The 19th Annual
Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll:
2024

Ballots 2024 [2]

Mike Borella (Avant Music News)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. David Maranha & Rodrigo Amado, Wrecks (Nariz Entupido)
  2. Nathan Hubbard & Kyle Motl, Obsidian (Confront)
  3. Anna Webber, Simpletrio2000 (Intakt)
  4. أحمد [Ahmed], Giant Beauty (Fönstret)
  5. Thumbscrew, Wingbeats (Cuneiform)
  6. Sally Gates-Steve Hirsh-Daniel Carter, Phosphene (Mahakala Music)
  7. Patricia Brennan Septet, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)
  8. Jeremiah Cymerman, Body of Light (5049)
  9. Seth Andrew Davis & Will Yager, April 8th, 1969 (Ox Cart New Music)
  10. John Blum Quartet Featuring Marshall Allen, Deep Space (Astral Spirits)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Stuart Broomer (Free Jazz Collective, Musicworks, New York City Jazz Record, Point of Departure)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. David Maranha & Rodrigo Amado, Wrecks (Nariz Entupido)
  2. أحمد [Ahmed], Giant Beauty (Fönstret)
  3. Transatlantic Trance Map, Marconi's Drift (False Walls)
  4. Joëlle Léandre, Lifetime Rebel (RogueArt)
  5. Jason Stein-Marilyn Crispell-Damon Smith-Adam Shead, Spi-raling Horn (Balance Point Acoustics)
  6. Alexander Hawkins & Sofia Jernberg, Musho (Intakt)
  7. Anthony Braxton, 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (Braxton House)
  8. James Brandon Lewis Quartet, Transfiguration (Intakt)
  9. Ute Kanngießer-Eddie Prévost-Seymour Wright, Splendid Nettle (Matchless)
  10. Matt Mitchell, Zealous Angles (Pi)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Charles Gayle-Milford Graves-William Parker, WEBO (1991, Black Editions Archive)
  2. Andrew Hill Sextet Plus 10, A Beautiful Day Revisited (2002, Palmetto)
  3. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music)
  4. Yusef Lateef, Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert From Avignon (1972, Elemental Music)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Bill Brownlee (Plastic Sax)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Sunny Five [Tim Berne-David Torn-Ches Smith-Devin Hoff-Marc Ducret], Candid (Intakt)
  2. Borderlands Trio [Stephan Crump-Kris Davis-Eric McPherson], Rewilder (Intakt)
  3. Nduduzo Makhathini, Unomkhubulwane (Blue Note)
  4. Tord Gustavsen Trio, Seeing (ECM)
  5. Tomeka Reid-Isadora Edwards-Elisabeth Coudoux, Reid/Edwards/Coudoux (Relative Pitch)
  6. Fred Hersch, Silent, Listening (ECM)
  7. Joe Sanders, Parallels (Whirlwind)
  8. Amirtha Kidambi's Elder Ones, New Monuments (We Jazz)
  9. أحمد [Ahmed], Wood Blues (Astral Spirits)
  10. The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!)

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. Charles Gayle-Milford Graves-William Parker, WEBO (1991, Black Editions Archive)
  4. Miles Davis Quintet, Miles in France 1963 & 1964 [The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8] (Columbia/Legacy)
  5. Charlie Parker, Bird in Kansas City (1941-51, Verve)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Dan Buskirk (WPRB [Princeton], Fun2Know Podcast)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Jeff Parker ETA IVtet, The Way Out of Easy (International Anthem)
  2. Matthew Shipp Trio, New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk)
  3. Amirtha Kidambi's Elder Ones, New Monuments (We Jazz)
  4. Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash, To March Is to Love (Cuneiform)
  5. Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note)
  6. Darius Jones, Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) (AUM Fidelity)
  7. William Parker-Cooper-Moore-Hamid Drake, Heart Trio (AUM Fidelity)
  8. Beings, There Is a Garden (No Quarter)
  9. Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio, Jet Black (Libra)
  10. Sam Gendel-Benny Bock-Hans Kjorstad, Dream Trio (Leaving)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Byard Lancaster, The Complete Palm Recordings 1973-1974 (Souffle Continu)
  2. Black Artist Group, For Peace and Liberty: In Paris, Dec 1972 (WeWantSounds)
  3. Sun Ra, Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVC (1986, Strut)
  4. Yusef Lateef, Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert From Avignon (1972, Elemental Music)
  5. Ron Miles, Old Main Chapel (2011, Blue Note)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Esteban Arizpe Castaņeda (El Intruso)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Unionen, Unionen (We Jazz)
  2. Peter Evans, Extra (We Jazz)
  3. Vijay Iyer, Compassion (ECM)
  4. Joe Fonda Quartet, Eyes on the Horizon (Long Song)
  5. Mary Halvorson, Cloudward (Nonesuch)
  6. Joëlle Léandre, Lifetime Rebel (RogueArt)
  7. Bill Frisell, Orchestras (Blue Note)
  8. Ches Smith, Laugh Ash (Pyroclastic)
  9. Matt Mitchell, Zealous Angles (Pi)
  10. Sylvie Courvoisier, To Be Other-Wise (Intakt)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Keith Jarrett-Gary Peacock-Paul Motian, The Old Country (1992, ECM)
  2. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!)
  3. Sun Ra, At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976-1977 (Jazz Detective)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Nuno Catarino (jazz.pt)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Mary Halvorson, Cloudward (Nonesuch)
  2. Old Mountain, Another State of Rhythm (Clean Feed)
  3. Amaro Freitas, Y'Y (Psychic Hotline)
  4. Carlos Bica, 11:11 (Clean Feed)
  5. Kris Davis Trio, Run the Gauntlet (Pyroclastic)
  6. Julian Lage, Speak to Me (Blue Note)
  7. Move, Free Baile: Live in Shenzhen (Clean Feed)
  8. Patricia Brennan Septet, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)
  9. Pat Thomas, The Solar Model of Ibn Al-Shatir (Otoroku)
  10. Marta Sanchez Trio, Perpetual Void (Intakt)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note)
  2. Pharoah Sanders, Thembi (1970-71, Impulse!)
  3. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!)
  4. Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Live From Studio Rivbea: July 12, 1975 [Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 1] (NoBusiness)
  5. Phil Markowitz, Trio Portugal (1999, self-released)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Jeff Cebulski (Chicago Jazz, New York City Jazz Record)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Vijay Iyer, Compassion (ECM)
  2. Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note)
  3. James Brandon Lewis Quartet, Transfiguration (Intakt)
  4. Lux Quartet, Tomorrowland (Enja/Yellowbird)
  5. Peter Bernstein, Better Angels (Smoke Sessions)
  6. One for All, Big George (Smoke Sessions)
  7. Walter Smith III, Three of Us Are From Houston and Reuben Is Not (Blue Note)
  8. Joel Ross, Nublues (Blue Note)
  9. Chris Potter-Brad Mehldau-John Patitucci-Brian Blade, Eagle's Point (Edition)
  10. Immanuel Wilkins, Blues Blood (Blue Note)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Tomasz Stanko Quartet, September Night (2004, ECM)
  2. Roy Hargrove's Crisol, Grande-Terre (1998, Verve)
  3. Emily Remler, Cookin' at the Queens (1984-88, Resonance)
  4. Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Next Step Band: Live at Smalls 1996 (Heartcore)
  5. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

John Chacona (All About Jazz, Let's Call This)

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Gary Chapin (Free Jazz Collective)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Tim Berne-Hank Roberts-Aurora Nealand [Oceans And], Lucid/Still (Screwgun)
  2. George Cartwright & Bruce Golden, Dilate (self-released)
  3. Ivo Perelman-Chad Fowler-Reggie Workman-Andrew Cyrille, Embracing the Unknown (Mahakala Music)
  4. Matthew Shipp Trio, New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk)
  5. Liba Villavecchia Trio + Luis Vicente, Muracik (Clean Feed)
  6. Moor Mother, The Great Bailout (Anti-)
  7. ØKSE, ØKSE (Backwoodz Studioz)
  8. Space, Embrace the Space (Relative Pitch)
  9. أحمد [Ahmed], Giant Beauty (Fönstret)
  10. Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet, Hear the Light Singing (RogueArt '23)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Tim Berne, Live in Someplace Nice (1984, Screwgun)
  2. George Cartwright, The Ghostly Bee (2005, Mahakala Music '23)
  3. Cecil Taylor Unit, Live at Fat Tuesday's February 9, 1980 [First Visit] (1980, Ezz-Thetics)
  4. Tim Berne & Michael Formanek, Parlour Games (1991, Relative Pitch)
  5. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Nate Chinen (WRTI, NPR Music, The Gig)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Patricia Brennan Septet, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)
  2. Immanuel Wilkins, Blues Blood (Blue Note)
  3. Kris Davis Trio, Run the Gauntlet (Pyroclastic)
  4. David Murray Quartet, Francesca (Intakt)
  5. Vanisha Gould and Chris McCarthy, Life's a Gig (Fresh Sound New Talent)
  6. Jihye Lee Orchestra, Infinite Connections (Motéma Music)
  7. Vijay Iyer, Compassion (ECM)
  8. Matt Mitchell, Illimitable (Obliquity)
  9. Nala Sinephro, Endlessness (Warp)
  10. Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note)
  2. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!)
  3. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance)
  4. Roy Hargrove's Crisol, Grande-Terre (1998, Verve)
  5. Keith Jarrett-Gary Peacock-Paul Motian, The Old Country (1992, ECM)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Robert Christgau (And It Don't Stop)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Jason Moran, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield (Yes '23)
  2. Allen Lowe & the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, America: The Rough Cut (ESP-Disk '23)
  3. Taj Mahal, Savoy (Stony Plain '23)
  4. El Michels Affair & Black Thought, Glorious Game (Big Crown '23)
  5. David Murray Quartet, Francesca (Intakt)
  6. Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet, Four Guitars Live (Palilalia)
  7. Robert Finley, Black Bayou (Easy Eye Sound '23)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Louis Armstrong, Louis in London (1968, Verve)
  2. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Troy Collins (Point of Departure)

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Phil Haynes' 4 Horns and What?, The Complete American Recordings (1989-95, Corner Store Jazz)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Thomas Conrad (Stereophile, All About Jazz)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Ryan Truesdell, Synthesis: The String Quartet Sessions (ArtistShare)
  2. Avishai Cohen, Ashes to Gold (ECM)
  3. Out Of/Into [Joel Ross-Gerald Clayton-Kendrick Scott-Matt Brewer-Immanuel Wilkins], Motion I (Blue Note)
  4. Miguel Zenón, Golden City (Miel Music)
  5. Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note)
  6. Kris Davis Trio, Run the Gauntlet (Pyroclastic)
  7. Joel Ross, Nublues (Blue Note)
  8. Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones: Live at the Village Vanguard (BCM+D)
  9. Giovanni Guidi, A New Day (ECM)
  10. Jim Snidero, For All We Know (Savant)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Keith Jarrett-Gary Peacock-Paul Motian, The Old Country (1992, ECM)
  2. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance)
  3. Tomasz Stanko Quartet, September Night (2004, ECM)
  4. Bill Evans, In Norway: The Kongsberg Concert (1970, Elemental Music)
  5. Andrew Hill Sextet Plus 10, A Beautiful Day Revisited (2002, Palmetto)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

J.D. Considine (DownBeat)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Kris Davis Trio, Run the Gauntlet (Pyroclastic)
  2. Vijay Iyer, Compassion (ECM)
  3. Tyshawn Sorey Trio, The Susceptible Now (Pi)
  4. Patricia Brennan Septet, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)
  5. Anna Webber, Simpletrio2000 (Intakt)
  6. Mary Halvorson, Cloudward (Nonesuch)
  7. James Brandon Lewis Quartet, Transfiguration (Intakt)
  8. Chris Potter-Brad Mehldau-John Patitucci-Brian Blade, Eagle's Point (Edition)
  9. Steve Coleman and Five Elements, PolyTropos/Of Many Turns (Pi)
  10. Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer, But Who's Gonna Play the Melody? (Mack Avenue)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966, Blue Note)
  2. Miles Davis Quintet, Miles in France 1963 & 1964 [The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8] (Columbia/Legacy)
  3. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!)
  4. Bobby Hutcherson, Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970 (Mosaic)
  5. Tim Berne & Michael Formanek, Parlour Games (1991, Relative Pitch)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Mark Corroto (All About Jazz)

NEW ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Brad Cohan (Bandcamp Daily, New York City Jazz Record)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Matthew Shipp Trio, New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk)
  2. Jamie Saft Trio, Plays Monk (Oystertones)
  3. Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash, To March Is to Love (Cuneiform)
  4. Thollem McDonas, Infinite-Sum Game (ESP-Disk)
  5. Amirtha Kidambi's Elder Ones, New Monuments (We Jazz)
  6. Ivo Perelman-Mark Helias-Tom Rainey, Truth Seeker (Fundacja Sluchaj)
  7. Fay Victor, Herbie Nichols SUNG: Life Is Funny That Way (TAO Forms)
  8. Patricia Brennan Septet, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)
  9. Brandon Seabrook, Object of Unknown Function (Pyroclastic)
  10. Darius Jones, Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) (AUM Fidelity)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

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

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Michael Coyle (WRCU [Colgate University])

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Open Me, a Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit (Spiritmuse)
  2. Jon Batiste, Beethoven Blues [Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1] (Verve/Interscope)
  3. Julian Lage, Speak to Me (Blue Note)
  4. Thomas Heberer-Joe Fonda-Joe Hertenstein, Remedy II (Fundacja Słuchaj '23)
  5. Mary Halvorson, Cloudward (Nonesuch)
  6. Kris Davis Trio, Run the Gauntlet (Pyroclastic)
  7. Caleb Wheeler Curtis, The True Story of Bears and the Invention of the Battery (Imani)
  8. Alex LoRe, Motivity (Weirdear)
  9. Michael Wollny & Joachim Kühn, Duo (ACT Music)
  10. Lynne Arriale Trio, Being Human (Challenge)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music)
  2. Sun Ra, Lights on a Satellite: Live at the Left Bank (1978, Resonance)
  3. James P. Johnson, World Broadcast Recordings (1944, Solo Art)
  4. Charles Mingus, Mingus Takes Manhattan: The Complete Birdland Dates: 1961-1962 (New Land)
  5. Don Byas, Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944-1946 (Mosaic '23)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

David Cristol (Free Jazz Collective)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Matthew Shipp, The Data (RogueArt)
  2. Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers, Central Park's Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens (Red Hook)
  3. Pat Thomas, The Solar Model of Ibn Al-Shatir (Otoroku)
  4. Pentadox, As if It Were Tomorrow (Challenge)
  5. Pedro Melo Alves, Conundrum Vol. 1: Itself Through Disappearance (Clean Feed)
  6. Joëlle Léandre, Lifetime Rebel (RogueArt)
  7. Peter Evans, Extra (We Jazz)
  8. Caveira, Ficar Vivo (Shhpuma)
  9. Piotr Michalowski & Damon Smith, How to Ripen in Ice (Balance Point Acoustics)
  10. Paul Dunmall-Tobias Delius-Olie Brice-Mark Sanders, No Better Than Butcher Bird (Fundacja Słuchaj)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Byard Lancaster, The Complete Palm Recordings 1973-1974 (Souffle Continu)
  2. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music)
  3. Art Ensembe of Chicago, Message to Our Folks (1969, BYG Actuel)
  4. Archie Shepp, Live at the Panafrican Festival (1971, BYG Actuel)
  5. Sun Ra, At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976-1977 (Jazz Detective)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Raul da Gama (Global Jazz Media, That Canadian Magazine, Latin Jazz Network, JazzdaGama, The WholeNote, Hot House Jazz)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Mary Halvorson, Cloudward (Nonesuch)
  2. Joel Ross, Nublues (Blue Note)
  3. Kris Davis Trio, Run the Gauntlet (Pyroclastic)
  4. Miguel Zenón, Golden City (Miel Music)
  5. Vijay Iyer, Compassion (ECM)
  6. Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers, Central Park's Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens (Red Hook)
  7. Jihye Lee Orchestra, Infinite Connections (Motéma Music)
  8. Shabaka, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace (Impulse!)
  9. Patricia Brennan Septet, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)
  10. Catherine Russell & Sean Mason, My Ideal (Dot Time)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Alice Coltrane, A Monastic Trio (1968, Impulse!)
  2. Charles Tolliver Music Inc., Live at the Captain's Cabin (1973, Cellar Music)
  3. Don Ellis, How Time Passes to Essence Revisited (1960-62, Ezz-Thetics)
  4. Sun Ra, At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976-1977 (Jazz Detective)
  5. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Francis Davis (emeritus)

NEW ALBUMS

  1. Allen Lowe & the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, Louis Armstrong's America (ESP-Disk)
  2. Thumbscrew, Wingbeats (Cuneiform)
  3. Lux Quartet, Tomorrowland (Enja/Yellowbird)
  4. Matthew Shipp Trio, New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk)
  5. Vijay Iyer, Compassion (ECM)
  6. Patricia Brennan Septet, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)
  7. Dave Douglas, Gifts (Greenleaf Music)
  8. Ryan Truesdell, Synthesis: The String Quartet Sessions (ArtistShare)
  9. Kim Cass, Levs (Pi)
  10. Walter Smith III, Three of Us Are From Houston and Reuben Is Not (Blue Note)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

  1. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance)
  2. Andrew Hill Sextet Plus 10, A Beautiful Day Revisited (2002, Palmetto)
  3. Yusef Lateef, Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert From Avignon (1972, Elemental Music)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT