10th Annual Jazz Critics Poll: 2015

Ballots 2015 [3]

John Ephland (DownBeat, All About Jazz, Drum!, Relix)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Andy Sheppard, Surrounded by Sea (ECM)
  2. Kris Davis, Save Your Breath (Clean Feed)
  3. Gilad Atzmon, The Whistle Blower (Fanfare)
  4. Myriam Alter, Crossways (Enja)
  5. Hugo Carvalhais, Grand Valis (Clean Feed)
  6. Michael Cain, Sola (Native Drum)
  7. Jakob Bro, Gefion (ECM)
  8. Animation, Machine Language (RareNoise)
  9. Oddjob, Folk (Caprice)
  10. Pixel, Golden Years (Cuneiform)

REISSUES

  1. Miles Davis, At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia/Legacy)
  2. Keith Jarrett-Charlie Haden-Paul Motian, Hamburg '72 (ECM)
  3. John Coltrane, So Many Things: The European Tour 1961 (Acrobat)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Steve Feeney (Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Matt Mitchell, Vista Accumulation (Pi)
  2. Kamasi Washington, The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  3. Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
  4. Dave Douglas, Brazen Heart (Greenleaf)
  5. Brad Mehldau, 10 Years Solo Live (Nonesuch)
  6. Henry Threadgill, In for a Penny, In for a Pound (Pi)
  7. Tom Rainey, Hotel Grief (Intakt)
  8. Nicole Mitchell-Tomeka Reid-Mike Reed, Artifacts (482 Music)
  9. Fred Hersch, Solo (Palmetto)
  10. Jack DeJohnette, Made in Chicago (ECM)

REISSUES

  1. Miles Davis, At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia/Legacy)
  2. John Coltrane, A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters (Impulse!)
  3. Erroll Garner, The Complete Concert by the Sea (Columbia/Legacy)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Ken Franckling (JazzTimes, Hot House)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
  2. Jason Miles & Ingrid Jensen, Kind of New (Whaling City Sound)
  3. Jimmy Greene, Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue -14)
  4. Harry Allen & Jan Lundgren, Quietly There (Stunt)
  5. Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evans Project, Lines of Color (Blue Note/ArtistShare)
  6. Dave Stryker, Messin' With Mister T (Strikezone)
  7. Joanna Wallfisch, The Origin of Adjustable Things (Sunnyside)
  8. Kenny Werner, The Melody (Pirouet)
  9. George Robert, New Life (GPR)
  10. Bjørn Solli, Aglow: The Lyngør Project Vol. 1 (Lyngør)

REISSUES

  1. Red Garland, Swingin' on the Korner: Live at Keystone Korner (Elemental Music)
  2. Wes Montgomery, In the Beginning (Resonance)
  3. Erroll Garner, The Complete Concert by the Sea (Columbia/Legacy)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Phil Freeman (Burning Ambulance, New York City Jazz Record, The Wire)

NEW RELEASES

  1. JD Allen, Graffiti (Savant)
  2. Kamasi Washington, The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  3. Jeremy Pelt, Tales, Musings and Other Reveries (HighNote)
  4. Chris Potter, Imaginary Cities (ECM)
  5. Matthew Shipp, The Conduct of Jazz (Thirsty Ear)
  6. James Brandon Lewis, Days of FreeMan (OKeh)
  7. Tom Tallitsch, All Together Now (Posi-Tone)
  8. Duane Eubanks, Things of That Particular Nature (Sunnyside)
  9. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Stretch Music (Ropeadope)
  10. Mette Henriette, Mette Henriette (ECM)

REISSUES

  1. Sonny Rollins w. Don Cherry, Complete Live at the Village Gate 1962 (Solar)
  2. David S. Ware, Birth of a Being (AUM Fidelity)
  3. John Carter/Bobby Bradford, Self Determination Music (Ace)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

David Fricke (Rolling Stone, Mojo, The Writer's Block on Sirius XM Radio)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
  2. Jack DeJohnette, Made in Chicago (ECM)
  3. Blue Buddha, Blue Buddha (Tzadik)
  4. Chris Potter, Imaginary Cities (ECM)
  5. Joshua Redman & Bad Plus, Joshua Redman & Bad Plus (Nonesuch)
  6. Fred Hersch, Solo (Palmetto)
  7. Henry Threadgill, In for a Penny, In for a Pound (Pi)
  8. Arturo O'Farrill, Cuba: The Conversation Continues (Motéma)
  9. Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas, Sound Prints: Live at Monterey Jazz Festival (Blue Note)
  10. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bird Calls (ACT)

REISSUES

  1. Miles Davis, At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia/Legacy)
  2. Erroll Garner, The Complete Concert by the Sea (Columbia/Legacy)
  3. Karin Krog, Don't Just Sing: An Anthology 1963-1999 (Light in the Attic)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Patrick Frisco (WHFR-FM [Dearborn/Detroit, MI])

NEW RELEASES

  1. Roscoe Mitchell, Celebrating Fred Anderson (Nessa)
  2. Side A, In the Abstract (Not Two -14)
  3. Steve Swell, Hommage a Bartok (Silkheart)
  4. Mario Pavone, Blue Dialect (Clean Feed)
  5. Atomic, Lucidity (Jazzland)
  6. Oliver Lake, What I Heard (Passin' Thru -14)
  7. Andrew Drury, Content Provider (Soup and Sounds)
  8. Matthew Shipp, To Duke (RogueArt)
  9. Irene Schweizer & Han Bennink, Welcome Back (Intakt)
  10. Nicole Mitchell-Tomeka Reid-Mike Reed, Artifacts (482 Music)

REISSUES

  1. David S. Ware, Birth of a Being (AUM Fidelity)
  2. Pat Patrick, Sound Advice (Art Yard)
  3. Mike Osborne, Dawn (Cuneiform)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Richard Gehr (Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Relix)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bird Calls (ACT)
  2. Kamasi Washington, The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  3. Arturo O'Farrill, Cuba: The Conversation Continues (Motéma)
  4. Cassandra Wilson, Coming Forth by Day (Legacy)
  5. Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Overtime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer (Planet Arts -14)
  6. Jack DeJohnette, Made in Chicago (ECM)
  7. Steve Coleman, Synovial Joints (Pi)
  8. Tim Berne, You've Been Watching Me (ECM)
  9. Charles Lloyd, Wild Man Dance (Blue Note)
  10. Jacob Garchik, Ye Olde (Yestereve)

REISSUES

  1. Karin Krog, Don't Just Sing: An Anthology 1963-1999 (Light in the Attic)
  2. John Coltrane, A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters (Impulse!)
  3. Thelonious Monk, The Complete Riverside Recordings (Riverside)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Andrew Gilbert (San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area News Group, The California Report)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Myra Melford, Snowy Egret (Enja/Yellowbird)
  2. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bird Calls (ACT)
  3. Rez Abbasi, Intents and Purposes (Enja)
  4. Ben Goldberg, Orphic Machine (BAG)
  5. Dafnis Prieto, Triangles and Circles (Dafnison)
  6. Aaron Goldberg, The Now (Sunnyside)
  7. Tom Harrell, First Impressions (HighNote)
  8. Fred Hersch, Solo (Palmetto)
  9. Cecile McLorin Salvant, For One to Love (Mack Avenue)
  10. José James, Yesterday I Had the Blues (Blue Note)

REISSUES

  1. Billie Holiday, Banned From New York City (Uptown)
  2. Teddy Edwards, Feelin's (Xanadu)
  3. Art Pepper, Live at Fat Tuesday's (Elemental)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Ted Gioia (The History of Jazz)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Kamasi Washington, The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  2. Joanna Wallfisch, The Origin of Adjustable Things (Sunnyside)
  3. Julian Lage, World's Fair (Modern Lore)
  4. Brad Mehldau, 10 Years Solo Live (Nonesuch)
  5. Miho Hazama, Time River (Sunnyside)
  6. Antonio Sanchez, Three Times Three (CAM Jazz)
  7. Fred Hersch, Solo (Palmetto)
  8. Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
  9. Chris Potter, Imaginary Cities (ECM)
  10. Jean-Michel Pilc, What Is This Thing Called? (Sunnyside)

REISSUES

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Steve Greenlee (JazzTimes)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Vijay Iyer, Break Stuff (ECM)
  2. Darius Jones, Le Bebe de Brigitte (AUM Fidelity)
  3. Mary Halvorson, Meltframe (Firehouse 12)
  4. Henry Threadgill, In for a Penny, In for a Pound (Pi)
  5. Cecile McLorin Salvant, For One to Love (Mack Avenue)
  6. Enoch Smith Jr., Misfits II (Misfitme)
  7. Reggie Quinerly, Invictus (Redefinition)
  8. Steve Coleman, Synovial Joints (Pi)
  9. William Parker, For Those Who Are, Still (AUM Fidelity)
  10. Rob Mazurek, Galactic Parables Vol. 1 (Cuneiform)

REISSUES

  1. various, The Complete Bee Hive Sessions (Mosaic)
  2. David S. Ware, Birth of a Being (AUM Fidelity)
  3. Wes Montgomery, In the Beginning (Resonance)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

George Grella (The Brooklyn Rail, The Big City Blog, Miles Davis' Bitches Brew)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Chris Lightcap, Epicenter (Clean Feed)
  2. Myra Melford, Snowy Egret (Enja/Yellowbird)
  3. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bird Calls (ACT)
  4. Mary Halvorson, Meltframe (Firehouse 12)
  5. Noah Preminger, Pivot: Live at the 55 Bar (Noah Preminger)
  6. William Parker, Great Spirit (AUM Fidelity)
  7. Stephen Haynes, Pomegranate (New Atlantis)
  8. Mike Reed, A New Kind of Dance (482 Music)
  9. Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, Lars Møller's ReWrite of Spring (Dacapo)
  10. Erik Friedlander, Oscalypso (Skipstone)

REISSUES

  1. Cecil Taylor, The Complete in Berlin '88 (Destination Out)
  2. Sonny Rollins w. Don Cherry, Complete Live at the Village Gate 1962 (Solar)
  3. Steve Lacy, Last Tour (Emanem)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Jason Gubbels (Rhapsody, Spin)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Ran Blake, Ghost Tones (A-Side)
  2. Lionel Loueke, Gaia (Blue Note)
  3. Chris Lightcap, Epicenter (Clean Feed)
  4. James Brandon Lewis, Days of FreeMan (OKeh)
  5. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bird Calls (ACT)
  6. Henry Threadgill, In for a Penny, In for a Pound (Pi)
  7. Jack DeJohnette, Made in Chicago (ECM)
  8. Noah Preminger, Pivot: Live at the 55 Bar (Noah Preminger)
  9. Albert "Tootie" Heath, Philadelphia Beat (Sunnyside)
  10. Makaya McCraven, In the Moment (International Anthem)

REISSUES

  1. Bobby Bradford & John Carter, No U-Turn: Live in Pasadena, 1975 (Dark Tree)
  2. Sun Ra, Planets of Life or Death '73 (Strut)
  3. Miles Davis, At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia/Legacy)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Evan Haga (JazzTimes)

NEW RELEASES

  1. John Scofield, Past Present (Impulse!)
  2. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bird Calls (ACT)
  3. Charles Lloyd, Wild Man Dance (Blue Note)
  4. James Brandon Lewis, Days of FreeMan (OKeh)
  5. Joshua Redman & Bad Plus, Joshua Redman & Bad Plus (Nonesuch)
  6. José James, Yesterday I Had the Blues (Blue Note)
  7. Cassandra Wilson, Coming Forth by Day (Legacy)
  8. Liberty Ellman, Radiate (Pi)
  9. John Patitucci, Brooklyn (Three Faces)
  10. Kamasi Washington, The Epic (Brainfeeder)

REISSUES

  1. Wes Montgomery, In the Beginning (Resonance)
  2. John Coltrane, So Many Things: The European Tour 1961 (Acrobat)
  3. Miles Davis f. John Coltrane, All of You: The Last Tour, 1960 (Acrobat)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

David Hajdu (The Nation)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
  2. Steve Coleman, Synovial Joints (Pi)
  3. Jen Shyu, Sounds and Cries of the World (Pi)
  4. Vijay Iyer, Break Stuff (ECM)
  5. Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern (Columbia)
  6. Mary Halvorson, Meltframe (Firehouse 12)
  7. Roscoe Mitchell, Celebrating Fred Anderson (Nessa)
  8. Jack DeJohnette, Made in Chicago (ECM)
  9. Fred Hersch, Solo (Palmetto)
  10. Jimmy Greene, Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue -14)

REISSUES

  1. Don Cherry, Modern Art: Stockholm 1977 (Mellotrone)
  2. Sonny Rollins w. Don Cherry, Complete Live at the Village Gate 1962 (Solar)
  3. Erroll Garner, The Complete Concert by the Sea (Columbia/Legacy)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

James Hale (DownBeat, SoundStage.com)

NEW RELEASES

  1. José James, Yesterday I Had the Blues (Blue Note)
  2. Fred Hersch, Solo (Palmetto)
  3. Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
  4. Myra Melford, Snowy Egret (Enja/Yellowbird)
  5. Dave Douglas, Brazen Heart (Greenleaf)
  6. Jacky Terrasson, Take This (Impulse!)
  7. Vijay Iyer, Break Stuff (ECM)
  8. Mathias Eick, Midwest (ECM)
  9. Mary Halvorson, Meltframe (Firehouse 12)
  10. Enrico Rava, Wild Dance (ECM)

REISSUES

  1. Miles Davis, At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia/Legacy)
  2. Wes Montgomery, In the Beginning (Resonance)
  3. UMO Jazz Orchestra w. Michael Brecker, Live in Helsinki 1995 (Random Act)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Robert Ham (Paste, Portland Mercury, Rolling Stone, FACT Magazine)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jack DeJohnette, Made in Chicago (ECM)
  2. Justin Kauflin, Dedication (Harmonia Mundi)
  3. Jonsson & More, No Way Out (Sunny Sky)
  4. Dave Douglas, High Risk (Greenleaf)
  5. Joe Cunningham, Restraint (PJCE)
  6. Joey Calderazzo, Going Home (Sunnyside)
  7. Myra Melford, Snowy Egret (Enja/Yellowbird)
  8. Olavi Trio, Oh, La Vie! (TUM)
  9. Jacob Garchik, Ye Olde (Yestereve)
  10. Wadada Leo Smith & John Lindberg, Celestial Weather (TUM)

REISSUES

  1. John Coltrane, A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters (Impulse!)
  2. John Abercrombie, The First Quartet (ECM)
  3. Cecil Taylor, The Complete in Berlin '88 (Destination Out)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Don Heckman (The International Review of Music)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Chick Corea & Bela Fleck, Two (Concord Jazz)
  2. Anat Cohen, Luminosa (Anzic)
  3. Keith Jarrett, Creation (ECM)
  4. Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Overtime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer (Planet Arts -14)
  5. Eliane Elias, Made in Brazil (Concord)
  6. Charles Lloyd, Wild Man Dance (Blue Note)
  7. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bird Calls (ACT)
  8. Bob McChesney, Chez Sez (Moco)
  9. Branford Marsalis, In My Solitude (OKeh -14)
  10. Donald Vega, With Respect to Monty (Resonance)

REISSUES

  1. Ornette Coleman, This Is Our Music (Org Music)
  2. John Coltrane, So Many Things: The European Tour 1961 (Acrobat)
  3. Freddie Hubbard, First Light (Org Music)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Chris Heim (KMUW, Global Village)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
  2. Charlie Haden & Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Tokyo Adagio (Impulse!)
  3. Harold Mabern, Afro Blue (Smoke Sessions)
  4. Jacky Terrasson, Take This (Impulse!)
  5. José James, Yesterday I Had the Blues (Blue Note)
  6. Rez Abbasi, Intents and Purposes (Enja)
  7. John Ellis, Charm (Paradise Light)
  8. Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dee Dee's Feathers (Okeh)
  9. George Freeman & Chico Freeman, All in the Family (Southport)
  10. Oran Etkin, What's New (Motema)

REISSUES

  1. Erroll Garner, The Complete Concert by the Sea (Columbia/Legacy)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Alex Henderson (AlterNet, Salon, The New York City Jazz Record, Jazz Inside, XBIZ)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Katie Bull, All Hot Bodies Radiate (Ashokan)
  2. Chick Corea & Bela Fleck, Two (Concord Jazz)
  3. Houston Person, Something Personal (HighNote)
  4. Bucky Pizzarelli, Renaissance: A Journey from Classical to Jazz (Arbors Jazz)
  5. Ray Anderson, Being the Point (Intuition)
  6. Lainie Cooke, The Music Is the Magic (Onyx)
  7. Jason Miles & Ingrid Jensen, Kind of New (Whaling City Sound)
  8. Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dee Dee's Feathers (Okeh)
  9. Karin Krog & Steve Kuhn, Break of Day (Meantime)
  10. Myra Melford, Snowy Egret (Enja/Yellowbird)

REISSUES

  1. John Coltrane, A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters (Impulse!)
  2. Billie Holiday, Banned From New York City (Uptown)
  3. Barry Harris, Plays Tadd Dameron (Xanadu)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Tad Hendrickson (freelance)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Kamasi Washington, The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  2. Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern (Columbia)
  3. Mike Reed, A New Kind of Dance (482 Music)
  4. Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
  5. William Parker, Great Spirit (AUM Fidelity)
  6. Vijay Iyer, Break Stuff (ECM)
  7. Sons of Kemet, d Lest We Forget What We Came Here to Do (Naim Jazz)
  8. Kneebody & Deadelus, Kneedelus (Brainfeeder)
  9. Matthew Shipp, The Conduct of Jazz (Thirsty Ear)
  10. Tim Berne, You've Been Watching Me (ECM)

REISSUES

  1. David S. Ware, Birth of a Being (AUM Fidelity)
  2. John Coltrane, A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters (Impulse!)
  3. Erroll Garner, The Complete Concert by the Sea (Columbia/Legacy)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Andrey Henkin (The New York City Jazz Record)

NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)

REISSUES (listed alphabetically; 2 points each)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN