Highlighting and honouring the highest quality DSD music is what we do at NativeDSD. And there is no better way than to let you, our trusted music-loving audiophiles, vote on the top albums from the last year.

The final nominations are in – and now it’s time to vote! Make sure to really explore all the nominations and cast your votes before January 01. The winners will be announced on Friday, January 03 2025

Throughout 2024 we have continued our mission of growing the largest DSD music collection. We have started exclusive partnerships with labels and worked hard to continue showcasing the great DSD music being made around the world. We have a lot to celebrate! Next comes the difficult part… 

How do we select the nominees for our anticipated Albums of the Year Awards? As has been our tradition, NativeDSD has asked Senior Reviewer Bill Dodd and Technical Advisor Brian Moura to carefully review the year’s DSD releases and bring our listeners their nominations in several musical categories.

Part 3 contains the following categories:

This is a great way to applaud and reward the excellent music and performances that the music labels and artists have brought us this year. And it also is a guide for our listeners to see what we have selected as the best DSD music in 2024 – also important to mention that all nominated albums are available for

20% OFF until January 3rd, 2025

Solo Instrumental
(Bill Dodd)

Josep Colom
Eudora Records – EUDDR2408

Josep Colom’s Beethoven Sonatas and his 2021 Album of the Year featuring Mompou’s Musica Callada convinced me that he is a magical pianist. This program of Mozart Sonatas confirms it. Smooth, flowing, dancing Mozart! And adds to the presentation by interspersing his own “Interludes” between Sonatas with a wonderful result.

Henrik Dam Thomsen 
OUR Recordings – 8226922

*DANISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR -POLITIKEN
*EDITOR’S CHOICE – GRAMOPHONE

The Six Suites for Cello— Amazing music! We’ve had some very good original cello performances arrive over this past year, but this one by Henrik Dam Thomsen instantly became my favorite modern recording– perhaps even beating the older ones by Casals or Starker. I can give no higher praise. In a very crowded field, this wonderful performance becomes the one to beat.

Saskia Giorgini
PENTATONE – PTC5187206

From my comments earlier this year: Saskia Giorgini has something to say, and she wears it on her sleeve! You’ll think I’m nuts, but I hear a sparkling joyfulness to much of these pieces. No, I’m not talking syrupy romanticism, I’m simply talking about an airiness– a feeling that she is playing with a smile and saying, “Here, listen to this one!” I believe she is playing these pieces as Debussy might have wanted, but she is sharing the happiness she feels in doing so. The Pentatone engineers have captured this marvelous artist quite well!

Chamber Music
(Bill Dodd)

Ssens Trio
LAWO Classics – LWC1343

Here’s another newer release that I’ve been enjoying. Let me just repeat quote from Fanfare, since I agree with the reviewer totally: “There is no need to beat around the bush. This new performance by Ssens Trio is the best I’ve ever heard, period. Every note is laid bare, every nuance of phrasing and dynamic fluctuation exposed, and it’s all perfect and incredibly beautiful.”

Rikke Sandberg & Kristoffer Hyldig
OUR Recordings – 8226923

Over the last few years I have become a fan of Nielsen’s symphonies, but I was not prepared for the power of this 4 hand / two piano arrangement of the Third. These two very talented pianists have gone way beyond a simple rearrangement– this is a whole new piece of music that stands proudly on its own. Equally fine are the Saul and David excerpts. Although these were written for “4 hands” I think there is a huge benefit from having two separate pianos. Highly recommended!

Maxwell Quartet
Linn Classics – CKD641

What a wonderful album by the Maxwell String Quartet! Here we have world-class performances of the three Hayden String Quartets Op. 74. After each of the 3 are Scottish Folk tunes as arranged by the Maxwell players. Why? There may not be a historic or musicological reason, but it absolutely works!

Tribute Albums
(Brian Moura)

Eddie Daniels and friends
2xHD & Resonance Records – 2XHDRE1141

Heart of Brazil features the music of Brazilian composer Egberto Gismanti. It includes Eddie Daniels on Jazz Clarinet, Pianist Josh Nelson, Bassist Kevin Axt, Drummer Mauricio Zottarelli and the Harlem Quartet. Resonance Records president George Klabin who produced the album says it was envisioned as a way to bring wider appreciation and recognition of Gismanti’s music. He has succeeded with this recording.

Gidon Nunes Vaz Trio
Sound Liaison – SL1066A

The Music of Cole Porter is brought to life by the Gidon Nunes Vaz Trio on Dream Dancer. Featuring classics including Night & Day, So In Love, All Through The Night and Easy To Love, the trio takes us through a rich set of musical memories. Each song features the One Microphone Recording technique, giving the album a very close and intimate feel. This is an album that adds just the right notes to close an evening of music.

Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
Sound Liaison – SL1064A

The Ghost, The King and I is a Jazz trio featuring bassist Frans van Geest, guitarist Vincent Koning and pianist Rob van Bavel. Here they play eight songs composed by George Gershwin. Recorded live with an audience using a main microphone and three microphones to support or “spot” the trio members. The trio’s approach to the Gershwin tunes is both familiar and yet improvised. Listeners will recognize the melodies yet enjoy the Jazz improvisations.

Angelo Verploegen & Jeroen van Vliet
Just Listen Records – JL033

Little Dancer is a tribute to Angelo Verploegen’s grandson. It features a collection of standards that embody the themes of love, hope and comfort. Including Nature Boy, Infant Eyes, Smile and Over The Rainbow to name but a few. The songs are played with just Verploegen on flugelhorn and Jeroen van Vliet on piano. Giving the music a close up, soft and mellow feel. A fine musical tribute to the newest member of the family.

Latin Jazz
(Brian Moura)

Eddie Daniels featuring Dave Grusin & Bob James
2xHD & Resonance Records – 2XHDRE1183

Jazz Clarinetist Eddie Daniels returned to NativeDSD this year with another of his albums of Brazilian music from 2xHD and Resonance Records. To really take things over the top Daniels invited pianists and composers Bob James and Dave Grusin along with a host of recording studio stars including Kevin Axt, Josh Nelson of The L.A. Project and the Harlem Quartet to play on Night Kisses. The result is a trip to Brazil highlighting the romantic yet adventurous music of Ivan Lins.

Diane Reeves, Jane Monheit, Tawanda & Randy Brecker
2xHD & Resonance Records – 2XHDRE1257

My Heart Speaks features the Brazilian music of composer Ivan Lins performed by a Symphony Orchestra. Adding to the musical highlights are special musical guest vocalists Diane Reeves, Jane Monheit, and Tawanda plus Jazz star Randy Brecker on Trumpet. The lush orchestrations by Kuno Schmid captures the lush playing of the orchestra that are enhanced by the musical guests. One of the year’s highlights.

Bebo Valdes, Juan Pablo Torres & Paquito D’ Rivera
Anderson Audio NY – AANYC542024

Suite Cubana, Vol. 1 (Immersive Edition) brings a historic Jazz album to the world of high resolution audio and 5.1 Channel Surround Sound. It features band leader Bebo Valdes and a band of Latin Jazz all-stars in a rich and lively recording. Available in Stereo and 5.1 Channel Surround Sound DSD and Dolby Atmos TrueHD, it’s a musical treat guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. The Stereo edition of the album is fun, but the 5.1 Channel Surround Sound DSD and Dolby Atmos versions spreads the music around the listening room for an even more musically engaging experience. An album not to be missed.

Solo Guitar
(Brian Moura)

Sébastien Llinares
Alpha Classics – ALPHA1063

French guitarist Sebastien Llinares takes us on a musical journey inspired by the Jimi Hendrix song Castles Made of Sand. The album features Classical, Jazz, and Contemporary music influences with compositions from Hendrix, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Leonard Bernstein, Rogers and Hart, George Gershwin, Django and more. The music is thoughtful and beautifully recorded and performed. It’s an album you will want to add to your collection.

Gergely Szurgyi
Hunnia Records – HRES2417

Gergely Szurgyi introduces us to Scordatura, a technique where “new horizons in guitar playing” can be achieved by changing the usual tuning of the guitar. It can trade off volume for more depth and warmth. I was not familiar with this approach to the guitar. Szurgyi’s guitar and his playing result in a wonderful album of Pure DSD 256 Stereo music. This album will make you a fan of the Scordatura!

Enjoy discovering some of the best DSD albums released in 2024. And remember: all of the nominated albums are 20% Off until January 3rd, 2024!

The NativeDSD Team would like to thank Bill Dodd and Brian Moura for having spent an eternity listening to all of the albums released in 2024, and for selecting the albums they believe you should not miss.