11th Annual Jazz Critics Poll: 2016

Ballots 2016 [6]

Peter Quinn (Jazzwise, The Arts Desk)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Cookers, The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart (Smoke Sessions)
  2. Dave Holland-Chris Potter-Lionel Loueke-Eric Harland, Aziza (Dare2)
  3. Phronesis, Parallax (Edition)
  4. Melissa Aldana, Back Home (Wommusic)
  5. Kenny Barron, Book of Intuition (Impulse!)
  6. Jakob Bro, Streams (ECM)
  7. Gerard Presencer & Danish Radio Big Band, Groove Travels (Edition)
  8. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  9. Donny McCaslin, Beyond Now (Motéma)
  10. Charles Lloyd, I Long to See You (Blue Note)

REISSUES

  1. Duke Ellington, Far East Suite (RCA Victor/Legacy)
  2. John Coltrane, The Atlantic Years in Mono (Rhino)
  3. Charlie Parker, Complete Savoy Sessions (Essential Jazz Classics)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Derk Richardson (The Absolute Sound, KPFA [Berkeley], Peghead Nation, Acoustic Guitar)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Nels Cline, Lovers (Blue Note)
  2. Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom, Otis Was a Polar Bear (Royal Potato Family)
  3. Nik Bärtsch Mobile, Continuum (ECM)
  4. Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family, Beginning of a Memory (Palmetto)
  5. Mary Halvorson, Away With You (Firehouse 12)
  6. Henry Threadgill Double Up Ensemble, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (Pi)
  7. Barry Guy-Marilyn Crispell-Paul Lytton, Deep Memory (Intakt)
  8. Kris Davis, Duopoly (Pyroclastic)
  9. Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM)
  10. Charles Lloyd, I Long to See You (Blue Note)

REISSUES

  1. Larry Young, In Paris: The ORTF Recordings (Resonance)
  2. Herbie Mann, Live at the Whisky 1969: The Unreleased Masters (Real Gone)
  3. Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, All My Yesterdays (Resonance)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Joel Roberts (New York City Jazz Record)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  2. Jaimeo Brown Transcendence, Work Songs (Motéma)
  3. Brad Mehldau, Blues and Ballads (Nonesuch)
  4. JD Allen, Americana (HighNote)
  5. Theo Croker, Afro Physicist (Okeh)
  6. Black Art Jazz Collective, Presented by the Side Door Jazz Club (Sunnyside)
  7. Fred Hersch, Sunday Night at the Vanguard (Palmetto)
  8. Allen Toussaint, American Tunes (Nonesuch)
  9. Benny Golson, Horizon Ahead (HighNote)
  10. Noah Preminger, Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground (self-released)

REISSUES

  1. various, The Savory Collection, Volume 1: Body and Soul: Coleman Hawkins & Friends (Apple Music)
  2. Larry Young, In Paris: The ORTF Recordings (Resonance)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Chris Robinson (Point of Departure)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Dave Holland-Chris Potter-Lionel Loueke-Eric Harland, Aziza (Dare2)
  2. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  3. DE3 [Duane Eubanks-Eric McPherson-Dezron Douglas], Live at Maxwell's (Sunnyside)
  4. Earth Tongues, Ohio (Neither/Nor)
  5. Barry Guy-Marilyn Crispell-Paul Lytton, Deep Memory (Intakt)
  6. Icepick, Amaranth (Astral Spirits)
  7. Steve Lehman, Sélébéyone (Pi)
  8. Jon Lundbom, 2016: EPs: Make the Magic Happen/Play All the Notes/Bring Their 'A' Game/Make the Changes (Hot Cup)
  9. MMM Quartet, Oakland/Lisboa (RogueArt)
  10. Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM)

REISSUES

  1. Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, All My Yesterdays (Resonance)
  2. Peter Kuhn, No Coming No Going (Living Right) (No Business)
  3. Lyle Mays, The Ludwigsburg Concert (SWR Jazzhaus)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Britt Robson (JazzTimes, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Red Bull Music Academy)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jeff Parker, The New Breed (International Anthem)
  2. Roswell Rudd-Jamie Saft-Trevor Dunn-Balázs Pándi, Strength & Power (RareNoise)
  3. JD Allen, Americana (HighNote)
  4. Tom Tallitsch, Gratitude (Posi-Tone)
  5. Mary Halvorson, Away With You (Firehouse 12)
  6. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  7. LUME, Xabregas 10 (Clean Feed)
  8. Jaimeo Brown Transcendence, Work Songs (Motéma)
  9. Ryan Keberle, Azul Infinito (Greenleaf)
  10. Herlin Riley, New Directions (Mack Avenue)

REISSUES

  1. Count Basie & Lester Young, Classic 1936-1947 Studio Sessions (Mosaic)
  2. various, Jazz Haunts and Magic Vaults (Resonance)
  3. various, The ESP-Disk Story, Vol. 1 + Vol. 2 (Contempo)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Alex W. Rodriguez (Ethnomusicology Review)

NEW RELEASES

  1. David Bowie, Black Star (ISO/Columbia)
  2. Melissa Aldana, Back Home (Wommusic)
  3. La Resistencia, Etorno Retorno (Discos Pendiente)
  4. Phronesis, Parallax (Edition)
  5. Camila Meza, Traces (Sunnyside)
  6. JD Allen, Americana (HighNote)
  7. Tyshawn Sorey, The Inner Spectrum of Variables (Pi)
  8. Sonny Rollins, Holding the Stage: Road Shows Vol. 4 (Doxy/OKeh)
  9. Jure Pukl, Live at Thelonious (Discos Pendiente)
  10. Beekman, Vol 02 (Ropeadope)

REISSUES

  1. various, The Savory Collection, Volume 1: Body and Soul: Coleman Hawkins & Friends (Apple Music)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Lloyd Sachs (T Bone Burnett: A Life in Pursuit (University of Texas Press))

NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)

REISSUES (listed alphabetically; 2 points each)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Bret Saunders (Denver Post, KBCO-FM)

NEW RELEASES

  1. David Murray-Geri Allen-Teri Lyn Carrington, Perfection (Motéma)
  2. Mary Halvorson, Away With You (Firehouse 12)
  3. Steve Lehman, Sélébéyone (Pi)
  4. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  5. Anthony Braxton, 3 Compositions (EEMHM) 2011 (Firehouse 12)
  6. Hearts & Minds, Hearts & Minds (Astral Spirits)
  7. Sao Paulo Underground, Cantos Invisiveis (Cuneiform)
  8. Jane Ira Bloom, Early Americans (Outline)
  9. George Coleman, A Master Speaks (Smoke Sessions)
  10. Bobby Kapp & Matthew Shipp, Cactus (Northern Spy)

REISSUES

  1. Larry Young, In Paris: The ORTF Recordings (Resonance)
  2. Count Basie & Lester Young, Classic 1936-1947 Studio Sessions (Mosaic)
  3. Don Cherry-John Tchicai-Irène Schweizer-Léon Francioli-Pierre Favre, Musical Monsters: Willisau Concert (Intakt)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Rich Scheinin (San Jose Mercury News)

NEW RELEASES

  1. George Coleman, A Master Speaks (Smoke Sessions)
  2. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  3. Logan Richardson, Lift (Blue Note)
  4. Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom, Otis Was a Polar Bear (Royal Potato Family)
  5. Wadada Leo Smith, America's National Parks (Cuneiform)
  6. Rudy Royston, Rise of Orion (Greenleaf)
  7. Kris Davis, Duopoly (Pyroclastic)
  8. Peter Bernstein, Let Loose (Smoke Sessions)
  9. Cuong Vu & Pat Metheny, Meets (Nonesuch)
  10. Henry Threadgill Double Up Ensemble, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (Pi)

REISSUES

  1. Larry Young, In Paris: The ORTF Recordings (Resonance)
  2. Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto, '76 (Resonance)
  3. Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, All My Yesterdays (Resonance)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Gene Seymour (cnn.com)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jane Ira Bloom, Early Americans (Outline)
  2. Wadada Leo Smith, America's National Parks (Cuneiform)
  3. Fred Hersch, Sunday Night at the Vanguard (Palmetto)
  4. Henry Threadgill Double Up Ensemble, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (Pi)
  5. Allen Toussaint, American Tunes (Nonesuch)
  6. Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, Real Enemies (New Amsterdam)
  7. Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau, Nearness (Nonesuch)
  8. Kenny Barron, Book of Intuition (Impulse!)
  9. Etienne Charles, San Jose Suite (Culture Shock)
  10. Delfeayo Marsalis, Make American Great Again! (Troubadour Jass)

REISSUES

  1. Larry Young, In Paris: The ORTF Recordings (Resonance)
  2. Joe Bushkin, Live at the Embers, 1952 (Dot Time Legends)
  3. Joe Lovano, Classic! Live at Newport (Blue Note)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Mike Shanley (JazzTimes, Shanley on Music)

NEW RELEASES

  1. JD Allen, Americana (HighNote)
  2. Don Friedman, Strength and Sanity (Newvelle)
  3. Melissa Aldana, Back Home (Wommusic)
  4. Henry Threadgill Double Up Ensemble, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (Pi)
  5. Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus, The Distance (ECM)
  6. Jon Lundbom, 2016: EPs: Make the Magic Happen/Play All the Notes/Bring Their 'A' Game/Make the Changes (Hot Cup)
  7. Andrew Cyrille, The Declaration of Musical Independence (ECM)
  8. Charlie Haden/Liberation Music Orchestra, Time/Life: Song for the Whales and Other Beings (Impulse!)
  9. Greg Ward & 10 Tongues, Touch My Beloved's Thought (Greenleaf)
  10. Hearts & Minds, Hearts & Minds (Astral Spirits)

REISSUES

  1. Larry Young, In Paris: The ORTF Recordings (Resonance)
  2. Bill Evans, Some Other Time (Resonance)
  3. Blue Mitchell & Sonny Red, Baltimore 1966 (Uptown)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

John Sharpe (The New York City Jazz Record, All About Jazz)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Wadada Leo Smith, America's National Parks (Cuneiform)
  2. Generations Quartet, Flow (Not Two)
  3. Jonas Cambien, A Zoology of the Future (Clean Feed)
  4. Irène Schweizer & Han Bennink, Welcome Back (Intakt -15)
  5. Yoni Kretzmer, Yoni Kretzmer Five (OutNow)
  6. Kris Davis, Duopoly (Pyroclastic)
  7. RED Trio & John Butcher, Summer Skyshift (Clean Feed)
  8. Joe McPhee, Flowers (Cipsela)
  9. Barry Guy, The Blue Shroud (Intakt)
  10. Steve Swell, Soul Travelers (Rogue Art)

REISSUES

  1. Peter Kuhn, No Coming No Going (Living Right) (No Business)
  2. William Hooker, Light: The Early Years 1975-1989 (No Business)
  3. John Carter, Echoes From Rudolph's (NoBusiness -15)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Adam Shatz (London Review of Books)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Tyshawn Sorey, The Inner Spectrum of Variables (Pi)
  2. Jason Moran, The Armory Concert (Band Camp)
  3. Frank Kimbrough, Solstice (Pirouet)
  4. Henry Threadgill Double Up Ensemble, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (Pi)
  5. David Murray-Geri Allen-Teri Lyn Carrington, Perfection (Motéma)
  6. Andrew Cyrille, The Declaration of Musical Independence (ECM)
  7. Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau, Nearness (Nonesuch)
  8. JD Allen, Americana (HighNote)
  9. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  10. Wadada Leo Smith, America's National Parks (Cuneiform)

REISSUES

  1. Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto, '76 (Resonance)
  2. Larry Young, In Paris: The ORTF Recordings (Resonance)
  3. Don Cherry-John Tchicai-Irène Schweizer-Léon Francioli-Pierre Favre, Musical Monsters: Willisau Concert (Intakt)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Bill Shoemaker (Point of Departure)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Nicole Mitchell Black Earth Ensemble & Ensemble Laborintus, Moments of Fatherhood (RogueArt)
  2. Keith Tippett, The Nine Dances of Patrick O'Gonogon (Discus)
  3. Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus, The Distance (ECM)
  4. Wadada Leo Smith, America's National Parks (Cuneiform)
  5. Canto Generàl & Louis Moholo-Moholo, Rebel Flames (Ogun)
  6. Greg Ward & 10 Tongues, Touch My Beloved's Thought (Greenleaf)
  7. Barry Guy-Marilyn Crispell-Paul Lytton, Deep Memory (Intakt)
  8. BassDrumBone, The Long Road (Auricle)
  9. JD Allen, Americana (HighNote)
  10. Daniele D'Agaro-Giovanni Maier-Zlatko Kaucic, Disorder at the Border Plays Ornette (Not Two)

REISSUES

  1. Woody Shaw & Louis Hayes, The Tour Volume One (HighNote)
  2. Picnic, Picnic (Corbett vs Dempsey)
  3. Daunik Lazro-Joëlle Léandre-George Lewis, Enfances 8 Janv. 1984 (Fou)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Hank Shteamer (Rolling Stone)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  2. Jason Moran, The Armory Concert (Band Camp)
  3. Ethan Iverson, The Purity of the Turf (CrissCross)
  4. Peter Evans, Genesis (More Is More)
  5. Masabumi Kikuchi, Black Orpheus (ECM)
  6. Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM)
  7. Jasmine Lovell-Smith, Yellow Red Blue (self-released)
  8. Andrew Cyrille, The Declaration of Musical Independence (ECM)
  9. Billy Mintz, Ugly Beautiful (Thirteenth Note)
  10. Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, Ana (PNL)

REISSUES

  1. Miles Davis, Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5 (Columbia Legacy)
  2. Bill Evans, Some Other Time (Resonance)
  3. Herbie Mann, Live at the Whisky 1969: The Unreleased Masters (Real Gone)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Jon Solomon (Westword)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Donny McCaslin, Beyond Now (Motéma)
  2. Nels Cline, Lovers (Blue Note)
  3. Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM)
  4. Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family, Beginning of a Memory (Palmetto)
  5. Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM)
  6. Fresh Cut Orchestra, Mind Behind Closed Eyes (Ropeadope)
  7. Wolfgang Muthspiel, Rising Grace (ECM)
  8. Jakob Bro, Streams (ECM)
  9. Melissa Aldana, Back Home (Wommusic)
  10. Claudia Quintet, Super Petite (Cuneiform)

REISSUES

  1. Bill Evans, Some Other Time (Resonance)
  2. Keith Jarrett, A Multitude of Angels (ECM)
  3. Joe Lovano, Classic! Live at Newport (Blue Note)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Slim [Kara Rusch] (Slim's Spins, The Slim & Him Show)

NEW RELEASES

  1. I.C.P., Restless in Pieces (ICP)
  2. Jane Ira Bloom, Early Americans (Outline)
  3. Cookers, The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart (Smoke Sessions)
  4. Yoni Kretzmer, Yoni Kretzmer Five (OutNow)
  5. Rolf Sturm, Young (Water Street Music)
  6. Craig Hartley, Books on Tape Vol. 2 (Skidoo)
  7. Matt Hopper, First Love (Matt Hopper)
  8. Laurence Hobgood, Honor Thy Fathers (Circumstantial)
  9. Joey Alexander, Countdown (Motéma)
  10. Moppa Elliott, Still, Up in the Air (Hot Cup)

REISSUES

  1. Count Basie & Lester Young, Classic 1936-1947 Studio Sessions (Mosaic)
  2. Woody Shaw & Louis Hayes, The Tour Volume One (HighNote)
  3. Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, All My Yesterdays (Resonance)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Thomas Staudter (DownBeat, The (Croton) Gazette)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Carla Bley-Andy Sheppard-Steve Swallow, Andando el Tiempo (ECM)
  2. Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family, Beginning of a Memory (Palmetto)
  3. Tom Harrell, Something Gold, Something Blue (HighNote)
  4. Logan Richardson, Lift (Blue Note)
  5. Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM)
  6. Renee Rosnes, Written in the Rocks (Smoke Sessions)
  7. Joe Chambers, Landscapes (Savant)
  8. Mike Holober, Balancing Act (Palmetto)
  9. Marquis Hill, The Way We Play (Concord Jazz)
  10. Jane Bunnett & Maqueque, Oddara (Linus Entertainment)

REISSUES

  1. Count Basie & Lester Young, Classic 1936-1947 Studio Sessions (Mosaic)
  2. Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, All My Yesterdays (Resonance)
  3. Peter Erskine, As It Was (ECM)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Chip Stern (Radio Free Chip, Positive-Feedback)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Sonny Rollins, Holding the Stage: Road Shows Vol. 4 (Doxy/OKeh)
  2. Jane Ira Bloom, Early Americans (Outline)
  3. Charles Lloyd, I Long to See You (Blue Note)
  4. John Scofield, Country for Old Men (Impulse!)
  5. Bill Frisell, When You Wish Upon a Star (Sony Masterworks)
  6. Dave Holland-Chris Potter-Lionel Loueke-Eric Harland, Aziza (Dare2)
  7. Andrew Cyrille, The Declaration of Musical Independence (ECM)
  8. Jakob Bro, Streams (ECM)
  9. Jake Hertzog, Well Lit Shadow (That's Out)
  10. Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family, Beginning of a Memory (Palmetto)

REISSUES

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

W. Royal Stokes (WRoyalStokes.com, JJA News)

NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)

REISSUES (listed alphabetically; 2 points each)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN