A brilliant idea, Monsieur Windswept, to publish your own list. I prefer our hero's version of 'The In-Crowd' (because it sounds so 'roxy') to Dobie Gray, Ramsey Lewis and even Gregory Porter - but the latter's version is doubtlessly outstanding.
These are my suggestions - 'Avonmore' is my personal album of the year

:
1 BRYAN FERRY Loop De Li (Avonmore)
2 BRYAN FERRY Midnight Train (Avonmore)
3 BRYAN FERRY Soldier Of Fortune (Avonmore)
4 BRYAN FERRY Driving Me Wild (Avonmore)
5 PAUL CARRACK No Easy Way Out (Blue Views/1995)
6 COLDPLAY A Sky Full Of Stars (Ghost Stories/2014)
7 PINK FLOYD Take It Back (The Division Bell/1995)
8 LEONARD COHEN Did I Ever Love You? (Popular Problems/2014)
9 CHRISTOPHER CROSS Got To Be A Better Way (Secret Ladder/2014)
10 DAVID CROSBY Radio (Croz/2014)
11 HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS Cry To Me (Soulsville/2010)
12 STING Soul Cake (If On A Winter's Night/2009)
My all time favourite Christmas album is 'The Christmas Album' by The Manhattan Transfer.
Regards
-pianoman-