
Jazzmeia Horn (photo by Jacob Blickenstaff)
For this annual companion poll to last issue’s Top 50 Critics’ Picks, our regular contributors and critics participated in this survey based on our yearly Readers’ Poll. Voters were asked to focus on artists’ achievements during 2017 rather than assessing entire careers.
Winners are bolded; runners-up are listed below in order of number of votes. An asterisk* denotes a tie. EVAN HAGA, EDITOR
Best of all
New Artist
Jazzmeia Horn
Jaimie Branch
Roxy Coss
Thomas Morgan
Artist of the Year
Vijay Iyer
John McLaughlin
Tyshawn Sorey
Jason Moran*
Cécile McLorin Salvant*
Best groups
Acoustic Small Group/Artist
Charles Lloyd New Quartet
Vijay Iyer Sextet
Steve Coleman’s Natal Eclipse
Wayne Shorter Quartet
Electric/Jazz-Rock/Contemporary Group/Artist
Hudson (DeJohnette/Grenadier/Medeski/Scofield)
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition
Snarky Puppy
Big Band/Large Ensemble
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
John Beasley’s MONK’estra
Amir ElSaffar Rivers of Sound
Best of the industry
Record Label
ECM
Blue Note
Resonance
Motéma
Syndicated Radio Program
Jazz Night in America
Radio Deluxe With John Pizzarelli
Jazz After Hours With Jeff Hanley
Jazz Inspired With Judy Carmichael
Podcast
The Checkout
JazzTimes Spins & Riffs
A Noise From the Deep
Straight No Chaser
Festival
Winter Jazzfest (NYC)
Newport Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
Montreal International Jazz Festival*
Detroit Jazz Festival*
Documentary
I Called Him Morgan
Chasing Trane
Bill Evans: Time Remembered
Jimmy Scott: I Go Back Home
Book
Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz by Fred Hersch
Message to Our Folks: The Art Ensemble of Chicago by Paul Steinbeck
Vinyl Freak: Love Letters to a Dying Medium by John Corbett
Nightclub
Village Vanguard
Jazz Standard
The Stone/The Stone at the New School
Birdland
Best musicians
Trumpeter
Ambrose Akinmusire
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Wadada Leo Smith
Dave Douglas
Trombonist
Roswell Rudd
Ryan Keberle
Wycliffe Gordon
Robin Eubanks
Clarinetist
Anat Cohen
Ken Peplowski
Evan Christopher
Paquito D’Rivera
Tenor Saxophonist
Joe Lovano
Chris Potter
Charles Lloyd
JD Allen
Alto Saxophonist
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Steve Coleman
Kenny Garrett
Tim Berne*
Miguel Zenón*
Soprano Saxophonist
Wayne Shorter
Chris Potter
Dave Liebman
Jane Ira Bloom
Baritone Saxophonist
Gary Smulyan
Brian Landrus
James Carter
Claire Daly
Flutist
Nicole Mitchell
Charles Lloyd
Jamie Baum
Henry Threadgill
Violinist
Jenny Scheinman
Regina Carter
Sara Caswell
Mark Feldman
Pianist
Vijay Iyer
Craig Taborn
Jason Moran
Chick Corea
Keyboardist
Herbie Hancock
Craig Taborn
Robert Glasper
John Medeski
Organist
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Joey DeFrancesco
Larry Goldings
John Medeski
Guitarist
Bill Frisell
Julian Lage
Mary Halvorson
John Scofield
Double Bassist
Christian McBride
Linda May Han Oh
Thomas Morgan
Ron Carter
Electric Bassist
Thundercat
Steve Swallow
Matthew Garrison
Richard Bona
Vibraphonist
Warren Wolf
Stefon Harris
Joe Locke
Jason Adasiewicz
Drummer
Jack DeJohnette
Brian Blade
Terri Lyne Carrington
Billy Hart
Percussion
Pedrito Martinez
Cyro Baptista
Kahil El’Zabar
Zakir Hussain
Vocalist (Male)
Gregory Porter
Theo Bleckmann
Kurt Elling
Tony Bennett
Vocalist (Female)
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Jazzmeia Horn
Lizz Wright
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Composer
Tyshawn Sorey
Vijay Iyer
Maria Schneider
Steve Coleman
Best Arranger
Maria Schneider
John Beasley
Arturo O’Farrill
Darcy James Argue
Misc. Instrumentalist
Tomeka Reid (cello)
Grégoire Maret (harmonica)
Béla Fleck (banjo)
Scott Robinson (contrabass saxophone)