I keep swearing to swear off critics polls. I fail when Francis Davis persuades me to take part in his. For years, Francis ran the Village Voice jazz critics poll. This year he moved the operation to the Rhapsody website and recruited more than 120 jazz critics, writers and broadcasters. Who knew there were so many jazz critics? Well, the definition is stretched, but the results are interesting.
The Winner
Here is some of what Davis wrote in his essay about the Beacon Theater (New York) concert that produced the winning Sonny Rollins album:
Exchanging nods of astonishment with the New York cognoscenti (including numerous devotees of free improvisation whose ears usually go numb at the mere suggestion of a recognizable melody or blues riff) as I exited the Beacon that night, the thought occurred that if Rollins were to approve a commercial release, there might be no need for a poll. I could simply introduce a resolution naming it Album of the Year by unanimous consent. Going into this year’s poll, the only question seemed to be Road Shows, Vol. 2’s margin of victory.
Here are the top ten finishers and their recordings.
1. Sonny Rollins, Road Shows, Vol. 2 (Doxy/Emarcy)
2. Ambrose Akinmusire, When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note)
3. Joe Lovano Us Five, Bird Songs (Blue Note)
4. Miguel Zenón, Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook (Marsalis Music)
5. Craig Taborn, Avenging Angel (ECM)
6. Matthew Shipp, Art of the Improviser (Thirsty Ear)
7. Lee Konitz-Brad Mehldau-Charlie Haden-Paul Motian, Live at Birdland (ECM)
8. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Samdhi (ACT)
9. JD Allen Trio, Victory! (Sunnyside)
10 (tie). Terri Lyne Carrington, The Mosaic Project (Concord Jazz)
10 (tie). Charles Lloyd & Maria Farantouri, Athens Concert (ECM)
That list is of new releases. The other categories are Reissues, Vocal, Debut and Latin. In his explanation of the poll methodology, Francis tells how he tabulated the points. I cannot imagine the hours of painstaking work he put in. To see complete results and the individual ballots of the 122 poll cats, go to the Rhapsody poll index page and begin your exploration by clicking on “The 2011 Jazz Critics’ Poll: The Results”. The index page has links to all elements of the poll and to essays and sidebar features. For what it’s worth, here is my ballot
NEW RELEASES
1.Jan Lundgren-Chuck Berghofer-Joe La Barbera,Together Again at the Jazz Bakery (Fresh Sound)
2.Ambrose Akinmusire, When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note)
3.Miguel Zenón, Alma Adentro: A Puerto Rican Songbook (Marsalis Music)
4.Jessica Williams, Freedom Trane (Origin)
5.Sonny Rollins, Road Shows, Vol. 2 (Doxy/Emarcy)
6.Rudresh Mahanthappa, Samdhi (ACT)
7.Tierney Sutton, American Road (BFM Jazz)
8.Kenny Wheeler, One of Many (CAM Jazz)
9.Matthew Shipp, Art of the Improviser (Thirsty Ear)
10.Wadada Leo Smith, Heart’s Reflections (Cuneiform)REISSUES
1.Stan Getz, Quintets: The Clef & Norgran Studio Albums (Hip-O-Select)
2.Bill Dixon, Intents and Purposes (International Phonograph)
3.Duke Ellington, The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings (Mosaic)VOCAL
Tierney Sutton, American Road (BFM Jazz)DEBUT
No choice.LATIN
Jerry Gonzalez, Jerry Gonzalez Y El Commando de la Clavé (Sunnyside)