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