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Saturday, April 25, 2015
Downbeat Critics Poll 2015
Earlier this week I filled out my ballot for Downbeat's 2015 Critics
Poll. I took my usual
copious notes, but I'll just
give you the highlights here -- follow the link for more details. The
poll is very time-consuming: I've never finished it in a single day
(took two this time, at least ten hours). The big problem is that they
ask about fifty questions: mostly to identify the best (or most important
or something like that) musicians by instrument (or some other category
like composer or arranger), and for each question they have a second
ballot slot for "rising star." They used to call the latter TDWR, an
acronym for "talent deserving wider recognition," which makes much more
sense to me. Even if I wanted to, I'm not sure what sense it would make
to try to rank musicians. So all I can try to do is to mention a few
people I think we should be aware of.
Sometimes those people are obvious -- until their deaths, Steve Lacy
on soprano sax and Billy Bang on violin were automatic choices. Often
they aren't, in some cases because there's so much competition -- piano,
bass, and drums are the top tier; trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax, and
increasingly guitar the second -- and sometimes because there is so
little (flute, baritone sax -- a special case here is an instrument
mostly played by non-specialists, like soprano sax, electric bass,
and electric keyboards). Still, in all cases, the picks I made were
spur of the moment, subject to the limited information I could think
of and whatever whims occurred to me. More often than not, I limited
my picks to names listed on the ballot form. This was especially so
in nebulous categories like "Jazz Artist" or things I don't keep
good mental tabs on (like "Arranger," "Composer," and "Producer").
I have fewer qualms about ranking albums. It's all too true that
it is often impossible to weigh the relative merits -- even on such
a subjective basis as personal pleasure -- of any pair of albums.
The only consistent criteria I can think of would be the order in
which I'd buy albums. Of course, that is the most subjective scale
of all, which makes it pretty arbitrary when anyone else looks at
it. Such rank lists should be easy for me give that I've already
spent much effort at constructing them -- e.g., see my
2014 EOY Jazz List.
(I haven't assembled a 2015 Jazz List yet, but the list-in-progress
can be sorted out from my
2015 List.) One complication is
that Downbeat insists on skewing the eligibility list to run from
April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2015 release dates instead of using
the previous (2014) calendar year. I don't generally keep track of
release dates below year granularity, so it would be a huge effort
at this point to research 2014 release dates. (Actually, I can't
even trust 2015 release dates: I already have several April releases
in my 2015 file. So I can save myself some work by limiting my vote
to Downbeat's ballot. The problem here is that Downbeat only lists
10-12 albums I consider A-list, out of 60-70 albums I grade that
high. Writing in a name sometimes encourages Downbeat to include
that name on future ballots, but writing in an album won't have any
future effect. So I tried to apply my rank list (interpolating early
2015 releases in place of early 2014 releases) to their ballot, with
the result that I voted for my number 1 and 24 2014 albums plus one
2015 album that will probably wind up close to number 20. I took the
same approach to Historical Album, Blues Album, and Beyond Album
(surprised that Wussy got nominated in the latter). The notes file
provides the full breakdowns for the album votes. One reason I make
a point of jotting down all of the records I haven't heard is that
they give me a reference for future listening (although, frankly,
they put a lot of albums on these lists I know better than to bother
with).
Each category allowed me to split 10 points among three candidates.
I followed their earlier convention of spliting those points 5-3-2
for the two three picks. Write-ins are italicized below. So, without
further ado, my votes:
- Hall of Fame: Lee Konitz (5), George Russell (3),
Don Byas (2).
- Jazz Artist: Anthony Braxton (5), William Parker (3),
Ken Vandermark (2).
- Rising Star -- Jazz Artist: Steve Lehman (5), Mary
Halvorson (3), Craig Taborn (2).
- Jazz Album of the Year (April 1, 2014-March 31, 2015):
Steve Lehman Octet, Mis En Abime (Pi) (5);
Charles McPherson, The Journey (Capri -15) (3);
Bobby Avey, Authority Melts From Me (Whirlwind) (2).
- Historical Album (April 1, 2014-March 31, 2015):
Sun Ra, In the Orbit of Ra (Strut) (5);
Charles Lloyd, Manhattan Stories (Resonance) (3);
Charlie Haden/Jim Hall, Charlie Haden -- Jim Hall (Impulse!)
(2).
- Jazz Group: Microscopic Septet (5),
Mostly Other People Do the Killing (3),
Rova (2).
- Rising Star Jazz Group:
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble (5),
Mostly Other People Do the Killing (3),
Digital Primitives (2).
- Big Band:
Steven Bernstein Millennial Territory Orchestra (5),
ICP Orchestra (3),
Ken Vandermark's Resonance Ensemble (2).
- Rising Star Big Band:
Ken Vandermark's Resonance Ensemble (5),
Ghost Train Orchestra (3),
Howard Wiley and the Angola Project (2).
- Trumpet:
Dave Douglas (5),
Wadada Leo Smith (3),
Steven Bernstein (2).
- Rising Star Trumpet:
Peter Evans (5),
Taylor Ho Bynum (3),
Darren Johnston (2).
- Trombone:
Roswell Rudd (5),
Steve Swell (3),
Joe Fiedler (2).
- Rising Star Trombone:
Joe Fiedler (5),
Samuel Blaser (3),
Jacob Garchik (2).
- Soprano Saxophone:
Sam Newsome (5),
Bob Wilber (3),
Vinny Golia (2).
- Rising Star Soprano Saxophone:
Mike Ellis (5),
Jason Robinson (3), Jasmine Lovell-Smith (2).
- Alto Saxophone:
Oliver Lake (5),
François Carrier (3),
Anthony Braxton (2).
- Rising Star Alto Saxophone:
Steve Lehman (5),
Dave Rempis (3),
Mike DiRubbo (2).
- Tenor Saxophone:
David Murray (5),
Ivo Perelman (3),
Ken Vandermark (2).
- Rising Star Tenor Saxophone:
Ellery Eskelin (5),
Assif Tsahar (3),
Rodrigo Amado (2)
- Baritone Saxophone:
Mats Gustafsson (5),
Scott Robinson (3),
Gebhard Ullmann (2).
- Rising Star Baritone Saxophone:
Gebhard Ullmann (5),
Brian Landrus (3),
Josh Sinton (2).
- Clarinet:
Ben Goldberg (5),
Marty Ehrlich (3),
Michael Moore (2).
- Rising Star Clarinet:
Avram Fefer (5),
Rudi Mahall (3),
Gebhard Ullmann (2).
- Flute:
Juhani Aaltonen (5),
Henry Threadgill (3),
Lew Tabackin (2).
- Rising Star Flute:
Kali Z. Fasteau (5),
Idan Santhaus (3).
- Piano:
Irène Schweizer (5),
Myra Melford (3),
Marilyn Crispell (2).
- Rising Star Piano:
Kris Davis (5),
Nik Bärtsch (3),
Russ Lossing (2).
- Electronic Keyboard:
Matthew Shipp (5),
Uri Caine (3),
Craig Taborn (2).
- Rising Star Electronic Keyboard:
Nik Bärtsch (5),
George Colligan (3),
Rob Mazurek (2).
- Organ:
Gary Versace (5),
John Medeski (3),
Brian Charette (2).
- Rising Star Organ:
Alexander Hawkins (5),
Vince Seneri (3),
Wayne Peet (2).
- Violin:
Jason Kao Hwang (5),
Jenny Scheinman (3),
Carlos Zingaro (2).
- Rising Star Violin:
Szilard Mezei (5),
Jesse Zubot (3),
Aaron Weinstein (2).
- Guitar:
Marc Ribot (5),
Bill Frisell (3),
Marty Grosz (2).
- Rising Star Guitar:
Raoul Björkenheim (5),
Samo Salamon (3),
Anders Nilsson (2),
- Bass:
William Parker (5),
Reggie Workman (3),
Peter Washington (2).
- Rising Star Bass:
Adam Lane (5),
Ken Filiano (3),
Moppa Elliott (2).
- Electric Bass:
Steve Swallow (5),
Bob Cranshaw (3),
Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (2).
- Rising Star Electric Bass:
Chris Morrissey (5),
Stomu Takeishi (3),
Nate McBride (2).
- Drums:
Andrew Cyrille (5),
Gerry Hemingway (3),
Lewis Nash (2).
- Rising Star Drums:
Tom Rainey (5),
Tyshawn Sorey (3),
Paal Nilssen-Love (2).
- Vibes:
Jason Adasiewicz (5),
Kenny Wolleson (3),
Warren Smith (2).
- Rising Star Vibes:
Mulatu Astatke (5),
Kevin Norton (3),
Bryan Carrott (2).
- Percussion:
Han Bennink (5),
Adam Rudolph (3),
Kahil El'Zabar (2).
- Rising Star Percussion:
Kevin Diehl (5),
Lukas Ligeti (3),
Ravish Momin (2).
- Miscellaneous Instrument:
Bob Stewart (tuba) (5),
Richard Galliano (accordion) (3),
Rabih Abou Khalil (oud) (2).
- Rising Star Miscellaneous Instrument:
Colin Stetson (bass sax) (5),
Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello) (3),
Cooper-Moore (diddley-bow) (2).
- Male Vocalist:
Freddy Cole (5),
James Blood Ulmer (3),
Mose Allison (2).
- Rising Star Male Vocalist:
Jamie Davis (5),
Mark Winkler (3),
Ku-umba Frank Lacy (2).
- Female Vocalist:
Sheila Jordan (5),
Barbara Morrison (3),
Marlene VerPlanck (2).
- Rising Star Female Vocalist:
Fay Victor (5),
Catherine Russell (3),
Lisa Sokolov (2).
- Composer:
Carla Bley (5),
Wayne Shorter (3),
John Zorn (2).
- Rising Star Composer:
Steve Lehman (5),
Adam Lane (3),
Anthony Branker (2).
- Arranger:
Steven Bernstein (5),
Misha Mengelberg (3),
Carla Bley (2).
- Rising Star Arranger:
David Weiss (5),
Michael Bates (3),
Marcus Shelby (2).
- Record Label:
Clean Feed (5),
Intakt (3),
No Business (2).
- Producer:
Joe Fields (5),
John Zorn (3),
Don Was (2).
- Rising Star Producer:
John Corbett (5),
Taylor Ho Bynum (3),
Leo Feigin (2).
- Blues Artist or Group:
Maria Muldaur (5),
James Blood Ulmer (3),
Duke Robillard (2).
- Blues Album (April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015):
Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin, Common Ground: Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin
Play the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy (Yep Roc) (5);
Leo Welch: Sabougla Voices (Big Legal Mess) (3);
John Hiatt, Terms of My Surrender (New West) (2).
- Beyond Artist of Group:
The Roots (5),
Merle Haggard (3),
Aretha Franklin (2).
- Beyond Album (April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015):
Wussy, Attica! (Shake It) (5);
Jason Derulo, Talk Dirty (Beluga Heights/Warner Bros.) (3);
D'Angelo, Black Messiah (RCA) (2). This is limited to
their ballot. For a more expansive list (just 2014) look
here.
Ask a question, or send a comment.
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