Ballots 2025 [3]

The 20th Annual
Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll:
2025

Past Polls Index Critics

Ballots 2025 [3]

Ken Dryden (New York City Jazz Record, Hot House, Timeless Jazz [WUTC-FM])

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

No choice.

Chuck Eddy (Poplar Mucilage, Eliminated for Reasons of Space, Napster)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

No choice.

VOCAL

No choice.

LATIN

DEBUT

No choice.

John Ephland (DownBeat, All About Jazz)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Lee Rice Epstein (Free Jazz Collective, But does it swing?)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Steve Erickson (ArtsFuse)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

No choice.

LATIN

No choice.

DEBUT

No choice.

Steve Feeney (ArtsFuse, Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Gary Finney (WQLN NPR [Erie, PA], Jazz Buffalo)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Phil Freeman (Stereogum, The Wire, DownBeat, Burning Ambulance)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

No choice.

VOCAL

No choice.

LATIN

No choice.

DEBUT

No choice.

Note: Also see The 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2025 (Stereogum)

Filipe Freitas (JazzTrail)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

No choice.

VOCAL

No choice.

LATIN

DEBUT

Note: Debut vote for Trio of Bloom rejected.

Pat Frisco (WHFR-FM [Dearborn, MI])

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

No choice.

LATIN

No choice.

DEBUT

No choice.

Jon Garelick (Arts Fuse, Boston Globe)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

No choice.

DEBUT

Note: Also see the author's section in The Best Jazz Albums of 2025

Ana Gavrilovska (Uncut)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

No choice.

LATIN

No choice.

DEBUT

No choice.

Richard Gehr (Relix)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

No choice.

DEBUT

Brooks Geiken (Arts Fuse, LatinJazzNet, Substack)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Kurt Gottschalk (New York City Jazz Record, The Wire, WKCR)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

No choice.

DEBUT

David A. Graham (The Atlantic)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

No choice.

LATIN

No choice.

DEBUT

Ludovico Granvassu (All About Jazz/All About Jazz Italia, Radio Free Brooklyn: Mondo Jazz)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS (unranked)

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Mike Greenblatt (The Jersey Sound, Goldmine, The Aquarian)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Note: Perceptions Trio is not strictly a debut album (Rose and Joray have previous, but were not well known).

George Grella (The Brooklyn Rail, Red Hook/Village Star-Revue, Bandcamp Daily, Kill Yr Idols, Minimalist Music)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Jason Gross (Perfect Sound Forever, New York City Jazz Record, Rock & Roll Globe)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS

RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)

VOCAL

LATIN

DEBUT

Note: Latin vote for Foto Rodríguez Y Charanga La Única, Homenaje a Pupi Legarreta (TTH) couldn't be verified, so voter took it off list.