The voting was conducted via an online survey posted at JazzTimes.com
Winners are bolded; runners-up are listed below in order of number of votes. When casting their ballots at JazzTimes.com, readers were asked to focus on artists’ achievements occurring between November 2016 and early December 2017.
Best of All
New Artist
Cory Henry
Jazzmeia Horn
Leslie Odom Jr.
Sullivan Fortner
Artist of the Year
Vijay Iyer
Christian McBride
Kamasi Washington
Esperanza Spalding
Best Groups
Acoustic Small Group/Artist
Chick Corea
Wayne Shorter Quartet
Brad Mehldau Trio
Bill Charlap Trio
Best Electric/Jazz-Rock/Contemporary Group/Artist
Snarky Puppy
Hudson (DeJohnette/Grenadier/Medeski/Scofield)
John McLaughlin & the Fourth Dimension
The Chick Corea + Steve Gadd Band
Best Big Band/Large Ensemble
Christian McBride Big Band
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
John Beasley’s MONK’estra
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Best of the Industry
Record Label
Blue Note
ECM
Mack Avenue
Abstract Logix
New Release
Hudson (DeJohnette/Grenadier/Medeski/Scofield) Hudson (Motéma)
Vijay Iyer Sextet Far From Over (ECM)
Blue Note All-Stars Our Point of View (Blue Note)
Chick Corea The Musician (Stretch/Concord)
Historical/Vault/Reissue Release
Jaco Pastorius Truth, Liberty & Soul (Resonance)
Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings (Craft)
Bill Evans Another Time: The Hilversum Concert (Resonance)
Thelonious Monk Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 (Sam/Saga)
Vocal Release
Cécile McLorin Salvant Dreams and Daggers (Mack Avenue)
Gregory Porter Nat “King” Cole & Me (Blue Note)
Diana Krall Turn Up the Quiet (Verve)
Eliane Elias Dance of Time (Concord Jazz)
Syndicated Radio Program
Jazz Night in America
Radio Deluxe With John Pizzarelli
Jazz After Hours With Jeff Hanley
Jazz Inspired With Judy Carmichael
Podcast
Straight No Chaser
JazzTimes Spins & Riffs
Jazz Bastard
The Checkout
Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
North Sea Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
Documentary
Chasing Trane
I Called Him Morgan
Bill Evans: Time Remembered
Buena Vista Social Club: Adios
Book
50 Years at the Village Vanguard: Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra by Dave Lisik and Eric Allen
Pat Metheny: The ECM Years, 1975-1984 by Mervyn Cooke
Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz by Fred Hersch
Duke Ellington Studies by John Howland (Editor)
Nightclub
Village Vanguard
Blue Note (NYC)
Smalls
Jazz Standard
Best Musicians
Trumpeter
Roy Hargrove
Wynton Marsalis
Ambrose Akinmusire
Randy Brecker
Trombonist
Trombone Shorty
Steve Turre
Wycliffe Gordon
Robin Eubanks
Clarinetist
Anat Cohen
Paquito D’Rivera
Don Byron
Eddie Daniels
Tenor Saxophonist
Chris Potter
Wayne Shorter
Kamasi Washington
Joshua Redman
Alto Saxophonist
Kenny Garrett
Miguel Zenón
David Sanborn
Lee Konitz
Soprano Saxophonist
Wayne Shorter
Branford Marsalis
Chris Potter
Dave Liebman
Baritone Saxophonist
Gary Smulyan
James Carter
Ronnie Cuber
John Surman
Flutist
Hubert Laws
Charles Lloyd
Nicole Mitchell
Bennie Maupin
Violinist
Regina Carter
Jean-Luc Ponty
Mark Feldman
Jenny Scheinman
Pianist
Chick Corea
Herbie Hancock
Brad Mehldau
Kenny Barron
Keyboardist
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
Scott Kinsey
Robert Glasper
Organist
Joey DeFrancesco
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Larry Goldings
Cory Henry
Guitarist
Pat Metheny
Bill Frisell
John McLaughlin
George Benson
Double Bassist
Christian McBride
Ron Carter
Esperanza Spalding
Dave Holland
Electric Bassist
Stanley Clarke
Marcus Miller
Victor Wooten
Esperanza Spalding
Vibraphonist
Gary Burton
Warren Wolf
Stefon Harris
Joe Locke
Percussionist
Poncho Sanchez
Zakir Hussain
Pedrito Martinez
Trilok Gurtu
Drummer
Brian Blade
Jack DeJohnette
Vinnie Colaiuta
Steve Gadd
Vocalist (Male)
Gregory Porter
Kurt Elling
Tony Bennett
Bobby McFerrin
Vocalist (Female)
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Esperanza Spalding
Diana Krall
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Composer
Chick Corea
Pat Metheny
Maria Schneider
Wayne Shorter
Arranger
John Beasley
Maria Schneider
Christian McBride
Chick Corea
Misc. Instrumentalist
Béla Fleck (banjo)
Edmar Castañeda (harp)
Richard Galliano (accordion)
Hendrik Meurkens (harmonica)
Vocal Group
Take 6
The Manhattan Transfer
New York Voices
Duchess
Check out the JazzTimes Readers’ Poll for the best of 2016.
Originally Published
