The 18th Annual
Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll:
2023
Past Polls Index
New Albums Rara Avis Debuts Latin Vocals
Critics
Acquaro - CartwrightCastaņeda - DrouotDryden - GuttermanHale - KaplanKato - MicallefMichie - PollettaQuinn - SzwedTamarkin - Yokoi

Ballots 2023 [3]

Prev[Acquaro - Cartwright] · [Castaņeda - Drouot] · [Dryden - Gutterman] · [Hale - Kaplan] · [Kato - Micallef] · [Michie - Polletta] · [Quinn - Szwed] · [Tamarkin - Yokoi]Next

Ken Dryden (New York City Jazz Record, Hot House, Timeless Jazz [WUTC-FM])

NEW RELEASES

  1. Kenny Barron, The Source (Artwork) →
  2. Martin Wind-Jim McNeely-Ed Neumeister, Counterpoint (Laika) →
  3. Michael Dease, Swing Low (Posi-Tone) →
  4. Harold Danko, Trillium (SteepleChase) →
  5. Claire Daly With George Garzone, VuVu for Frances (Daly Bread) →
  6. George Coleman, Live at Smalls Jazz Club (Cellar) →
  7. Jeb Patton, Preludes (Cellar Music) →
  8. Louis Hayes, Exactly Right! (Savant) →
  9. Judy Niemack & Jay Clayton, Voices in Flight (GAM) →
  10. Billy Childs, The Winds of Change (Mack Avenue) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse!) →
  2. Bill Evans, Treasures: Solo, Trio & Orchestral Recordings From Denmark (1965-1969) (Elemental) →
  3. Dave Brubeck, Live From the Northwest, 1959 (Brubeck Editions) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Chuck Eddy (Eliminated for Reasons of Space, Napster)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jason Moran, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes) →
  2. Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, America: The Rough Cut (ESP-Disk) →
  3. Lakecia Benjamin, Phoenix (Whirlwind) →
  4. Natural Information Society, Since Time Is Gravity (Aguirre/Eremite) →
  5. London Brew, London Brew (Concord) →
  6. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, For Mahalia, With Love (Tao Forms) →
  7. Matana Roberts, Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (Constellation) →
  8. Jim Black & the Schrimps, Ain't No Saint (Intakt) →
  9. Darius Jones, Fluxkit Vancouver (Its Suite but Sacred) (We Jazz) →
  10. Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids, Afro Futuristic Dreams (Strut) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Sun Ra & His Arkestra, Ellingtonia, Vol. 2 (1951-87, Enterplanetary Koncepts) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

John Ephland (DownBeat, All About Jazz)

NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Joni Mitchell, Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) (Rhino) →
  2. Charles Mingus, Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings (1973-79, Rhino) →
  3. Miles Davis, That's What Happened [The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: 1982-1985] (Columbia/Legacy '22) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Lee Rice Epstein (Free Jazz Collective)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Darius Jones, Fluxkit Vancouver (Its Suite but Sacred) (We Jazz) →
  2. Anne Gillis + XT, Our/s Bouture(s) (Art Into Life) →
  3. Kate Gentile, Find Letter X (Pi) →
  4. George, Letters to George (Out of Your Head) →
  5. Lina Allemano, Canons (Lumo) →
  6. John Zorn, John Zorn's Bagatelles, Vols. 13-16 (Tzadik) →
  7. Ivo Perelman & Nate Wooley, Polarity 2 (Burning Ambulance) →
  8. Eddie Prévost-N.O. Moore-James O'Sullivan-Ross Lambert, Chord (Shrike) →
  9. João Almeida-Rodrigo Pinheiro-Vasco Furtado, Linae (Phonogram Unit) →
  10. Charlotte Keefe/Right Here, Right Now Quartet, Alive! in the Studio (Discus Music) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Matthew Shipp Trio, Circular Temple (1990, ESP-Disk) →
  2. Milford Graves With Arthur Doyle & Hugh Glover, Children of the Forest (1976, Black Editions Archive) →
  3. Steve Swell's Fire Into Music, For Jemeel: Fire From the Road (2003-04, RogueArt) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Note: Also see The Reason for the Season

Steve Feeney (Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, ArtsFuse)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Kris Davis, Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic) →
  2. Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet, Hear the Light Singing (RogueArt) →
  3. Zoh Amba-Chris Corsano-Bill Orcutt, The Flower School (Palilalia) →
  4. Rob Brown, Oblongata (RogueArt) →
  5. Irreversible Entanglements, Protect Your Light (Impulse!) →
  6. Darius Jones, Fluxkit Vancouver (Its Suite but Sacred) (We Jazz) →
  7. Aruán Ortiz, Pastor's Paradox (Clean Feed) →
  8. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, For Mahalia, With Love (Tao Forms) →
  9. Henry Threadgill Ensemble, The Other One (Pi) →
  10. Dave Liebman, Live at Smalls (Cellar) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Steve Swell's Fire Into Music, For Jemeel: Fire From the Road (2003-04, RogueArt) →
  2. Bill Evans, Treasures: Solo, Trio & Orchestral Recordings From Denmark (1965-1969) (Elemental) →
  3. Sonny Stitt, Boppin' in Baltimore: Live at the Left Bank (1973, Jazz Detective/Elemental) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Gary Finney (WQLN NPR [Eric, PA])

NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse!) →
  2. Geri Allen & Kurt Rosenwinkel, A Lovesome Thing (2012, Motéma Music) →
  3. Ahmad Jamal, Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 (Jazz Detective/Elemental) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Phil Freeman (Burning Ambulance, Stereogum, The Wire, DownBeat)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Matana Roberts, Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (Constellation) →
  2. Jaimie Branch, Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((World War)) (International Anthem) →
  3. Irreversible Entanglements, Protect Your Light (Impulse!) →
  4. Jason Moran, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes) →
  5. Wadada Leo Smith & Orange Wave Electric, Fire Illuminations (Kabell) →
  6. Arooj Aftab-Vijay Iyer-Shahzad Ismaily, Love in Exile (Verve) →
  7. James Brandon Lewis Trio, Eye of I (Anti-) →
  8. Fire! Orchestra, Echoes (Rune Grammofon) →
  9. Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, Dynamic Maximum Tension (Nonesuch) →
  10. Lakecia Benjamin, Phoenix (Whirlwind) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan Volume 4: The Nippon Columbia Label 1968-1981 (BBE) →
  2. Sonny Rollins With Heikki Sarmanto Trio, Live at Finlandia Hall, Helsinki 1972 (Svart) →
  3. Charles Mingus, Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings (1973-79, Rhino) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Filipe Freitas (JazzTrail)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Steve Lehman & Orchestre National de Jazz, Ex Machina (Pi) →
  2. Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet, As Things Do (Intakt) →
  3. Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, Kings Highway (Stoner Hill) →
  4. Ingrid Laubrock, The Last Quiet Place (Pyroclastic) →
  5. Bobo Stenson Trio, Sphere (ECM) →
  6. Sylvie Courvoisier & Cory Smythe, The Rite of Spring/Spectre D'Un Songe (Pyroclastic) →
  7. Darius Jones, Fluxkit Vancouver (Its Suite but Sacred) (We Jazz) →
  8. Walter Smith III, Return to Casual (Blue Note) →
  9. Dan Rosenboom, Polarity (Orenda) →
  10. Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra, Family (We Jazz) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Pat Frisco (WHFR-FM [Dearborn, MI])

NEW RELEASES

  1. Anthony Davis-Kyle Motl-Kjell Nordeson, Vertical Motion (Astral Spirits) →
  2. John Blum-David Murray-Chad Taylor, The Recursive Tree (Relative Pitch) →
  3. Ingrid Laubrock, The Last Quiet Place (Pyroclastic) →
  4. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, For Mahalia, With Love (Tao Forms) →
  5. Angelika Niescier-Tomeka Reid-Savannah Harris, Beyond Dragons (Intakt) →
  6. Trio San, Hibiki (Jazzdor) →
  7. Ned Rothenberg, Crossings Four (Clean Feed) →
  8. Paul Dunmall, Bright Light a Joyous Celebration (Discus Music) →
  9. John Zorn, The Fourth Way (Tzadik) →
  10. Rob Brown, Oblongata (RogueArt) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Barry Altschul-David Izenson-Perry Robinson, Stop Time: Live at Prince Street 1978 (NoBusiness) →
  2. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse!) →
  3. The Jazz Doctors, Intensive Care: Prescriptions Filled [The Billy Bang Quartet Sessions 1983/1984] (Cadillac) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Jon Garelick (Boston Globe, Arts Fuse, Jazziz, DownBeat)

NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Ana Gavrilovska (Uncut, Maggot Brain, Aquarium Drunkard)

NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (listed alphabetically; 2 points each)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Note: Debut Scree, Jasmine on a Night in July has a previous album (2019).

Richard Gehr (Relix)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Brandon Seabrook's Epic Proportions, Brutalovechamp (Pyroclastic) →
  2. Steve Lehman & Orchestre National de Jazz, Ex Machina (Pi) →
  3. Joel Harrison & Anthony Pirog, The Great Mirage (ASG) →
  4. Fire! Orchestra, Echoes (Rune Grammofon) →
  5. Ayumi Ishito, Ayumi Ishito & the Spacemen, Vol. 2 (577) →
  6. The Necks, Travel (Northern Spy) →
  7. Dan Rosenboom, Polarity (Orenda) →
  8. Linda May Han Oh, The Glass Hours (Biophilia) →
  9. Naya Bazz [Rez Abbasi & Josh Feinberg], Charm (Whirlwind) →
  10. Russ Lossing, Alternate Side Parking Music (Aqua Piazza) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Frank Zappa, Waka Wazoo (1971, Zappa/UMG '22) →
  2. Pharoah Sanders, Pharoah [Harvest Time] (1976, Luaka Bop) →
  3. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse!) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Andrew Gilbert (freelance: San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area News Group, KQED Arts)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Johnathan Blake, Passage (Blue Note) →
  2. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, For Mahalia, With Love (Tao Forms) →
  3. Chris Potter, Got the Keys to the Kingdom: Live at the Village Vanguard (Edition) →
  4. Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet, Hear the Light Singing (RogueArt) →
  5. Rudy Royston Flatbed Buggy, Day (Greenleaf Music) →
  6. Joe Chambers, Dance Kobina (Blue Note) →
  7. George Coleman, Live at Smalls Jazz Club (Cellar) →
  8. Noah Garabedian, Consider the Stars Beneath Us (Outside In Music) →
  9. Allison Miller, Rivers in Our Veins (Royal Potato Family) →
  10. Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project, A Thousand Pebbles (One Trick Dog) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Art Pepper, The Complete Maiden Voyage Recordings (1981, Omnivore) →
  2. Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio, Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings (Resonance) →
  3. Luis Russell, At the Swing Cats Ball: Newly Discovered Recordings From the Closet, Volume 1 1938-1940 (Dot Time Legends) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Kurt Gottschalk (WKCR, The Wire, New York City Jazz Record, DownBeat)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Art Ensemble of Chicago, The Sixth Decade From Paris to Paris: Live at Sons D'Hiver (RogueArt) →
  2. Angel Bat Dawid, Requiem for Jazz (International Anthem) →
  3. Thandi Ntuli, Rainbow Revisited (International Anthem) →
  4. Ingrid Laubrock, The Last Quiet Place (Pyroclastic) →
  5. Kris Davis, Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic) →
  6. Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding, Alive at the Village Vanguard (Palmetto) →
  7. The End, Why Do You Mourn (Trost) →
  8. Marta Warelis, A Piece of Earth (Relative Pitch '22) →
  9. The Necks, Travel (Northern Spy) →
  10. Red Hot Org, Red Hot & Ra: Solar: Sun Ra in Brasil (Red Hot Org) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Derek Bailey & Paul Motian, Duo in Concert (1990, Frozen Reeds) →
  2. Fred Anderson Quartet, The Milwaukee Tapes, Vol. 2 (1980, Corbett vs. Dempsey) →
  3. Amina Claudine Myers, Song for Mother E (1979, Leo) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

David A. Graham (The Atlantic)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jason Moran, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes) →
  2. Kris Davis, Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic) →
  3. Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Continuing (Pi) →
  4. Jaimie Branch, Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((World War)) (International Anthem) →
  5. Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra, Lightning Dreamers (International Anthem) →
  6. Christian McBride's New Jawn, Prime (Mack Avenue) →
  7. Yussef Dayes, Black Classical Music (Brownswood/Nonesuch) →
  8. Chris Potter, Got the Keys to the Kingdom: Live at the Village Vanguard (Edition) →
  9. Irreversible Entanglements, Protect Your Light (Impulse!) →
  10. Peter Evans Being & Becoming, Ars Memoria (More Is More) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse!) →
  2. Pharoah Sanders, Pharoah [Harvest Time] (1976, Luaka Bop) →
  3. Ahmad Jamal, Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 (Jazz Detective/Elemental) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Stephen Graham (www.marlbank.net)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, Kings Highway (Stoner Hill) →
  2. Arooj Aftab-Vijay Iyer-Shahzad Ismaily, Love in Exile (Verve) →
  3. Bobo Stenson Trio, Sphere (ECM) →
  4. Meshell Ndegeocello, The Omnichord Real Book (Blue Note) →
  5. BlankFor.Ms-Jason Moran-Marcus Gilmore, Refract (Red Hook) →
  6. Pat Metheny, Dream Box (Modern) →
  7. Eric Reed, Black, Brown, and Blue (Smoke Sessions) →
  8. Dhafer Youssef, Street of Minarets (Back Beat Edition) →
  9. Zoe Rahman, Colour of Sound (Manushi) →
  10. Irreversible Entanglements, Protect Your Light (Impulse!) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse!) →
  2. Chet Baker, Blue Room: The 1979 Vara Studio Sessions in Holland (Jazz Detective) →
  3. Sonny Stitt, Boppin' in Baltimore: Live at the Left Bank (1973, Jazz Detective/Elemental) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Ludovico Granvassu (All About Jazz/All About Jazz Italia, Radio Free Brooklyn: Mondo Jazz)

NEW RELEASES (listed alphabetically; 5.5 points each)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (listed alphabetically; 2 points each)

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Note: Also see Ludovico Granvassu's Garden of Jazzy Delights.

George Grella (The Brooklyn Rail, New York City Jazz Record, The Wire, Red Hook Star-Review, Financial Times)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jason Moran, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes) →
  2. James Brandon Lewis Trio, Eye of I (Anti-) →
  3. Matthew Shipp, The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp (Mahakala Music) →
  4. Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Continuing (Pi) →
  5. Heikki Ruokangas, Karu (Orbit577) →
  6. John Blum, Nine Rivers (ESP-Disk) →
  7. Adam Birnbaum, Preludes (Chelsea Music Festival) →
  8. Todd Sickafoose, Bear Proof (Secret Hatch) →
  9. Kris Davis, Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic) →
  10. Mendoza Hoff Revels, Echolocation (AUM Fidelity) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Sonny Clark, The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (1957-61, Mosaic) →
  2. Sun Ra and His Arkestra, Jazz in Silhouette (Expanded Edition) (1958, Cosmic Myth) →
  3. Derek Bailey & Paul Motian, Duo in Concert (1990, Frozen Reeds) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Jason Gross (Perfect Sound Forever)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Lakecia Benjamin, Phoenix (Whirlwind) →
  2. Ghost Train Orchestra and Kronos Quartet, Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog (Cantaloupe) →
  3. Billy Valentine, Billy Valentine and the Universal Truth (Flying Dutchman) →
  4. Angelica Sanchez Nonet, Nighttime Creatures (Pyroclastic) →
  5. The Necks, Travel (Northern Spy) →
  6. Brad Mehldau, Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles (Nonesuch) →
  7. Darren Johnston, Life in Time (Origin '22) →
  8. Simón Willson, Good Company (Fresh Sound New Talent) →
  9. André 3000, New Blue Sun (Epic) →
  10. Nick Millevoi, Digital Reaction (Ropeadope) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy, Evenings at the Village Gate (1961, Impulse!) →
  2. Nina Simone, You've Got to Learn (1966, Verve) →
  3. Sonny Rollins With Heikki Sarmanto Trio, Live at Finlandia Hall, Helsinki 1972 (Svart) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

Scott Gutterman (The Brooklyn Rail)

NEW RELEASES

  1. Jason Moran, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes) →
  2. The Necks, Travel (Northern Spy) →
  3. Arooj Aftab-Vijay Iyer-Shahzad Ismaily, Love in Exile (Verve) →
  4. Jaimie Branch, Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((World War)) (International Anthem) →
  5. Natural Information Society, Since Time Is Gravity (Aguirre/Eremite) →
  6. Pat Metheny, Dream Box (Modern) →
  7. Scree, Jasmine on a Night in July (Ruination) →
  8. Blue Lake, Sun Arcs (Tonal Union) →
  9. Roy Nathanson, 82 Days (Enja/Yellowbird) →
  10. Mendoza Hoff Revels, Echolocation (AUM Fidelity) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Ahmad Jamal, Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 (Jazz Detective/Elemental) →
  2. Alice Coltrane Featuring Pharoah Sanders, Journey in Satchidananda (1970, Impulse [Acoustic Sounds Series]) →
  3. Sonny Clark, The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (1957-61, Mosaic) →

VOCAL

DEBUT

LATIN

 

Prev[Acquaro - Cartwright] · [Castaņeda - Drouot] · [Dryden - Gutterman] · [Hale - Kaplan] · [Kato - Micallef] · [Michie - Polletta] · [Quinn - Szwed] · [Tamarkin - Yokoi]Next