| Jazz Critics Poll: 2009 |
Ballots 2009 [4]: Howard Mandel - Robert D. Rusch
Howard Mandel (Jazz Journalist Association, artsjournal.com/jazzbeyondjazz)
NEW RELEASES
- Henry Threadgill: This Brings Us To, Volume 1 (Pi)
- Steve Lehman: Travail, Transformation, and Flow (Pi)
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
- Charles Tolliver: Emperor March (Savant)
- Thirteenth Assembly: (un)sentimental (Important)
- Bela Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart (Rounder)
- Kurt Elling: Dedicated to You (Concord)
- Keith Jarrett: Paris/London: Testament (ECM)
- Indigo Trio: Anya (RogueArt)
- Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
REISSUES
- Charlie Parker: Bird in Time 1940-1947 (ESP-Disk)
- Lester Bowie: All the Numbers (Nessa)
- Eddie Harris & Ellis Marsalis: Homecoming (ELM)
VOCAL
- Kurt Elling: Dedicated to You (Concord)
DEBUT
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
LATIN
Peter Margasak (Chicago Reader, Downbeat)
NEW RELEASES
- Henry Threadgill: This Brings Us To, Volume 1 (Pi)
- Vijay Iyer: Historicity (ACT)
- : (Intakt)
- Steve Lehman: Travail, Transformation, and Flow (Pi)
- Martial Solal: Live at the Village Vanguard (CAM Jazz)
- Christian Lillinger: First Reason (Clean Feed)
- Liam Noble: Brubeck (Basho)
- J.D. Allen: Shine! (Sunnyside)
- Jeremy Udden: Plainville (Fresh Sound New Talent)
- Mike Reed: About Us (482 Music)
REISSUES
- Sun Ra: The Antique Blacks (Art Yard)
- Codona (Don Cherry-Nana Vasconcelos-Collin Walcott): The Codona Trilogy (ECM)
- Michel Portal-John Surman-Barre Phillips-Stu Martin-Jean-Pierre Drouet: Alors!!! (Futura)
VOCAL
- Dee Alexander: Wild Is the Wind (Blujazz)
DEBUT
- Christian Lillinger: First Reason (Clean Feed)
LATIN
- Buika & Chucho Valdes: (WEA International)
John McDonough (Downbeat, Wall Street Journal)
NEW RELEASES
- Louis Armstrong: Fleischmann's Yeast Show (Jazz Society)
- Gary Burton-Pat Metheny-Steve Swallow-Antonio Sanchez: Quartet Live (Concord)
- Dick Hyman: 100 Years of Jazz Piano (Arbors)
- Joe Lovano: Folk Art (Blue Note)
- Keith Jarrett-Gary Peacock-Jack DeJohnette: Yesterdays (ECM)
- Tom Harrell: Prana Dance (HighNote)
- Ruby Braff: For the Last Time (Arbors)
- Keith Jarrett: Paris/London: Testament (ECM)
- Martial Solal: Live at the Village Vanguard (CAM Jazz)
- Heath Brothers: Endurance (Jazz Legacy)
REISSUES
- Louis Armstrong: The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-46) (Mosaic)
- Miles Davis & Sonny Rollins: The Classic Prestige Sessions, 1951-1956 (Prestige)
- Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
VOCAL
- Daryl Sherman: A Centennial Tribute (Arbors)
DEBUT
LATIN
NEW RELEASES
- Daniel Santiago: Metropole (Adventure Music)
- David Murray: The Devil Tried to Kill Me (Justin Time)
- Steve Lehman: Travail, Transformation, and Flow (Pi)
- Stefon Harris: Urbanus (Concord)
- Benjamin Taubkin-Sergio Reze-Zeca Assumpcao-Joatan Nascimento: Trio + 1 (Adventure Music)
- Poncho Sanchez: Psychedelic Blues (Concord)
- Jim Black: Houseplant (Winter & Winter)
- Robby Ameen: Days in the Life (Two and Four)
- Wayne Krantz: Krantz Carlock Lefebvre (Abstract Logix)
- E.J. Strickland: In This Day (Strick Muzik)
REISSUES
VOCAL
DEBUT
- E.J. Strickland: In This Day (Strick Muzik)
LATIN
- Daniel Santiago: Metropole (Adventure Music)
Bill Milkowski (JazzTimes, The Absolute Sound)
NEW RELEASES
- Henry Threadgill: This Brings Us To, Volume 1 (Pi)
- : Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)
- Jim Hall & Bill Frisell: Hemispheres (ArtistShare)
- The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF/Concord)
- Jeff "Tain" Watts: Watts (Dark Key)
- John Patitucci: Remembrance (Concord)
- Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
- Bobby Broom: Plays for Monk (Origin)
- Joe Lovano: Folk Art (Blue Note)
- Masada Quintet: Stolas: The Book of Angels, Vol. 12 (Tzadik)
REISSUES
- Dave Brubeck: Time Out (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
- Miles Davis: Kind of Blue (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
- Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
VOCAL
- Sheila Jordan: Winter Sunshine (Justin Time)
DEBUT
- Dan Aran: Breathing (Smalls)
LATIN
- Luis Bonilla: I Talking Now! (Planet Arts)
Siddhartha Mitter (Boston Globe, WNYC-FM)
NEW RELEASES
- Vijay Iyer: Historicity (ACT)
- Robert Glasper: Double Booked (Blue Note)
- Darius Jones: Man'ish Boy (AUM Fidelity)
- Linda Oh: Entry (Linda Oh Music)
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
- Mike Reed: About Us (482 Music)
- Alex Cline: Continuation (Cryptogramophone)
- Melvin Gibbs: Ancients Speak (Live Wired)
- Marcus Strickland: Idiosyncrasies (Strick Muzik)
- Corey Wilkes: Cries From Tha Ghetto (Pi)
REISSUES
VOCAL
- Gretchen Parlato: In a Dream (ObliqSound)
DEBUT
- Darius Jones: Man'ish Boy (AUM Fidelity)
LATIN
- : Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)
Tom Moon (All Things Considered, 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die)
NEW RELEASES
- Vijay Iyer: Historicity (ACT)
- Keith Jarrett: Paris/London: Testament (ECM)
- Branford Marsalis: Metamorphosen (Marsalis Music)
- Mulatu Astatke & the Heliocentrics: Inspiration Information, Vol. 3 (Strut)
- Kurt Rosenwinkel: Reflections (Word of Mouth Music)
- Eric Alexander: Prime Time (HighNote)
- Buika & Chucho Valdes: (WEA International)
- Bela Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart (Rounder)
- Bill Frisell: Disfarmer (Nonesuch)
- Henry Threadgill: This Brings Us To, Volume 1 (Pi)
REISSUES
- Freddie Hubbard: Without a Song: Live in Europe 1969 (Blue Note)
- Ella Fitzgerald: Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Hip-O Select/Verve)
- Barbara Cook: The Essential Barbara Cook (DRG)
VOCAL
- Magos Herrera: Distancia (Sunnyside)
DEBUT
LATIN
- Magos Herrera: Distancia (Sunnyside)
Dan Morgenstern (Jersey Jazz, Annual Review of Jazz Studies)
NEW RELEASES
- Vitaly Golovnev: To Whom It May Concern (Tippin')
- Tom Harrell: Prana Dance (HighNote)
- Pacquito D'Rivera: jaZZ--claZZ (Timba)
- Joe Cohn: Shared Contemplations (Criss Cross)
- Roni Ben-Hur: Fortuna (Motema)
- Oliver Jones & Hank Jones: Pleased to Meet You (Justin Time)
- Nellie McKay: Normal as Blueberry Pie (Verve)
- Peter Hand: The Wizard of Jazz (Savant)
- Alex Sipiagin: Mirages (Criss Cross)
- Terry Vosbein & Knoxville Jazz Orchestra: Progressive Jazz 2009 (Max Frank Music)
REISSUES
- Ella Fitzgerald: Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Hip-O Select/Verve)
- Artie Shaw: Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird and Victor Sessions (Mosaic)
- Fud Livingston: The Story of Joseph "Fud" Livinston (Jazz Oracle)
VOCAL
- Nellie McKay: Normal as Blueberry Pie (Verve)
DEBUT
- Vitaly Golovnev: To Whom It May Concern (Tippin')
LATIN
- Claudio Roditi: BrazillianceX4 (Resonance)
Russ Musto (All About Jazz-New York, jazz.com)
NEW RELEASES
- : Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)
- Omar Sosa: Across the Divide (Half Note)
- Jeff "Tain" Watts: Watts (Dark Key)
- David Binney: Third Occasion (Mythology)
- Roy Hargrove: Emergence (Emarcy)
- Christian McBride: Kind of Brown (Mack Avenue)
- Wadada Leo Smith: Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform)
- Cedar Walton: Voices Deep Within (HighNote)
- Heath Brothers: Endurance (Jazz Legacy)
- David S. Ware: Shakti (AUM Fidelity)
REISSUES
- Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
- Bill Evans: Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings (Nonesuch)
- Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
VOCAL
- : En Este Momento (Marsalis Music)
DEBUT
- Linda Oh: Entry (Linda Oh Music)
LATIN
- : Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)
Michael G. Nastos (All Music Guide, Cadence)
NEW RELEASES
- The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF/Concord)
- Martial Solal: Live at the Village Vanguard (CAM Jazz)
- Jim Hall & Bill Frisell: Hemispheres (ArtistShare)
- Joe Lovano: Folk Art (Blue Note)
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
- Warren Smith: Old News, Borrowed Blues (Engine)
- Harris Eisenstadt: Canada Day (Clean Feed)
- Michael Musillami: From Seeds (Playscape)
- Nels Cline: Coward (Cryptogramophone)
- Vijay Iyer: Historicity (ACT)
REISSUES
- Denny Zeitlin: Mosaic Select: The Columbia Trio Recordings (Mosaic)
- Tito Rodriguez: El Inolvidable: A Man and His Music (Fania)
- Buddy Collette: An Original Westcoaster (Fresh Sound)
VOCAL
- Cynthia Hilts: Second Story Breeze (Blonde Coyote)
DEBUT
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
LATIN
- Carlos Barbosa-Lima: Merengue (Zoho)
Stuart Nicholson (Jazzwise, jazz.com)
NEW RELEASES
- Tomasz Stanko: Dark Eyes (ECM)
- Keith Jarrett: Paris/London: Testament (ECM)
- Helge Lien: Hello Troll (Ozella)
- Nina Ramsby & Ludvig Berghe: Du Har Blivit Stor Nu (Moserobie)
- Tubis Trio: Live in Luxembourg (Beim Zaiks)
- Jan Garbarek: Dresden (ECM)
- Juka Eskola: Walkover (Ricky Tick)
- Eple Trio: Widening the Sphere of Influence (NorCD)
- Portico Quartet: Isla (Real World)
- Angelika Niescier: Sublim III (Enja)
REISSUES
- Keith Jarrett: Facing You (ECM)
- Chris McGregor: Very Urgent (Fledgling)
- Phil Seaman: The Late Great Phil Seaman (SWP)
VOCAL
- Nina Ramsby & Ludvig Berghe: Du Har Blivit Stor Nu (Moserobie)
DEBUT
- Gerald Clayton: Two-Shade (ArtistShare)
LATIN
Dan Ouellette (Downbeat, napster.com)
NEW RELEASES
- Anouar Brahem: The Astounding Eyes of Rita (ECM)
- Ben Allison: Think Free (Palmetto)
- Joe Lovano: Folk Art (Blue Note)
- Henry Threadgill: This Brings Us To, Volume 1 (Pi)
- Dave Douglas: Spirit Moves (Greenleaf Music)
- J.D. Allen: Shine! (Sunnyside)
- Nels Cline: Coward (Cryptogramophone)
- Medeski Martin & Wood: Radiolarians II (Indirecto)
- Bad Plus: For All I Care (Heads Up)
- Jon Balke: SIWAN (ECM)
REISSUES
- Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
- Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
- Gary Burton & Chick Corea: Crystal Silence: The ECM Recordings 1972-79 (ECM)
VOCAL
- Gretchen Parlato: In a Dream (ObliqSound)
DEBUT
- Julian Lage: Sounding Point (Emarcy)
LATIN
- Bobby Sanabria: Kenya Revisited Live!!! (Jazzheads)
Ted Panken (Downbeat, jazz.com, WKCR-FM)
NEW RELEASES
- Keith Jarrett: Paris/London: Testament (ECM)
- John Patitucci: Remembrance (Concord)
- Jeff "Tain" Watts: Watts (Dark Key)
- : Transatlantic Visions (RogueArt)
- : Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)
- Christian McBride: Kind of Brown (Mack Avenue)
- Robert Glasper: Double Booked (Blue Note)
- Jim Hall & Bill Frisell: Hemispheres (ArtistShare)
- David Binney: Third Occasion (Mythology)
- Steve Kuhn: Mostly Coltrane (ECM)
REISSUES
- Louis Armstrong: The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-46) (Mosaic)
- Ella Fitzgerald: Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Hip-O Select/Verve)
VOCAL
- Melissa Walker: In The Middle of It All (Sunnyside)
DEBUT
- Leonardo Cioglia: Contos (Quezamba)
LATIN
- : Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)
Thierry Peremarti (Visiting Jazz)
NEW RELEASES
- Henry Threadgill: This Brings Us To, Volume 1 (Pi)
- Keith Jarrett: Paris/London: Testament (ECM)
- Wadada Leo Smith: Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform)
- Jon Hassell: Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street (ECM)
- Wayne Krantz: Krantz Carlock Lefebvre (Abstract Logix)
- Bojan Z: Humus (Emarcy)
- Sam Yahel: Hometown (Posi-Tone)
- Tigran Hamasyan: Red Hail/Aratta Rebirth (Plus Loin)
- Jim Hall & Bill Frisell: Hemispheres (ArtistShare)
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
REISSUES
- : The 1956 Legendary Sessions (Fresh Sound)
- Stan Getz: Dynasty (Verve)
- Don Cherry & Latif Khan: Music/Sangam (Heavenly Sweetness)
VOCAL
- Franck Amsallem: Sings (Fram)
DEBUT
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
LATIN
- Edmar Castaneda: Entre Cuerdas (ArtistShare)
Bob Porter (WBGO-FM, jazzetc.com)
NEW RELEASES
- Leroy Jones: Sweeter Than a Summer Breeze (LJCD)
- Harry Allen & Joe Cohn: Plays Music From South Pacific (Arbors)
- Evan Christopher: ()
- Tim Laughlin: A Royal Street Serenade (Gentilly)
- Bill Easley: Hearing Voices (18th & Vine)
- Duke Heitger & Bernd Lhotzky: Doin' the Voom Voom (Arbors)
- Godfathers of Groove: 3 (18th & Vine)
- Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
- Marcus Belgrave: Once Again (Detroit Jazz Musicians Co-Op)
- Gerald Wilson: Detroit (Mack Avenue)
REISSUES
- Billie Holiday: The Complete Commodore & Decca Masters (Hip-O Select/Verve)
- Louis Armstrong: The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-1946) (Mosaic)
- Artie Shaw: Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird and Victor Sessions (Mosaic)
VOCAL
- Banu Gibson: Sings More Johnny Mercer (Swing Out)
DEBUT
LATIN
Doug Ramsey (Wall Street Journal, dougramsey.com)
NEW RELEASES
- Jim Hall & Bill Frisell: Hemispheres (ArtistShare)
- Denny Zeitlin: In Concert (Sunnyside)
- Wadada Leo Smith: Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform)
- Ella Fitzgerald: Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Hip-O Select/Verve) *
- Joe Lovano: Folk Art (Blue Note)
- John Hollenbeck: Eternal Interlude (Sunnyside)
- Chuck Berghofer: Film Music of Ralph Rainger (Fresh Sound)
- Kurt Rosenwinkel: Reflections (Word of Mouth Music)
- Bob Brookmeyer: Music for String Quartet and Orchestra (Challenge)
- Ximo Tebar: Celebrating Erik Satie (Xabia Jazz)
* Three points for Ella Fitzgerald's Twelve Nights in Hollywood transferred to reissues.
REISSUES
- Lester Young & Count Basie: The Lester Young/Count Basie Sessions 1936-1940 (Mosaic)
- Warne Marsh & Lee Konitz: Two Not One (Storyville)
- Miles Davis: Kind of Blue (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
VOCAL
- Dena DeRose: Live at Jazz Standard, Volume Two (MaxJazz)
DEBUT
- Linda Oh: Entry (Linda Oh Music)
LATIN
- : Esta Plena (Marsalis Music)
Derk Richardson (Afar, The Absolute Sound, Acoustic Guitar)
NEW RELEASES
- Henry Threadgill: This Brings Us To, Volume 1 (Pi)
- Alex Cline: Continuation (Cryptogramophone)
- Wadada Leo Smith: Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform)
- Steve Lehman: Travail, Transformation, and Flow (Pi)
- Vijay Iyer: Historicity (ACT)
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
- David S. Ware: Shakti (AUM Fidelity)
- Keith Jarrett: Paris/London: Testament (ECM)
- Minamo (Carla Kihlstedt-Satoko Fujii): Kuroi Kawa-Black River (Tzadik)
- Ben Goldberg-Charlie Hunter-Scott Amendola-Ron Miles: Go Home (BAG)
REISSUES
- Codona (Don Cherry-Nana Vasconcelos-Collin Walcott): The Codona Trilogy (ECM)
- Billie Holiday: The Complete Commodore & Decca Masters (Hip-O Select/Verve)
- Dave Brubeck: Time Out (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy)
VOCAL
- Fay Victor: The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue Music)
DEBUT
- Darcy James Argue: Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
LATIN
Joel Roberts (All About Jazz-New York)
NEW RELEASES
- Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
- Bill Frisell: Disfarmer (Nonesuch)
- Joe Lovano: Folk Art (Blue Note)
- David Murrary: The Devil Tried to Kill Me (Justin Time)
- Steve Kuhn: Mostly Coltrane (ECM)
- Laurence Hobgood: When the Heart Dances (Naim)
- Wayne Escoffery: Uptown (Posi-Tone)
- Cyro Baptista: Infinito (Tzadik)
- John Patitucci: Remembrance (Concord)
- Heath Brothers: Endurance (Jazz Legacy)
REISSUES
- Bill Evans: Turn Out the Stars: The Final Vanguard Recordings (Nonesuch)
- Tony Bennett & Bill Evans: The Complete Recordings (Fantasy)
- Fela Kuti: The Best of the Black President (Knitting Factory)
VOCAL
- Kurt Elling: Dedicated to You (Concord)
DEBUT
- Gerald Clayton: Two-Shade (ArtistShare)
LATIN
- Arturo O'Farrill: Risa Negra (Zoho)
Michael Rosenstein (Signal to Noise, Cadence)
NEW RELEASES
- Sebastian Lexer: dazwischen (Matchless)
- Keith Rowe: ErstLive (Erstwhile)
- Joe Morris-Simon H. Fell-Alex Ward: The Necessary and the Possible (Victo)
- Nate Wooley-David Grubbs-Paul Lytton: Seven Storey Mountain (Important)
- Charlie Kohlhase: Adventures (Boxholder)
- Steve Lehman: Travail, Transformation, and Flow (Pi)
- : Duo (Heidelberg Loppem) 2007 (Leo)
- John Butcher: Resonant Spaces (Confront)
- Ben Goldberg-Greg Cohen-Kenny Wollesen: Speech Communication (Tzadik)
- Daniel Levin: Live at Roulette (Clean Feed)
REISSUES
- Peter Kowald: Open Secrets (FMP)
- Solidarity Unit, Inc.: Red, Black, and Green (Eremite)
- Musica Elettronica Viva: MEV 40 (New World)
VOCAL
DEBUT
LATIN
Robert D. Rusch (Cadence)
NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)
- Dee Alexander: Wild Is the Wind (Blujazz)
- Ruby Braff: For the Last Time (Arbors)
- Mike Cado: Nimmons 'n' Nine . . . Now (MCCO)
- Bill Dixon: Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12)
- Elli Fordyce: Songs Spun of Gold (Fordyce Music)
- Paul Giallorenzo: Get In to Go Out (482 Music)
- James Greening: Plays Andrew Robson (Lamplight)
- Marc Hannaford: Homage (Jazzhead)
- Janet Planet: Of Thee I Sing (Stellar)
- Hans Tammen: Third Eye Orchestra (Innova)
REISSUES
VOCAL
- Janet Planet: Of Thee I Sing (Stellar)
DEBUT
- Paul Giallorenzo: Get In to Go Out (482 Music)
LATIN