The 19th Annual
Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll:
2024 Mid-Year
Past Polls Index
New Albums Rara Avis
Critics
Ackermann - DollarDonohue-Greene - HollisHull - MilesMilner - TaylorToland - Wilson

2024 Mid-Year Totals: Rara Avis (Reissues/Archival)

Critics were asked to list up to five reissues in descending order, with points as follows: 1: 2.0; 2: 1.6; 3: 1.4; 4: 1.2, 5: 1.0. Voters were also allowed to submit unranked lists, where each album listed received 1 point. The first bold number indicates total points; the number in parentheses tallies ballots on which a CD appeared, which was used as a tiebreaker.

  1. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!) 44.2 (28) →
  2. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance) 41 (27) →
  3. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music) 37.2 (26) →
  4. Art Tatum, Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings (Resonance) 32.4 (23) →
  5. Ron Miles, Old Main Chapel (2011, Blue Note) 24.4 (17) → :: Includes 3(3) from New.
  6. Sun Ra, At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976-1977 (Jazz Detective) 22.2 (17) →
  7. Charles Gayle-Milford Graves-William Parker, WEBO (1991, Black Editions Archive) 16.6 (10) →
  8. Yusef Lateef, Atlantis Lullaby: The Concert From Avignon (1972, Elemental Music) 13.2 (11) →
  9. Tomasz Stanko Quartet, September Night (2004, ECM) 12.6 (9) → :: Includes 3(3) from New.
  10. Cecil Taylor Unit, Live at Fat Tuesday's February 9, 1980 [First Visit] (1980, Ezz-Thetics) 10.4 (7) →
  11. Cannonball Adderley, Burnin' in Bordeaux: Live in France 1969 (Elemental Music) 10.2 (8) →
  12. Cannonball Adderley, Poppin' in Paris: Live at L'Olympia 1972 (Elemental Music) 6.6 (6) →
  13. Shelly Manne & His Men, Jazz From the Pacific Northwest (1958-66, Reel to Real) 6.4 (6) →
  14. Soft Machine, Høvikkoden 1971 (Cuneiform) 4 (3) →
  15. Sun Ra & His Arkestra, Pink Elephants on Parade (1985-90, Modern Harmonic) 4 (3) →
  16. Louis Armstrong, Louis in London (1968, Verve) 3.8 (3) →
  17. Karen Borca Trio Quartet & Quintet, Good News Blues: Live at the Vision Festival 1998 & 2005 (NoBusiness) 3.8 (3) →
  18. Chet Baker & Jack Sheldon, In Perfect Harmony: The Lost Album (1972, Jazz Detective) 3.6 (3) →
  19. Bobby Hutcherson, Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970 (Mosaic) 3.6 (3) →
  20. Nat King Cole, Live at the Blue Note Chicago (1953, Iconic) 3.6 (2) →
  21. Tony Oxley, Angular Apron (1992, Corbett vs. Dempsey) 3.6 (2) →
  22. Christer Bothén Featuring Bolon Bata, Trancedance [40th Anniversary Edition] (1984, Black Truffle) 3.4 (3) →
  23. John Abercrombie-Dave Holland-Jack DeJohnette, Gateway (1975, ECM) 3.4 (2) →
  24. Gush, Afro Blue (1998, Trost) 3 (3) → :: Includes 2(2) from New.
  25. Die Like a Dog [Peter Brötzmann-Toshinori Kondo-William Parker-Hamid Drake], Fragments of Music, Life and Death of Albert Ayler (1994, Cien Fuegos) 3 (2) →
  26. Brother Jack McDuff, Ain't No Sunshine: Live in Seattle (1972, Reel to Real) 3 (2) →
  27. Kenny Wheeler, Angel Song (1996, ECM) 3 (2) →
  28. Wes Montgomery/Wynton Kelly Trio, Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings (Resonance '23) 2.6 (2) →
  29. Sun Ra, Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVC (1986, Strut) 2.6 (2) →
  30. Peter Brötzmann-Toshinori Kondo-Sabu Toyozumi, Complete Link (2016, NoBusiness) 2.4 (2) →
  31. Phil Haynes' 4 Horns and What?, The Complete American Recordings (1989-95, Corner Store Jazz) 2.4 (2) →
  32. The Louis Stewart Trio, Louis the First (1975, Livia) 2.4 (2) →
  33. Anthony Braxton, Solo Bern 1984 [First Visit] (Ezz-Thetics) 2.2 (2) →
  34. Anthony Braxton-Roland Dahinden-Hildegard Kleeb, Four Compositions (Wesleyan) 2013 (Prague Music Platform '23) 2 (1) →
  35. Ford Dabney's Syncopated Orchestras, After Midnight (1917-22, Archeophone) 2 (1) →
  36. Jan Garbarek Quartet, Afric Pepperbird (1970, ECM) 2 (1) →
  37. Herbie Hancock, Speak Like a Child (1968, Blue Note) 2 (1) →
  38. Joe Henderson, Power to the People (1969, Craft/Jazz Dispensary) 2 (1) →
  39. Charles Mingus, Mingus Takes Manhattan: The Complete Birdland Dates: 1961-1962 (New Land) 2 (1) →
  40. Maria Schneider, Decades (ArtistShare) 2 (1) →
  41. Peter Brötzmann & Paal Nilssen-Love, Chicken Shit Bingo (2015, Trost) 1.6 (1) → :: Belongs in New.
  42. Jack Bruce, Smiles and Grins: Broadcast Sessions 1970-2001 (Esoteric) 1.6 (1) →
  43. Raymond Burke, The Southland Recordings 1958-1960 (GHB) 1.6 (1) →
  44. John Coltrane 4tet, Live in France July 27/28 1965: The Complete Concerts (Fingerpoppin) 1.6 (1) →
  45. Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra, L'Intercommunal (1976-78, Souffle Continu) 1.6 (1) →
  46. Lee Konitz, TenorLee (1977, Candid '23) 1.6 (1) →
  47. Phil Ranelin, The Found Tapes: 1968-1971 (ORG Music) 1.6 (1) →
  48. Sun Ra, Excelsior Mill (1984, Sundazed/Modern Harmonic) 1.6 (1) →
  49. Geri Allen & Kurt Rosenwinkel, A Lovesome Thing (2012, Motema Music '23) 1.4 (1) →
  50. Black Artist Group, For Peace and Liberty: In Paris, Dec 1972 (WeWantSounds) 1.4 (1) →
  51. Marion Brown, Three for Shepp to Gesprächsfetzen Revisited (1966-68, Ezz-Thetics) 1.4 (1) →
  52. Don Byas, Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944-1946 (Mosaic '23) 1.4 (1) →
  53. Children of the Sun, Ofamfa (1971, Moved-by-Sound) 1.4 (1) →
  54. Emahoy Tsegue Maryam Gebru, Souvenirs (1977-85, Mississippi) 1.4 (1) →
  55. Hampton Hawes, For Real! (1958, Craft) 1.4 (1) →
  56. Louis Jordan, World Broadcast Recordings 1944/45 (Circle) 1.4 (1) →
  57. Charlie Mariano, Boppin' in Boston 1947-1953 (Fresh Sound) 1.4 (1) →
  58. Les McCann, Never a Dull Moment! Live From Coast to Coast 1966-1967 (Resonance '23) 1.4 (1) →
  59. Pat Metheny, Bright Size Life (1975, ECM) 1.4 (1) →
  60. Archie Shepp, Poem for Malcolm (1969, BYG-Actuel) 1.4 (1) →
  61. Sun Ra Akrestra, Live at Pit-Inn Tokyo, Japan 8-8-1988 (Super Fuji Discs) 1.4 (1) →
  62. Mal Waldron & Terumasa Hino, Reminscent Suite (1973, BBE) 1.4 (1) →
  63. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet, Live in Montreal: May 1975 (Liberation Hall) 1.2 (1) →
  64. Art Ensemble of Chicago, A Jackson in Your House (1969, BYG-Actuel) 1.2 (1) →
  65. Steve Beresford & Anne Marie Beretta, Dancing the Line (1985, WeWantSounds) 1.2 (1) →
  66. Joe Fonda, From the Source (1998, Fundacja Sluchaj '23) 1.2 (1) →
  67. Gastr del Sol, We Have Dozens of Titles (1993-98, Drag City) 1.2 (1) →
  68. Johnny Griffin, Live at Ronnie Scott's (1964, Gearbox '23) 1.2 (1) →
  69. The Jazzanians, We Have Waited Too Long (1988, Ubuntu Music) 1.2 (1) →
  70. Harold Land, The Fox (1960, Craft) 1.2 (1) →
  71. Cal Tjader, Catch the Groove: Live at the Penthouse 1963-1967 (Jazz Detective/Elemental '23) 1.2 (1) →
  72. Alan Tomlinson Trio, Loft 1993 (Scatter Archive) 1.2 (1) →
  73. Gerald Wiggins, Classic Trio Sessions 1956-1957 (Fresh Sound) 1.2 (1) →
  74. Cootie Williams, Concerto for Cootie: Selected Recordings 1928-62 (Acrobat) 1.2 (1) →
  75. Jessica Williams, Orgonomic Muic (1981, Sundazed) 1.2 (1) →
  76. The Monty Alexander Trio, Montreux Alexander: Live! at the Montreux Festival (1976, MPS) 1 (1) →
  77. Barry Altschul-David Izenson-Perry Robinson, Stop Time: Live at Prince Street, 1978 (NoBusiness '23) 1 (1) →
  78. Atrás del Cosmos, Cold Drinks, Hot Dreams (1980, Blank Forms Editions) 1 (1) →
  79. Derek Bailey & Sabu Toyozumi, Breath Awareness (1987, NoBusiness) 1 (1) →
  80. George Cartwright's GloryLand PonyCat, Black Ants Crawling (2003, Mahakala Music) 1 (1) →
  81. Bill Evans, The Legendary Trio at Birdland 1960 Revisited (Ezz-Thetics) 1 (1) →
  82. Fingers, The Complete Fingers Remember Mingus (1979-93, Jazz in Britain) 1 (1) →
  83. Stan Getz & Bill Evans, Previously Unreleased Recordings (1963, Verve) 1 (1) →
  84. Johnny Griffin Quartet, Live in Valencia 92 (Storyville) 1 (1) →
  85. Grupo Irakere, Teatro Amadeo Roldan Recital (1974, Mr Bongo) 1 (1) →
  86. Fumio Itabashi, Watarase (1982, Wewantsounds) 1 (1) →
  87. Legends & the Lost: Rare & Hot Jazz 1929-1931 (Frog) 1 (1) →
  88. Roberto Magris, Love Is Passing Thru: Solo/Duo/Trio/Quartet (2005, JMood) 1 (1) → :: Includes 1(1) from New.
  89. Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Live From Studio Rivbea: July 12, 1975 [Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 1] (NoBusiness) 1 (1) →
  90. Charles Mingus, Incarnations (1960, Candid) 1 (1) →
  91. Hank Mobley, Workout (1962, Blue Note Classic Vinyl) 1 (1) →
  92. Louis Moholo-Moholo's Viva-La-Black (1988, Ogun) 1 (1) →
  93. Gerry Mulligan, Night Lights (1963, Philips) 1 (1) →
  94. Paal Nilssen-Love & Ken Vandermark, Japan 2019 (PNL/Audiographic) 1 (1) → :: Belongs in New.
  95. Oscar Peterson, Con Alma: Live in Lugano, 1964 (Mack Avenue '23) 1 (1) →
  96. The Oscar Pettiford Memorial Concert (1960, SteepleChase) 1 (1) →
  97. Sonny Rollins, A Night at the Village Vanguard: The Complete Masters (1958, Blue Note) 1 (1) →
  98. Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Next Step Band: Live at Smalls 1996 (Heartcore) 1 (1) →
  99. Frank Paul Schubert-Michel Pilz-Stefan Scheib-Klaus Kugel, Live at FreeJazz Saar 2019 (Nemu) 1 (1) →
  100. Septet Matchi-Oul, Terremoto (1971, Souffle Continu) 1 (1) →
  101. Archie Shepp, Derailleur: The 1964 Demo (Triple Point '23) 1 (1) →
  102. Wayne Shorter, Odyssey of Iska (1970, Blue Note Tone Poet) 1 (1) →
  103. Nina Simone, Blackbird: The Colpix Recordings (1959-1963) (Soul Music) 1 (1) →
  104. Pat Smythe Quartet, New Dawn: Live 1973 (British Progressive Jazz) 1 (1) →
  105. John Taylor-Norma Winstone-Kenny Wheeler, Azimuth (1977, ECM) 1 (1) →
  106. Mal Waldron, The Quest (1962, Craft/OJC) 1 (1) →
  107. Bobby Watson, Love Remains (1986, RED) 1 (1) →
  108. Mars Williams & Hamid Drake, I Know You Are but What Am I (1996, Corbett vs. Dempsey) 1 (1) →
  109. The John Wright Trio, South Side Soul (1960, Craft) 1 (1) →

Total albums receiving votes: 109

Footnotes:

Awarded 1 vote/point for each vote a Rara Avis album received under New Releases:

Notes

We're not crediting old votes in the Mid-Year Poll, but we should note that the following albums receiving votes here also received votes in 2023: