Voting for the 2018 JazzTimes Readers’ Poll 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, readers were asked to focus on artists’ achievements occurring between January and December 2018.
BEST OF ALL
Artist of the Year
Roy Hargrove
Wayne Shorter
Kurt Elling
Cécile McLorin Salvant
New Artist
Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
James Francies
John Medeski’s Mad Skillet
María Grand
New Release
Kamasi Washington Heaven and Earth (Young Turks)
Wayne Shorter Emanon (Blue Note)
Chick Corea + Steve Gadd Band Chinese Butterfly (Stretch/Concord)
Jamie Baum Septet + Bridges (Sunnyside)
Vocal Release
Cécile McLorin Salvant The Window (Mack Avenue)
Kurt Elling The Questions (OKeh/Sony Masterworks)
Esperanza Spalding 12 Little Spells (Concord)
Gregory Porter Nat “King” Cole & Me (Blue Note)
Historical/Vault/Reissue Release
John Coltrane Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (Impulse!)
Miles Davis and John Coltrane The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Sony Legacy)
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Cheek to Cheek: The Complete Duet Recordings (Verve)
Charles Mingus Jazz in Detroit/Strata Concert Gallery/46 Selden (BBE)
BEST GROUPS
Acoustic Small Group/Artist
Wayne Shorter Quartet
Roy Hargrove
Chick Corea
Ambrose Akinmusire
Electric/Jazz-Rock/Contemporary Group/Artist
Snarky Puppy
Herbie Hancock
Jack DeJohnette/Ravi Coltrane/Matthew Garrison
Esperanza Spalding
Big Band/Large Ensemble
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Christian McBride Big Band
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band
BEST OF THE INDUSTRY
Record Label
Blue Note
ECM
Mack Avenue
Posi-Tone
Syndicated Radio Program
Jazz Night in America
Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey
Jazz After Hours with Jeff Hanley
Jazz Inspired with Judy Carmichael
Podcast
Straight No Chaser
We Insist! Jazz Speaks Out
The Checkout
A Noise from the Deep
Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
Detroit Jazz Festival
North Sea Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
Nightclub
Village Vanguard
Blue Note (NYC)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
Smalls
Documentary
Quincy
Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
The Jazz Ambassadors
Milford Graves: Full Mantis
Book
Dexter Gordon: Sophisticated Giant by Maxine Gordon
Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century by Nate Chinen
Tony Bennett: Onstage and in the Studio by Tony Bennett with Dick Golden
Six Days at Ronnie Scott’s: Billy Cobham on Jazz Fusion and the Art of Creation by Brian Gruber
BEST MUSICIANS
Trumpeter
Roy Hargrove
Wynton Marsalis
Ambrose Akinmusire
Ingrid Jensen
Trombonist
Wycliffe Gordon
Michael Dease
Trombone Shorty
John Fedchock
Clarinetist
Anat Cohen
Paquito D’Rivera
Don Byron
Victor Goines
Tenor Saxophonist
Wayne Shorter
Chris Potter
Branford Marsalis
Joshua Redman
Alto Saxophonist
Kenny Garrett
Miguel Zenón
Steve Wilson
Tia Fuller
Soprano Saxophonist
Wayne Shorter
Branford Marsalis
Chris Potter
Kenny Garrett
Baritone Saxophonist
Gary Smulyan
James Carter
Claire Daly
Hamiet Bluiett
Flutist
Nicole Mitchell
Hubert Laws
Jamie Baum
Charles Lloyd
Violinist
Regina Carter
Jean Luc Ponty
Mark Feldman
Sara Caswell
Pianist
Chick Corea
Herbie Hancock
Brad Mehldau
Kenny Barron
Keyboardist
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
Robert Glasper
Craig Taborn
Organist
Joey DeFrancesco
Dr. Lonnie Smith
John Medeski
Cory Henry
Guitarist
Pat Metheny
John McLaughlin
John Scofield
Russell Malone
Acoustic Bassist
Christian McBride
Linda May Han Oh
Ron Carter
Esperanza Spalding
Electric Bassist
Esperanza Spalding
Marcus Miller
Stanley Clarke
Thundercat
Vibraphonist
Stefon Harris
Warren Wolf
Joe Locke
Joel Ross
Percussionist
Tyshawn Sorey
Poncho Sanchez
Zakir Hussain
Pedrito Martinez
Drummer
Jack DeJohnette
Roy Haynes
Terri Lyne Carrington
Brian Blade
Male Vocalist
Kurt Elling
Gregory Porter
Tony Bennett
Theo Bleckmann
Female Vocalist
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Esperanza Spalding
Dianne Reeves
Diana Krall
Composer
Wayne Shorter
Maria Schneider
Wynton Marsalis
Pat Metheny
Arranger
Maria Schneider
Wynton Marsalis
John Fedchock
Orrin Evans
Misc. Instrumentalist
Béla Fleck (banjo)
Tomeka Reid (cello)
Richard Galliano (accordion)
Grégoire Maret (harmonica)
Vocal Group
Take 6
The Manhattan Transfer
New York Voices
The Four Freshmen
