| 11th Annual Jazz Critics Poll: 2016 |
2016 Totals: New Albums
- Henry Threadgill Double Up Ensemble, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (Pi) 257.5 (41)
- Wadada Leo Smith, America's National Parks (Cuneiform) 233 (35)
- Jack DeJohnette-Matt Garrison-Ravi Coltrane, In Movement (ECM) 194.5 (28)
- Mary Halvorson, Away With You (Firehouse 12) 183 (29)
- Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus, The Distance (ECM) 172.5 (27)
- Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM) 170 (27)
- Nels Cline, Lovers (Blue Note) 165 (23)
- Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family, Beginning of a Memory (Palmetto) 131.5 (22)
- Charlie Haden/Liberation Music Orchestra, Time/Life: Song for the Whales and Other Beings (Impulse!) 128 (20) *
- Steve Lehman, Sélébéyone (Pi) 127 (20)
- Charles Lloyd, I Long to See You (Blue Note) 117.5 (17)
- JD Allen, Americana (HighNote) 112.5 (22)
- David Murray-Geri Allen-Teri Lyn Carrington, Perfection (Motéma) 108 (18)
- Jane Ira Bloom, Early Americans (Outline) 105.5 (17)
- Tyshawn Sorey, The Inner Spectrum of Variables (Pi) 90 (18)
- Greg Ward & 10 Tongues, Touch My Beloved's Thought (Greenleaf) 80 (14)
- Dave Holland-Chris Potter-Lionel Loueke-Eric Harland, Aziza (Dare2) 78.5 (13)
- Andrew Cyrille, The Declaration of Musical Independence (ECM) 75 (15)
- Jonathan Finlayson, Moving Still (Pi) 67 (12)
- Sonny Rollins, Holding the Stage: Road Shows Vol. 4 (Doxy/OKeh) 60.5 (11) **
- John Scofield, Country for Old Men (Impulse!) 59 (8)
- Aruán Ortiz, Hidden Voices (Intakt) 57.5 (12)
- Tom Harrell, Something Gold, Something Blue (HighNote) 55.5 (10)
- Fred Hersch, Sunday Night at the Vanguard (Palmetto) 53 (9)
- Barry Guy, The Blue Shroud (Intakt) 53 (8)
- Jason Moran, The Armory Concert (Band Camp) 52 (7)
- Mark Dresser, Sedimental You (Clean Feed) 51 (9)
- George Coleman, A Master Speaks (Smoke Sessions) 49 (9)
- Donny McCaslin, Beyond Now (Motéma) 48 (9)
- Julian Lage, Arclight (Mack Avenue) 47.5 (10)
- Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau, Nearness (Nonesuch) 45.5 (8)
- Frank Kimbrough, Solstice (Pirouet) 45 (9)
- David Bowie, Black Star (ISO/Columbia) 45 (5)
- Melissa Aldana, Back Home (Wommusic) 43 (8)
- Carla Bley-Andy Sheppard-Steve Swallow, Andando el Tiempo (ECM) 43 (7)
- Cookers, The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart (Smoke Sessions) 43 (6)
- Bill Charlap, Notes From New York (Impulse!) 42 (6)
- Jeff Parker, The New Breed (International Anthem) 41 (6)
- Wolfgang Muthspiel, Rising Grace (ECM) 40 (7)
- Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom, Otis Was a Polar Bear (Royal Potato Family) 39.5 (7)
- Anthony Braxton, 3 Compositions (EEMHM) 2011 (Firehouse 12) 39.5 (5)
- Logan Richardson, Lift (Blue Note) 39 (7)
- Esperanza Spalding, Emily's D+Evolution (Concord) 39 (6)
- Avishai Cohen, Into the Silence (ECM) 37.5 (8)
- Taylor Ho Bynum, Enter the PlusTet (Firehouse 12) 37 (8)
- Gregory Porter, Take Me to the Alley (Blue Note) 37 (5)
- Noah Preminger, Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground (self-released) 34 (9)
- I.P.A., I Just Did Say Something (Cuneiform) 33 (5)
- Ches Smith, The Bell (ECM) 32 (7)
- Camila Meza, Traces (Sunnyside) 32 (4)
- Herlin Riley, New Directions (Mack Avenue) 31 (7)
- Cuong Vu & Pat Metheny, Meets (Nonesuch) 31 (6)
- Stephan Crump, Rhombal (Papillon Sounds) 30.5 (7)
- Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, The Abyssinian Mass (Blue Engine) 29 (4)
- Phronesis, Parallax (Edition) 29 (4)
- Richard Poole-Marilyn Crispell-Gary Peacock, In Motion (Intakt) 26.5 (5)
- Kenny Barron, Book of Intuition (Impulse!) 26 (6)
- Ralph Peterson's Aggregate Prime, Dream Deferred (Onyx) 26 (4)
- Ryan Keberle, Azul Infinito (Greenleaf) 25 (6)
- Randy Weston, The African Nubian Suite (African Rhythms) 24.5 (3)
- Yoni Kretzmer, Yoni Kretzmer Five (OutNow) 24 (5)
- Dan Weiss, Sixteen: Drummers Suite (Pi) 24 (4)
- Barry Guy-Marilyn Crispell-Paul Lytton, Deep Memory (Intakt) 23.5 (5)
- John Zorn [Craig Taborn-Christian McBride-Tyshawn Sorey], Flaga: The Book of Angels, Volume 27 (Tzadik) 23.5 (5)
- Damana [Dag Magnus Narvesen], Cornua Copiae (Clean Feed) 23.5 (4)
- BassDrumBone, The Long Road (Auricle) 23 (4)
- Craig Hartley, Books on Tape Vol. 2 (Skidoo) 22 (5)
- Nik Bärtsch Mobile, Continuum (ECM) 22 (3)
- Norah Jones, Day Breaks (Blue Note) 21 (3)
- René Marie, Sound of Red (Motéma) 20 (5)
- Branford Marsalis, Upward Spiral (OKeh) 20 (4)
- Ken Peplowski, Enrapture (Capri) 19.5 (5)
- Keefe Jackson & Jason Adasiewicz, Rows and Rows (Delmark) 19.5 (3)
- Roswell Rudd-Jamie Saft-Trevor Dunn-Balázs Pándi, Strength & Power (RareNoise) 19 (3)
- Bad Plus, It's Hard (Okeh) 19 (3)
- Etienne Charles, San Jose Suite (Culture Shock) 19 (3)
- Generations Quartet, Flow (Not Two) 19 (3)
- RED Trio & John Butcher, Summer Skyshift (Clean Feed) 19 (3)
- Scott Hamilton & Harry Allen, Live! (GAC) 19 (2)
- Robert Glasper Experiment, ArtScience (Blue Note) 18 (4)
- Uri Caine, Calibrated Thickness (816) 18 (3)
- Renee Rosnes, Written in the Rocks (Smoke Sessions) 18 (3)
- Marc Ribot & the Young Philadelphians, Live in Tokyo (Yellowbird) 18 (2)
- Catherine Russell, Harlem on My Mind (Jazz Village) 18 (2)
- Marquis Hill, The Way We Play (Concord Jazz) 17.5 (6)
- Edward Simon, Latin American Songbook (Sunnyside) 17.5 (4)
- Heads of State, Search for Peace (Smoke Sessions -15) 17.5 (3)
- Satoko Fujii & Joe Fonda, Duet (Long Song) 17 (5)
- Steve Swell, Soul Travelers (Rogue Art) 17 (4)
- Masabumi Kikuchi, Black Orpheus (ECM) 17 (3)
- Jakob Bro, Streams (ECM) 16 (5)
- Rich Halley, The Outlier (Pine Eagle) 16 (3)
- Jeremy Pelt, jiveculture (HighNote) 16 (3)
- Cortex, Live in New York (Clean Feed) 16 (2)
- Michael Spiro & Wayne Wallace, Canto America (Patois) 16 (2)
- Nate Wooley, Seven Storey Mountain V (Pleasure of the Text) 15.5 (2)
- Nicole Mitchell-Tomeka Reid-Mike Reed, Artifacts (482 Music -15) 15 (3)
- Andrew Cyrille & Bill McHenry, Proximity (Sunnyside) 15 (3)
- Dave Douglas, Dark Territory (Greenleaf) 15 (3)
- Guillermo Klein, Los Gauchos V (Sunnyside) 15 (3)
- Dave Liebman, Expansions Live (Whaling City Sound) 15 (2)
- Andy Gonzalez, Entre Colegas (Truth Revolution) 15 (2)
- Quinsin Nachoff, Flux (Mythology) 15 (2)
- Tim Stine, Tim Stine Trio (Astral Spirits) 15 (2)
- Will Calhoun, Celebrating Elvin Jones (Motéma) 14.5 (3)
- Jason Roebke, Cinema Spiral (No Business) 14.5 (3)
