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

2023 Totals: Debuts

A Debut is a first album by an individual as leader or primary contributor.

Critics were asked to name one album apiece, with no point system.

  1. Yussef Dayes, Black Classical Music (Brownswood/Nonesuch) 10
  2. Lesley Mok, The Living Collection (American Dreams) 9
  3. Christian Dillingham, Cascades (Greenleaf Music) 7
  4. Jeremy Dutton, Anyone Is Better Than Here (self-released) 4
  5. Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet, Rising Sun (Motéma Music) 4
  6. Anthony Hervey, Words From My Horn (Outside In Music) 4
  7. Vicente Archer, Short Stories (Cellar) 3
  8. Bex Burch, There Is Only Love and Fear (International Anthem) 3
  9. Sean Mason, The Southern Suite (Blue Engine) 3
  10. Marco Antonio Santos, About: Silence (Ears & Eyes) 3
  11. Aline's Etoile Magique, Eclipse (Elastic) 2
  12. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Les Jardins Mystiques Vol. 1 (Brainfeeder) 2
  13. Val Jeanty-Candice Hoyes-Mimi Jones, Nite Bjuti (Whirlwind) 2
  14. Astghik Martirosyan, Distance (Astghik Music) 2
  15. Steve Millhouse, The Unwinding (SteepleChase) 2
  16. Brandon Sanders, Compton's Finest (Savant) 2
  17. Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis, Calibrating Friction (New Amsterdam) 2
  18. Jonathan Suazo, Ricano (Ropeadope) 2
  19. Lukas Traxel, One-Eyed Daruma (We Jazz) 2
  20. Simón Willson, Good Company (Fresh Sound New Talent) 2
  21. Sakina Abdou, Goodbye Ground (Relative Pitch '22) 1
  22. Toto Alvarez, La Cuerda Floja (Zoar/Acefalo) 1
  23. Caelan Cardello, Rufus Reid Presents Caelan Cardello (Liam) 1
  24. Christie Dashiell, Journey in Black (self-released) 1
  25. Yooyoun Cho, A Tadd of Fat Birds (Yooyoun Cho Music) 1
  26. Kristian Enkerud Lien's Krise, Svartsymra (Sonic Transmissions) 1
  27. Julieta Eugenio, Jump (Greenleaf Music '22) 1
  28. Moss Freed Union Division, Micromotives (Discus Music) 1
  29. Arina Fujiwara, Neon (self-released) 1
  30. Miha Gantar, Introducing (Clean Feed '22) 1
  31. Hannah Gill, Everybody Loves a Lover (Turtle Bay) 1
  32. Riccardo Gola, Cosmonautica (Jando) 1
  33. Matt Greenwood, Atlas (self-released) 1
  34. Keigo Hirakawa, Pixel (Origin) 1
  35. Max Koch, Ten Bulls (Jazzwerkstatt) 1
  36. Clara Lai, Corpos (Phonogram Unit) 1
  37. Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim, Starling (self-released) 1
  38. Zack Lober, No Fill3r (Zennez) 1
  39. Mama Terra, The Summoned (Caffala) 1
  40. Aja Monet, When the Poems Do What They Do (Drink Sum Wtr) 1
  41. Endea Owens and the Cookout, Feel Good Music (BassBae Music) 1
  42. Yvonne Rogers, Seeds (Relative Pitch) 1
  43. Säje, Säje (Säjevoices) 1
  44. Sultan Stevenson, Faithful One (Whirlwind) 1
  45. David Tamura + Toadal Package, Final Entrance (self-released) 1
  46. Vanessa Thomas, Life Is Like a Song (Lied Center of Kansas) 1
  47. Lucy Wijnands, Something Awaits (self-released) 1
  48. Ella Zirina, Intertwined (BimHuis) 1

Notes

No selection on 61 (of 159) ballots (38.3%).

If an album received votes in the previous year, and received more votes (not just more points) this year, the two years' totals were added together. This applied to: none.

Albums that also received votes in 2022. These are sorted by total votes for the two years.