The 19th Annual
Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll:
2024
Past Polls Index
New Albums Rara Avis Vocal Latin Debut
Critics
Ackermann - BoothBorella - DavisDean-Harris - GeikenGijssels - HullHum - LangeLanghoff - MonsenMoore - SaitoSaunders - TeranoTesser - Yokoi

Ballots 2024 [1]

 [Ackermann - Booth] · [Borella - Davis] · [Dean-Harris - Geiken] · [Gijssels - Hull] · [Hum - Lange] · [Langhoff - Monsen] · [Moore - Saito] · [Saunders - Terano] · [Tesser - Yokoi]Next

Karl Ackermann (All About Jazz)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Steve Coleman and Five Elements, PolyTropos/Of Many Turns (Pi) →
  2. Vijay Iyer, Compassion (ECM) →
  3. Berke Can Özcan & Jonah Parzen-Johnson, It Was Always Time (We Jazz) →
  4. Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers, Central Park's Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens (Red Hook) →
  5. Nils Økland Band, Gjenskinn (Hubro) →
  6. Matthew Shipp Trio, New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk) →
  7. Bob Gluck, And Every Fleck of Russet (Electrisongs) →
  8. Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi, Altera Vita (BBE) →
  9. Steve Lehman & Orchestre National de Jazz, Ex Machina (Pi '23) →
  10. Ruth Goller, Skyllumina (International Anthem) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Paul Acquaro (Free Jazz Collective, Jazz Podium)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!) →
  2. Space, Embrace the Space (Relative Pitch) →
  3. Sakina Abdou-Toma Gouband-Marta Warelis, Hammer, Roll and Leaf (Relative Pitch) →
  4. The Attic & Eve Risser, La Grande Crue (NoBusiness) →
  5. Joachim Kühn French Trio, The Way (ACT Music) →
  6. Jon Irabagon, I Don't Hear Nothin' but the Blues: Volume 3 Part 2: Exuberant Scars (Irabbagast) →
  7. Ivo Perelman's São Paulo Creative 4, Supernova (self-released) →
  8. Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash, To March Is to Love (Cuneiform) →
  9. Peter Evans, Extra (We Jazz) →
  10. Gordon Grdina & Christian Lillinger, Duo Work (Attaboygirl) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music) →
  2. Arthur Blythe Quartet, Live From Studio Rivbea: July 6, 1976 (NoBusiness) →
  3. Soft Machine, Høvikkoden 1971 (Cuneiform) →
  4. Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Live From Studio Rivbea: July 12, 1975 [Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 1] (NoBusiness) →
  5. Charles Gayle-Milford Graves-William Parker, WEBO (1991, Black Editions Archive) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Scott Albin (Amazon.com)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Wayne Shorter, Celebration, Volume 1 (2014, Blue Note) →
  2. Steve Coleman and Five Elements, PolyTropos/Of Many Turns (Pi) →
  3. Ron Horton, A Prayer for Andrew (Newvelle '23) →
  4. Kathrine Windfeld Sextet, Aldebaran (Stunt) →
  5. Amanda Gardier, Auteur (Music Inspired by the Films of Wes Anderson) (self-released) →
  6. Norma Winstone, Wheeler With Words (AMM) →
  7. Chris Potter-Brad Mehldau-John Patitucci-Brian Blade, Eagle's Point (Edition) →
  8. The Nordic Quintet, Originals (AMM) →
  9. Welf Dorr-Elias Meister-Dmitry Ishenko-Kenny Wollesen, So Far So Good (self-released) →
  10. Kevin Sun, The Fate of the Tenor (Endectomorph) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance) →
  2. Scott LaFaro, The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro (1957-61, El) →
  3. Roy Hargrove's Crisol, Grande-Terre (1998, Verve) →
  4. Gerald Wiggins, Classic Trio Sessions 1956-1957 (Fresh Sound) →
  5. The Louis Stewart Trio, Louis the First (1975, Livia) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Shannon Ali (Shannon J. Effinger) (The Guardian UK, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Pitchfork, Jazziz, NPR Music)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Meshell Ndegeocello, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin (Blue Note) →
  2. Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Open Me, a Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit (Spiritmuse) →
  3. Etienne Charles, Creole Orchestra (Culture Shock) →
  4. Devon Daniels Quintet, LesGo! (Sam First) →
  5. Ron Miles, Old Main Chapel (2011, Blue Note) →
  6. Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer, But Who's Gonna Play the Melody? (Mack Avenue) →
  7. Lakecia Benjamin, Phoenix Reimagined (Live) (Ropeadope) →
  8. Immanuel Wilkins, Blues Blood (Blue Note) →
  9. Joel Ross, Nublues (Blue Note) →
  10. Nubya Garcia, Odyssey (Concord Jazz) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Yusef Lateef, Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert From Avignon (1972, Elemental Music) →
  2. Roy Hargrove, The Love Suite: In Mahogany (1993, Blue Engine '23) →
  3. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!) →
  4. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) →
  5. Louis Armstrong, Louis in London (1968, Verve) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Ali Alizadeh [Sir Ali] (Jazzophone, Jazz Attitude [Frequence K/Jet FM, Nantes, France])

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Crescent City Jewels (Troubadour Jass) →
  2. One Another Orchestra, One Another Orchestra (Nato) →
  3. Snorre Kirk, What a Day! (Stunt) →
  4. Allen Lowe & the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, Louis Armstrong's America (ESP-Disk) →
  5. Titi Robin Quartet, Le Sable et L'Écume (Suraj Productions) →
  6. Amina Mezaache & Maracuja, Vortex (Veston Léger) →
  7. Chris Jennings & 5 Ways Home, Boy, She's the Dandy (Eden River) →
  8. Runar Norsett Trio, Endless Journey (Losen) →
  9. Philippe El Hage & Youssef Hbeisch, A Confused World (Musical Expression Institute) →
  10. Avishai Cohen, Bright Light (Naïve) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Ahmad Jamal, Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1966-1968 (Jazz Detective/Elemental '23) →
  2. Sammy Davis Jr., Mr. Entertainment: 1949-1962 (Frémeaux & Associés) →
  3. Wes Montgomery/Wynton Kelly Trio, Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings (Resonance '23) →
  4. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Clifford Allen ("So, What Do You Think?" (concert series), Singularity Codex: Matthew Shipp)

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Mischa Andriessen (Trouw [NL], Jazzmozaiek [BE])

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Immanuel Wilkins, Blues Blood (Blue Note) →
  2. Quartet Diminished, Deerand (MoonJune) →
  3. Fred Hersch, Silent, Listening (ECM) →
  4. Tomasz Stanko Quartet, September Night (2004, ECM) →
  5. The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!) →
  6. Nik Bärtsch's Ronin, Spin (Ronin Rhythm) →
  7. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, For Mahalia, With Love (TAO Forms '23) →
  8. Arooj Aftab, Night Reign (Verve) →
  9. Arve Henriksen & Harmen Fraanje, Touch of Time (ECM) →
  10. Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Larry Appelbaum (DownBeat, WPFW-FM)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Samara Joy, Portrait (Verve) →
  2. Jenny Scheinman, All Species Parade (Royal Potato Family) →
  3. Village of the Sun, Live in Tokyo (Gearbox) →
  4. Bria Skonberg, What It Means (Cellar Live) →
  5. Ron Miles, Old Main Chapel (2011, Blue Note) →
  6. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) →
  2. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance) →
  3. Wayne Shorter, Celebration, Volume 1 (2014, Blue Note) →
  4. Masahiko Togashi, Session in Paris Vol. One: Song of Soil (1979, We Want Sounds) →
  5. John Abercrombie-Dave Holland-Jack DeJohnette, Gateway (1975, ECM) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Hrayr Attarian (All About Jazz, Jazziz)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Amaro Freitas, Y'Y (Psychic Hotline) →
  2. Nduduzo Makhathini, Unomkhubulwane (Blue Note) →
  3. Allen Lowe & the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, Louis Armstrong's America (ESP-Disk) →
  4. Tarbaby, You Think This America (Giant Step Arts) →
  5. Caroline Davis' Alula, Captivity (Ropeadope '23) →
  6. Space, Embrace the Space (Relative Pitch) →
  7. Ivo Perelman-Aruán Ortiz-Ramón López, Ephemeral Shapes (Fundacja Słuchaj) →
  8. Yuhan Su, Liberated Gesture (Sunnyside '23) →
  9. Drori Mondlak-Karolina Strassmayer-David Friedman, Speak Your Truth (Lilypad) →
  10. Raffi Garabedian, The Crazy Dog (Clandestine) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!) →
  2. Geri Allen & Kurt Rosenwinkel, A Lovesome Thing (2012, Motema Music '23) →
  3. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) →
  4. Art Tatum, Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings (Resonance) →
  5. Sun Ra, At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976-1977 (Jazz Detective) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Angela Ballhorn (Jazzthetik.de, jazznmore.ch, jazz-fun.de, gitarrebass.de, jazzineurope.mfmmedia.nl, akustik-gitarre.com)

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Dave Barber (WYSO [Yellow Springs, OH])

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Franpi Barriaux (Citizen Jazz)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Mary Halvorson, Cloudward (Nonesuch) →
  2. Luzia von Wyl Ensemble, Frakmont (LU) →
  3. Paul Jarret, Acoustic Large Ensemble (Pegazz & l'Hélicon) →
  4. Stretchin' With MilesDavisQuintetOrchestra! (Hector) →
  5. Michael Griener & Jan Roder, Be Our Guest (1994-2022, Trouble in the East) →
  6. Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers, Central Park's Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens (Red Hook) →
  7. La Cozna, Ni Nuit, Ni Jour (Raffut Collectif) →
  8. Camila Nebbia-Sofia Salvo-Lara Alarcón-Alfred Vogel, Pnkstrasse53 (Boomslang) →
  9. Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra, Live at the Adler Planetarium (International Anthem) →
  10. Anthony Braxton, 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (Braxton House) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Charles Gayle-Milford Graves-William Parker, WEBO (1991, Black Editions Archive) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Note: Michael Griener & Jan Roder, Be Our Guest was recorded in 1994-2022, so should be Rara Avis

Chris Barton (Los Angeles Times, DownBeat)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Tyshawn Sorey Trio, The Susceptible Now (Pi) →
  2. Arooj Aftab, Night Reign (Verve) →
  3. SML, Small Medium Large (International Anthem) →
  4. Vijay Iyer, Compassion (ECM) →
  5. Nala Sinephro, Endlessness (Warp) →
  6. Jeff Parker ETA IVtet, The Way Out of Easy (International Anthem) →
  7. Ben Goldberg-Todd Sickafoose-Scott Amendola, Here to There (Secret Hatch) →
  8. Mary Halvorson, Cloudward (Nonesuch) →
  9. Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note) →
  10. Tarbaby, You Think This America (Giant Step Arts) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Ron Miles, Old Main Chapel (2011, Blue Note) →
  2. Wayne Shorter, Celebration, Volume 1 (2014, Blue Note) →
  3. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Joe Bebco (The Syncopated Times)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. The Joymakers, Down Where the Bluebonnets Grow (Turtle Bay) →
  2. Ricky Alexander, Just Found Joy (Turtle Bay) →
  3. The New Wonders, Steppin' Out (Turtle Bay) →
  4. Bridgetown Sextet, Functionizin' (Rivermont) →
  5. The New Orleans Night Owls, St. Louis Rag and Other Ragtime Classics (Rivermont) →
  6. James McClaskey & the Rhythm Band, Later on Blues (BigTone) →
  7. Gunhild Carling, Jazz Is My Lifestyle! (Jazz Art) →
  8. Terry Waldo & the Gotham City Band, Treasury Volume 1 (Turtle Bay) →
  9. Three Blind Mice, A Thing in Your Life (self-released) →
  10. The Hot Toddies Jazz Band (Prohibition Productions) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Centennial (1923, Archeophone) →
  2. Ford Dabney's Syncopated Orchestras, After Midnight (1917-22, Archeophone) →
  3. Raymond Burke, The Southland Recordings 1958-1960 (GHB) →
  4. Louis Vasnier, Genius of the Seventh Ward (1891-92, Archeophone) →
  5. Louis Jordan, World Broadcast Recordings 1944/45 (GHB/Circle) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Enrico Bettinello (Giornale della Musica [IT])

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Anna Butterss, Mighty Vertebrate (International Anthem) →
  2. Otis Sandsjö, Y-Otis Tre (We Jazz) →
  3. Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly, MESTIZX (International Anthem) →
  4. The Necks, Bleed (Northern Spy) →
  5. Ganavya, Like the Sky I've Been Too Quiet (Native Rebel) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Bill Beuttler (Emerson College, Boston Globe, DownBeat)

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Dan Bilawsky (All About Jazz, Dark Blue Notes, New York City Jazz Record, Music & Arts)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows, Heartland Radio (SoundSpore) →
  2. Ambrose Akinmusire, Owl Song (Nonesuch '23) →
  3. Hilary Gardner, On the Trail With the Lonesome Pines (Anzic) →
  4. Thembi Dunjana, God Bless iKapa. God Bless Mzantsi (AfricArise) →
  5. Geoff Bradfield, Colossal Abundance (Calligram) →
  6. Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note) →
  7. Alex Harding & Lucian Ban, Blutopia (Sunnyside) →
  8. Bill Frisell, Orchestras (Blue Note) →
  9. Chris Potter-Brad Mehldau-John Patitucci-Brian Blade, Eagle's Point (Edition) →
  10. Dan Pugach Big Band, Bianca (Outside In Music) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) →
  2. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance) →
  3. Art Tatum, Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings (Resonance) →
  4. Ron Miles, Old Main Chapel (2011, Blue Note) →
  5. Emily Remler, Cookin' at the Queens (1984-88, Resonance) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Note: Voter: "Would have voted for but couldn't (wrote liner notes): Marshall Gilkes and WDR Big Band, Life Songs (Alternate Side) (#1 Ranking); Jim Snidero, For All We Know (Savant) (#6 Ranking)."

Larry Birnbaum (Stereophile)

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Miles Davis Quintet, Miles in France 1963 & 1964 [The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8] (Columbia/Legacy) →
  2. Charles Gayle-Milford Graves-William Parker, WEBO (1991, Black Editions Archive) →
  3. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Centennial (1923, Archeophone) →
  4. Sun Ra, At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976-1977 (Jazz Detective) →
  5. Art Tatum, Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings (Resonance) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Larry Blumenfeld (Wall Street Journal)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Phillip Golub, Abiding Memory (Berthold/Endectomorph Music) →
  2. Meshell Ndegeocello, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin (Blue Note) →
  3. Patricia Brennan Septet, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic) →
  4. Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers, Central Park's Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens (Red Hook) →
  5. Immanuel Wilkins, Blues Blood (Blue Note) →
  6. Tyshawn Sorey Trio, The Susceptible Now (Pi) →
  7. Ganavya, Daughter of a Temple (Leiter) →
  8. Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet, Hear the Light Singing (RogueArt '23) →
  9. Allen Lowe & the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, Louis Armstrong's America (ESP-Disk) →
  10. Lucian Ban & Mat Maneri, Transylvanian Dance (ECM) →

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!) →
  2. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) →
  3. Andrew Hill Sextet Plus 10, A Beautiful Day Revisited (2002, Palmetto) →
  4. Ron Miles, Old Main Chapel (2011, Blue Note) →
  5. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Note: Also see Top 10 Reasons I Hate Top 10 Lists

Philip Booth (Jazziz, Relix, Culture Pop: Sound & Screen)

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note) →
  2. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance) →
  3. Miles Davis Quintet, Miles in France 1963 & 1964 [The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8] (Columbia/Legacy) →
  4. John Abercrombie-Dave Holland-Jack DeJohnette, Gateway (1975, ECM) →
  5. Terry Gibbs Dream Band, Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959 (Whaling City Sound) →

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

 

 [Ackermann - Booth] · [Borella - Davis] · [Dean-Harris - Geiken] · [Gijssels - Hull] · [Hum - Lange] · [Langhoff - Monsen] · [Moore - Saito] · [Saunders - Terano] · [Tesser - Yokoi]Next