- John Raymond, Real Feels (Shifting Paradigm) 14 (3)
- Don Friedman, Strength and Sanity (Newvelle) 14 (2)
- Michael Blake, Fulfillment (Songlines) 14 (2)
- Matt Parker, Present Time (BYNK) 14 (2)
- Marcus Strickland, Nihil Novi (Blue Note) 14 (2)
- Hristo Vitchev, In Search of Wonders (First Orbit) 14 (2)
- Nicole Mitchell Black Earth Ensemble & Ensemble Laborintus, Moments of Fatherhood (RogueArt) 14 (2)
- Thumbscrew, Convallaria (Cuneiform) 13.5 (3)
- Wadada Leo Smith & John Lindberg, Celestial Weather (TUM -15) 13.5 (2)
- Claudia Quintet, Super Petite (Cuneiform) 13 (3)
- Patrick Cornelius, While We're Still Young (Whirlwind) 13 (3)
- Sylvie Courvoisier-Mark Feldman-Ikue Mori-Evan Parker, Miller's Tale (Intakt) 13 (3)
- Brad Mehldau, 10 Years Solo Live (Nonesuch -15) 13 (3) ***
- Kenny Garrett, Do Your Dance (Mack Avenue) 13 (2)
- Jeff Lederer, Brooklyn Blowhards (Little (i) Music) 13 (2)
- Peter Evans, Genesis (More Is More) 13 (2)
- Angelika Niescier & Florian Weber, NYC Five (Intakt) 13 (2)
- Mara Rosenbloom, Prairie Burn (Fresh Sound New Talent) 13 (2)
- Miroslav Vitous, Music of Weather Report (ECM) 13 (2)
- Ingrid Laubrock, Serpentines (Intakt) 12.5 (3)
- Black Bombaim and Peter Brotzmann (Shhpuma) 12 (3)
- Warren Wolf, Convergence (Mack Avenue) 12 (3)
- Krakauer's Ancestral Groove, Checkpoint (Table Pounding) 12 (2)
- Rez Abbasi, Behind the Vibration (Cuneiform) 12 (2)
- Eric Hofbauer, Prehistoric Jazz Volume 3: Three Places in New England (Creative Nation Music) 12 (2)
- Anna Högberg, Attack (Omlott) 12 (2)
- Amirtha Kidambi & Elder Ones, Holy Science (Northern Spy) 12 (2)
- Hearts & Minds, Hearts & Minds (Astral Spirits) 11.5 (3)
- Bobby Kapp & Matthew Shipp, Cactus (Northern Spy) 11 (3)
- Laurence Hobgood, Honor Thy Fathers (Circumstantial) 11 (3)
- Peter Bernstein, Let Loose (Smoke Sessions) 11 (2)
- LUME, Xabregas 10 (Clean Feed) 11 (2)
- Allen Toussaint, American Tunes (Nonesuch) 10 (3)
- Nolatet, Dogs (Royal Potato Family) 10 (2)
- Jane Bunnett & Maqueque, Oddara (Linus Entertainment) 10 (2)
- James Brandon Lewis, No Filter (BNS Sessions) 10 (2)
- Pat Metheny, Unity Sessions (Nonesuch) 10 (2)
- Ted Nash, Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom (Motéma) 10 (2)
- Abbey Rader With Kidd Jordan, Reunion (Abray) 10 (2)
- Josh Berman, A Dance and a Hop (Delmark -15) 10 (1)
- Jim Black, The Constant (Intakt) 10 (1)
- Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Basically Baker Vol. 2 (Patois) 10 (1)
- Freddy Cole, He Was the King (HighNote) 10 (1)
- E.S.T Symphony, E.S.T. Symphony (ACT) 10 (1)
- Peter Eldridge, Disappearing Day (Sunnyside) 10 (1)
- Orrin Evans, #knowingishalfthebattle (Smoke Sessions) 10 (1)
- Peter Evans & Alfred Vogel, Il Piccolo Incidente (Boomslang) 10 (1)
- Alexander Hawkins, Trio (Alexander Hawkins Music -15) 10 (1)
- Lina Nyberg, Aerials (Hoob Jazz) 10 (1)
- Charles Ruggiero, As Heard on TV (Rondette) 10 (1)
- Andy Schumm & Enrico Tomasso, When Louis Met Bix (Lake) 10 (1)
- Matthew Shipp & Michael Bisio, Live in Seattle (Arena) 10 (1)
- Dr. Lonnie Smith, Evolution (Blue Note) 10 (1)
- Trio Corrente, Vol. 3 (self-released) 10 (1)
- Brandee Younger, Wax and Wane (Revive) 10 (1)
- various, Oscar, With Love (Two Lions) 10 (1)
- Marc Copland, Zenith (Innervoice) 9 (2)
- Billy Hart & WDR Big Band, The Broader Picture (Enja/Yellowbird) 9 (2)
- Joe McPhee, Flowers (Cipsela) 9 (2)
- Antonio Adolfo, Tropical Infinito (AAM) 9 (1)
- Jon Armstrong, Burnt Hibiscus (Orenda) 9 (1)
- Wolfert Brederode, Black Ice (ECM) 9 (1)
- Frank Catalano, Bye, Bye Blackbird (Ropeadope) 9 (1)
- The DKV Thing Trio, Collider (Not Two) 9 (1)
- Tim Garland, One (Edition) 9 (1)
- Jason Palmer & Cédric Hanriot, City of Poets (Whirlwind) 9 (1)
- Louis Heriveaux, Triadic Episode (Hot Shoe) 9 (1)
- Mike Moreno, Lotus (World Culture) 9 (1)
- One for All, The Third Decade (Smoke Sessions) 9 (1)
- Evan Parker, As the Wind (Psi) 9 (1)
- Houston Person & Ron Carter, Chemistry (HighNote) 9 (1)
- Keith Tippett, The Nine Dances of Patrick O'Gonogon (Discus) 9 (1)
- Terry Adams, Talk Thelonious (Clang!) 8 (2)
- Delfeayo Marsalis, Make American Great Again! (Troubadour Jass) 8 (2)
- Rolf Sturm, Young (Water Street Music) 8 (2)
- Camille Bertault, En Vie (Sunnyside) 8 (1)
- Ran Blake, Ghost Tones (A-Side -15) 8 (1)
- Anthony Branker & Imagine, Beauty Within (Origin) 8 (1)
- Jonas Cambien, A Zoology of the Future (Clean Feed) 8 (1)
- Brian Charette, Once & Future (Posi-Tone) 8 (1)
- DE3 [Duane Eubanks-Eric McPherson-Dezron Douglas], Live at Maxwell's (Sunnyside) 8 (1)
- Dwiki Dharmawan, Pasar Klewer (MoonJune) 8 (1)
- The Delegation, Evergreen (Canceled World) (ESP-Disk) 8 (1)
- Pierre Dørge's New Jungle Orchestra, Ubi Zaa (SteepleChase) 8 (1)
- Fat Babies, Solid Gassuh (Delmark) 8 (1)
- Roberto Fonseca, ABUC (Impulse!) 8 (1)
- Charlie Hunter, Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth (Ground Up) 8 (1)
- Ethan Iverson, The Purity of the Turf (CrissCross) 8 (1)
- La Resistencia, Etorno Retorno (Discos Pendiente) 8 (1)
- Mike LeDonne, That Feelin' (Savant) 8 (1)
- Magnetic Ear, Aliens of Extraordinary Ability (self-released) 8 (1)
- Gregoire Maret, Wanted (Sunnyside) 8 (1)
- Moker, Ladder (El Negocito) 8 (1)
- Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Stretch Music -15 (Ropeadope) 8 (1)
- Tommy Smith, Modern Jacobite (Spartacus) 8 (1)
- Markus Stockhausen & Florian Weber, Alba (ECM) 8 (1)
- Tierney Sutton, The Sting Variations (BFM Jazz) 8 (1)
- Will Vinson, Perfectly Out of Place (5Passion) 8 (1)
- George Cables, The George Cables Songbook (HighNote) 7.5 (2)
- Benny Golson, Horizon Ahead (HighNote) 7.5 (2)
- Moppa Elliott, Still, Up in the Air (Hot Cup) 7 (2)
- Made to Break, Before the Code: Live (Audiographic) 7 (2)
- Juhani Aaltonen & Iro Haarla, Kirkastus (TUM -15) 7 (1)
- Avataar, Petal (Sundar Sond) 7 (1)
- Brian Bromberg, Full Circle (Artistry) 7 (1)
- George Burton, The Truth of What I Am > The Narcissist (Inner Circle) 7 (1)
- Michael Dease, Father Figure (Posi-Tone) 7 (1)
- ERGO, As Subtle as Tomorrow (Cunneiform) 7 (1)
- Earth Tongues, Ohio (Neither/Nor) 7 (1)
- John Escreet, The Unknown (Sunnyside) 7 (1)
- Daniel Foose, Of Water and Ghosts (BJU) 7 (1)
- Giovanni Guidi, Ida Lupino (ECM) 7 (1)
- Iro Haarla, Ante Lucem (ECM) 7 (1)
- Jon-Erik Kelso, Jon-Erik Kelso & the Ear Regulars (GHB) 7 (1)
- Anais Maviel, Houle Gold (Bolus) 7 (1)
- Simon Nabatov, Monk and More (Leo) 7 (1)
