Drinks flowing, you’re certain to be moving to the beat by the time ‘You Are The World’ rears its funky head. 

Trombone Shorty – Lifted

Approaching midnight calls for the brassy, celebratory sounds of NOLA—and Trombone Shorty is the gateway. Shorty and his guest artists—guitarist and vocalist Gary Clark Jr, singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle and NOLA’s New Breed Brass Band—came together to sculpt an uplifting album that captures the energy of Shorty’s live shows. It’s a jubilant gumbo of New Orleans rhythms, brass, funk, soul and blues. 

‘I’m Standing Here’ is an energetic head-bopper, ‘Miss Beautiful’ a shuffling, uptempo number that will have you two-stepping, whilst ‘Might Not Make It Home’—a sonic pre-cursor for the night’s good times ahead—is your cue to pour a glass ahead of 00:00; bonus points if the euphoric ‘Good Company’ begins as you enter 2026. Cheers! 

Meshell Ndegeocello – The Omnichord Real Book

High on vibes with rhythms that will make you shimmy down a little closer to the floor, “The Omnichord Real Book” is an 18 track record that’s notably-broad in genre and style. 

Born in West Berlin and now based in the States, Meshell Ndegeocello is a musical polymath; a singer, songwriter, bassist, vocalist, and activist. On this record, Ndegeocello feeds us rhythms for feet that like to be busy—such as on ‘An Invitiation’. Later we receive the synth-accented, afrobeat-hinting ‘Omnipuss’ and guitarist Jeff Parker features on the pacing ‘ASR’. Singer Thandiswa and vibraphonist Joel Ross contribute to an album highlight—the uplifting, dance-worthy ‘Vuma’.

You can lean on “The Omnichord Real Book” as a record to keep your guests moving and entertained, whilst also signalling a gentle wind down as the sun starts to rise its weary head…

---

Tina Edwards is a music journalist, DJ and broadcaster. She’s the co-founder of curatorial platforms re:sonate and Queer Jazz, and hosts her own Bandcamp Club called Jazz-ish Jazz Club. She has bylines in Bandcamp Daily, Downbeat, Monocle and more

---