- Kristin Nordeval-Ida Heidel-Nusch Werchowska, Parrhésie (Losen) 7 (1)
- Grégory Privat, Family Tree (ACT) 7 (1)
- Irène Schweizer & Han Bennink, Welcome Back (Intakt -15) 7 (1)
- Tom Tallitsch, Gratitude (Posi-Tone) 7 (1)
- Rodrigo Amado, Desire and Freedom (Not Two) 6.5 (2)
- Mat Walerian-Matthew Shipp-Hamid Drake, Jungle: Live at Okuden (ESP-Disk) 6.5 (2)
- Alfredo Rodriguez, Tocororo (Mack Avenue) 6.5 (2)
- Eric Alexander, Second Impression (HighNote) 6 (2)
- George Delancey, George Delancey (self-released) 6 (2)
- Daniel Freedman, Imagine That (Anzic) 6 (2)
- Ingrid & Christine Jensen, Infinitude (Whirlwind) 6 (2)
- Naftule's Dream, Blood (Naftule's Dream) 6 (2)
- Roberta Piket, One for Marian: Celebrating Marian McPartland (Thirteenth Note) 6 (2)
- Cyrille Aimée, Let's Get Lost (Mack Avenue) 6 (1)
- Alyssa Allgood, Out of the Blue (Jeru Jazz) 6 (1)
- Sarah Bernstein, Still/Free (Leo) 6 (1)
- Canto Generàl & Louis Moholo-Moholo, Rebel Flames (Ogun) 6 (1)
- Richie Cole, Plays Ballads and Love Songs (Mark Perna) 6 (1)
- Theo Croker, Afro Physicist (Okeh) 6 (1)
- Joseph Daley, The Tuba Trio Chronicles (JoDa Music) 6 (1)
- Christy Doran, Belle Epoque (Between the Lines) 6 (1)
- Marty Elkins, Walking by the River (Nagel-Heyer) 6 (1)
- Erik Friedlander, Rings (Skipstone) 6 (1)
- Don Friedman, Remembering Attila Zoller (Edition Longplay) 6 (1)
- Bill Frisell, When You Wish Upon a Star (Sony Masterworks) 6 (1)
- Richardo Grilli, 1954 (Tone Rogue) 6 (1)
- Gunwale, Polynya (Aerophonic) 6 (1)
- Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic V, Lost Hero - Tears for Esbjörn (ACT) 6 (1)
- Darrell Katz & Oddsong, Jailhouse Doc with Holes in Her Socks (JCA) 6 (1)
- Takuya Kuroda, Zigzagger (Concord) 6 (1)
- George Lewis & Splitter Orchester, Creative Construction Set (Mikroton) 6 (1)
- Tony Moreno, Short Stories (Mayimba) 6 (1)
- Norris Trio, Tonadoda (enonane) 6 (1)
- Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp, Callas (Leo -15) 6 (1)
- Christoph Irniger Pilgrim, Big Wheel Live (Intakt) 6 (1)
- Project Grand Slam, The Queen's Carnival (Cakewalk) 6 (1)
- Tom Rainey, Hotel Grief (Intakt -15) 6 (1)
- Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, I Want That Sound! (Innova) 6 (1)
- Umlaut Big Band, Euro Swing Vol. 2 (Umlaut) 6 (1)
- Duck Baker, Outside (Emanem) 5.5 (1)
- Anthony Braxton, Quintet (Tristano) 2014 (Braxton House) 5.5 (1)
- Peter Brendler, Message in Motion (Posi-Tone) 5.5 (1)
- John Butcher-Thomas Lehn-Matthew Shipp, Tangle (Fataka) 5.5 (1)
- The Diva Jazz Orchestra, Special Kay! (self-released) 5.5 (1)
- Peter Evans, Lifeblood (More Is More) 5.5 (1)
- Anat Fort & Gianluigi Trovesi, Birdwatching (ECM) 5.5 (1)
- Chris Kelsey & Lewis Porter, Plays Ornette Vol. 2: Rejoicing (self-released) 5.5 (1)
- Briggan Krauss, Art of the Saxopohone, Vol. 1: The Tunnel Recordings (self-released) 5.5 (1)
- Brian Lynch, Madera Latino (Hollistic Musicworks) 5.5 (1)
- The Great American Music Ensemble, It's All in the Game (Jazzed Media) 5.5 (1)
- Starlite Motel, Awosting Falls (Clean Feed) 5.5 (1)
- ZAKS, Live at 5e (ILK) 5.5 (1)
- John Beasley, MONK'estra, Vol. 1 (Mack Avenue) 5 (2)
- Friends and Neighbors, What's Wrong (Clean Feed) 5 (2)
- Franklin Kiermyer, Closer to the Sun (Mobility) 5 (2)
- Rale Micic-John Abercrombie-Peter Bernstein-Lage Lund, Inspired (ArtistShare) 5 (2)
- Adam O'Farrill, Stranger Days (Sunnyside) 5 (2)
- Harry Allen, The Candy Men (Arbors) 5 (1)
- Black Art Jazz Collective, Presented by the Side Door Jazz Club (Sunnyside) 5 (1)
- Luis Conde-Fabiana Galante-Frode Gjerstad, Give and Take (FMR) 5 (1)
- Core Trio, Live, featuring Matthew Shipp (Evil Rabbit) 5 (1)
- Tom Csatari, Outro Waltz (Tiny Montgomery -15) 5 (1)
- Alexis Cuadrado, Poètica (Sunnyside) 5 (1)
- Gabriel Espinosa, Songs of Bacharach and Manzanero (Zoho Music) 5 (1)
- Georgie Fame, Swan Songs (Three Line Whip) 5 (1)
- Fresh Cut Orchestra, Mind Behind Closed Eyes (Ropeadope) 5 (1)
- Gresnscó Open Collective, Derengé/Dawn (Slam/Hunnia) 5 (1)
- Freddie Hendrix, Jersey Cat (Sunnyside) 5 (1)
- Derrick Hodge, The Second (Blue Note) 5 (1)
- Icepick, Amaranth (Astral Spirits) 5 (1)
- Allen Lowe, In the Diaspora of the Diaspora: Man With Guitar: Where's Robert Johnson? (Constant Sorrow -15) 5 (1)
- Rafal Mazur & Keir Neuringer, Diachronic Paths (Relative Pitch) 5 (1)
- Myra Melford & Ben Goldberg, Dialogue (BAG) 5 (1)
- Laurent Rochelle Okidoki, Si tu regardes (Linoleum) 5 (1)
- Victor Rendón & Bronx Conexión Latin-Jazz Big Band, True Flight (Tortilla Flat) 5 (1)
- Rent Romus' Life's Blood Ensemble, Rising Colossus (Edgetone) 5 (1)
- Rudy Royston, Rise of Orion (Greenleaf) 5 (1)
- Lew Tabackin, Soundscapes (self-released) 5 (1)
- Burning Ghosts, Burning Ghosts (Orenda) 4 (2)
- Joey Alexander, Countdown (Motéma) 4 (2)
- Tord Gustavsen, What Was Said (ECM) 4 (2)
- MMM Quartet, Oakland/Lisboa (RogueArt) 4 (2)
- Greg Abate & Phil Woods, Kindred Spirits: Live at Chan's (Whaling City Sound) 4 (1)
- Derek Brown, Beatbox Sax (self-relesed) 4 (1)
- Bushman's Revenge, Jazz, Fritt Etter Hukommelsen (Rune Grammophon) 4 (1)
- Pablo Diaz, Destemporizador (NendoDango) 4 (1)
- Robert Dick, Our Cells Know (Tzadik) 4 (1)
- David Fiuczinski, Flam! Blam! Pan-Asian MicroJam! (RareNoise) 4 (1)
- Ken Fowser, Standing Tall (Posi-Tone) 4 (1)
- Tigran Hamasyan, Mockroot (Nonesuch) 4 (1)
- Bret Higgins, Atlas Revolt (Tzadik) 4 (1)
- Matt Hopper, First Love (Matt Hopper) 4 (1)
- Illegal Crowns, Illegal Crowns (RogueArt) 4 (1)
- Corey King, Lashes (Ropeadope) 4 (1)
- Christian Lillinger, Grund (Pirouet) 4 (1)
- Harold Lopez-Nussa, El Viaje (Mack Avenue) 4 (1)
- Jasmine Lovell-Smith, Yellow Red Blue (self-released) 4 (1)
- Russell Malone, All About Melody (HighNote) 4 (1)
- Rob Mazurek & Emmett Kelly, Alien Flower Sutra (International Anthem) 4 (1)
- Hendrik Meurkens, Harmonicus Rex (Height Advantage) 4 (1)
- Moonbow, When the Sleeping Fish Turn Red and the Skies Start to Sing in C Major I Will Follow You Till the End (ILK) 4 (1)
- Ed Palermo, One Child Left Behind (Cuneiform) 4 (1)
- Julien Pontvianne, Abhra (Auand) 4 (1)
- Eve Risser White Desert Orchestra, Les Deux Versants Se Regardent (Clean Feed) 4 (1)
- Sons of Kemet, Lest We Forget What We Came Here to Do (Naim -15) 4 (1)
- Stirrup, Cut (Clean Feed) 4 (1)
- Supersilent, 13 (Smalltown Supersound) 4 (1)
- Tillery (Becca Stevens, Gretchen Parlato, Rebecca Martin), Tillery (Larrecca Music) 4 (1)
- Ava Mendoza's Unnatural Ways, We Aliens (Tzadik) 4 (1)
- ELEW, And to the Republic (Sunnyside) 3 (2)
- Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, Ana (PNL) 3 (2)
- Lori Bell, Brooklyn Dreaming (self-released) 3 (1)
- Eyolf Dale, Wolf Valley (Edition) 3 (1)
- Orbert Davis, Havana Blue (CD Baby) 3 (1)
- Dominick Farinacci, Short Stories (Mack Avenue) 3 (1)
- George Freeman & Chico Freeman, All in the Family (Southport) 3 (1)
- Fred Frith, Another Day in Fucking Paradise (Intakt) 3 (1)
- Ross Hammond & Sameer Gupta, Upward (Big Weezus) 3 (1)
- Mike Holober, Balancing Act (Palmetto) 3 (1)
- Hot Sardines, French Fries and Champagne (Decca) 3 (1)
- Jessica Jones, Moxie (New Artists) 3 (1)
- Gary Lucas Fleischerei, Music From Max Fischer Cartoons (Cuneiform) 3 (1)
- Christian McBride, Live at the Village Vanguard (Mack Avenue -15) 3 (1)
- Uwe Oberg & Silke Eberhard, Turns (Leo) 3 (1)
- Wendy Pedersen & Jim Gasior, We Two (Jimmy G's House of Sound) 3 (1)
- Psychic Temple, Plays Music for Airports (Joyful Noise) 3 (1)
- Jim Rotondi, Dark Blue (Smoke Sessions) 3 (1)
- Nicole Saphos, Tiptoe (self-released) 3 (1)
- Nana Simopoulos, Skins (Na) 3 (1)
- Kandace Springs, Soul Eyes (Blue Note) 3 (1)
- Steve Swell's Kende Dreams, Hommage à Bartok (Silkheart -15) 3 (1)
- Brahja Waldman, Wisdomatic (CDBaby) 3 (1)
- Walt Weiskopf, The Way You Say It (Posi-Tone) 3 (1)
- Ben Wendel, What We Bring (Motéma) 3 (1)
- Nate Wooley, Argonautica (Firehouse 12) 3 (1)
- Bobby Avey, Inhuman Wilderness (InnerVoice) 2 (2)
- Eivind Austed, Moving (Ozella) 2 (1)
- Battle Trance, Blade of Love (New Amsterdam) 2 (1)
- Ellen Bodtker & Jan Erik, Vold Sommeren (der ute Losen) 2 (1)
- Lou Caputo, Uh Oh! (Jazz Cat) 2 (1)
- Ian Carey, Interview Music (A Suite for Quintet+1) (Kabocha) 2 (1)
- Chat Noir, None Thoughts for One Word (RareNoise) 2 (1)
- Ed Cherry, Soul Tree (Posi-Tone) 2 (1)
- Evan Christopher, Bayou Chant (STR Digital) 2 (1)
- Lorenzo De Finti, We Live Here (Losen) 2 (1)
- Jack DeJohnette, Return (Newvelle Records) 2 (1)
- Jeff Denson, Concentric Circles (Ridgeway) 2 (1)
- Earprint, Earprint (Endectomorph) 2 (1)
- Fire!, She Sleeps, She Sleeps (Rune Grammofon) 2 (1)
- Forebrace, Steeped (Relative Pitch) 2 (1)
- Ryan Fourt, Big Slick (Dazzle) 2 (1)
- Andy Fusco, Whirlwind (SteepleChase) 2 (1)
- Jeff Guthery, Black Paintings (self-released) 2 (1)
- Jake Hertzog, Well Lit Shadow (That's Out) 2 (1)
- Jacknife, The Music of Jackie McLean (Primary) 2 (1)
- Per Oddvar Johansen, Let's Dance (Edition) 2 (1)
- Peter Kuhn, The Other Shore (No Business) 2 (1)
- Billy Mintz, Ugly Beautiful (Thirteenth Note) 2 (1)
- Marius Neset, Snowmelt (ACT) 2 (1)
- Bill O'Connell and the Latin Jazz All-Stars, Heart Beat (Savant) 2 (1)
- Igor Osypov, Dream Delivery (ForTune) 2 (1)
- Nicholas Payton, Textures (Paytone) 2 (1)
- Jure Pukl, Live at Thelonious (Discos Pendiente) 2 (1)
- Tim Ray, Windows (Whaling City Sound) 2 (1)
- Dave Rempis/Joshua Abrams/Avreeayl Ra + Jim Baker, Periheleon (Aerophonic) 2 (1)
- Renku, Live in Greenwich Village (Clean Feed) 2 (1)
- Antonio Sanchez, The Meridian Suite (CAM Jazz -15) 2 (1)
- Ken Schaphorst, How to Say Goodbye (JCA) 2 (1)
- Catherine Sikora, Jersey (Relative Pitch) 2 (1)
- Tierra Mestiza (Angelica Sanchez & Omar Tamez), Floresta (Nonjazz) 2 (1)
- Marcos Varela, San Ygnacio (Origin) 2 (1)
- Jerry Weldon, On the Move (Doodlin') 2 (1)
- Ralph Alessi, Quiver (ECM) 1 (1)
- Harry Allen, For George, Cole and Duke (Blue Heron -15) 1 (1)
- Samo Salamon & Stefano Battaglia, Winds (Sazas/Klopotec) 1 (1)
- Joshua Breakstone, "88" (Capri) 1 (1)
- Stijn Demuynck, Pouancé (self-released) 1 (1)
- Emil de Waal, Old News (DME) 1 (1)
- Francesco Diodati, Yellow Squeeds: Flow, Home (Auand) 1 (1)
- Daniele D'Agaro-Giovanni Maier-Zlatko Kaucic, Disorder at the Border Plays Ornette (Not Two) 1 (1)
- Empirical, Connection (Cuneiform) 1 (1)
- Ellery Eskelin, Willisau Live (hatOLOGY) 1 (1)
- Chico Freeman, Spoken Into Existence (Jive Music) 1 (1)
- Vasil Hadzimanov, Alive (MoonJune) 1 (1)
- Nancy Harms, Ellington at Night (Gazelle) 1 (1)
- Cory Henry, Live in Brooklyn (Groundup) 1 (1)
- Dean Johnson, Triology (CD Baby) 1 (1)
- Steve Kuhn, At This Time. . . (Sunnyside) 1 (1)
- Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Live (ForTune) 1 (1)
- Arturo O'Farrill, Boss Level (Zoho) 1 (1)
- Tomeka Reid, Quartet (Thirsty Ear -15) 1 (1)
- Jamie Saft's New Zion, Sunshine Seas (Rare Noise) 1 (1)
- Susana Santos Silva, Life and Other Transient Storms (Clean Feed) 1 (1)
- Jorma Tapio & Kaski, Ghatika (Karkia Mistika) 1 (1)
- Steve Turre, Colors for the Masters (Smoke Sessions) 1 (1)
- Gregorio Uribe, Cumbia Universal (Zoho) 1 (1)
- Lori Williams, Behind the Smiles (Pacific Coast Jazz) 1 (1)
- Cameron Mizell, Negative Space (Destiny) 1 (1)
Notes
* Charlie Haden/Liberation Music Orchestra, Time/Life: Song
for the Whales and Other Beings (Impulse!) includes 6 (2)
votes ineligible for Reissues/Historical list but moved here.
** Sonny Rollins, Holding the Stage: Road Shows Vol. 4
(Doxy/OKeh) includes 1 (1) votes ineligible for Reissues/Historical
list but moved here.
*** Brad Mehldau, 10 Years Solo Live (Nonesuch -15)
includes 2 (1) votes ineligible for Reissues/Historical list but
moved here.
Critics were asked to list 10 albums in descending order, with
10 points awarded for their #1, 9 for #2, etc. (On ballots where
choices were listed alphabetically, each received 5.5 points.) The
first bold number indicates total points; the number in parentheses is
the tally of ballots on which a CD appeared, which was used as a
tiebreaker.
Several albums that received votes this year were released in 2015
and received votes in that year's poll:
- Ran Blake, Ghost Tones (A-Side) 61 (9)
- Nicole Mitchell-Tomeka Reid-Mike Reed, Artifacts (482 Music) 57.5 (13)
- Irčne Schweizer & Han Bennink, Welcome Back (Intakt) 46 (8)
- Brad Mehldau, 10 Years Solo Live (Nonesuch) 45 (8)
- Wadada Leo Smith & John Lindberg, Celestial Weather (TUM) 39.5 (9)
- Christian McBride, Live at the Village Vanguard (Mack Avenue) 35.5 (6)
- Tomeka Reid, Quartet (Thirsty Ear) 34.5(6)
- Steve Swell's Kende Dreams: Hommage ŕ Bartok (Silkheart) 18 (3)
- Josh Berman, A Dance and a Hop (Delmark) 15 (5)
- Antonio Sanchez, The Meridian Suite (CAM Jazz) 13 (3)
- Mette Henriette, Mette Henriette (ECM) 9.5(3)
- Terry Adams, Talk Thelonious (Clang!) 5 (1)
The rule is that we add the old votes into this year's totals only
if the album received more votes this year than last.