Voting conducted online at JazzTimes.com. Winners appear in bold; runners-up are un-bolded and listed in order of number of votes. Readers were asked to consider artists’ achievements (and releases) dating fall 2010 through fall 2011.
BEST OF ALL
Artist of the Year
∙ Sonny Rollins
∙ Charles Lloyd
∙ Chick Corea
∙ Kurt Elling
New Artist
∙ Ambrose Akinmusire
∙ Warren Wolf
∙ Sachal Vasandani
New Release
∙ Sonny Rollins
Road Shows Vol. 2 (Doxy/Emarcy)
∙ John Scofield
A Moment’s Peace (Emarcy)
∙ Kurt Elling The Gate
(Concord Jazz)
∙ Joshua Redman/Aaron
Parks/Matt Penman/Eric
Harland
James Farm (Nonesuch)
Historical Recording
∙ Miles Davis Quintet Live in Europe 1967:
The Bootleg Series Vol. 1
(Columbia/Legacy)
∙ Various Artists JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology
(Smithsonian Folkways)
BEST GROUPS
Acoustic Group
∙ Joe Lovano Us Five
∙ Charles Lloyd New Quartet
∙ Keith Jarrett/Gary
Peacock/Jack DeJohnette
∙ Jason Moran and the
Bandwagon
Contemporary/Electric Group
∙ Yellowjackets
∙ Return to Forever IV
∙ Medeski Martin & Wood
∙ Pat Metheny
Big Band
∙ Maria Schneider Orchestra
∙ Mingus Big Band
∙ Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
∙ Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
∙ Westchester Jazz Orchestra
Vocal Group
∙ Take 6
∙ The Manhattan Transfer
∙ New York Voices
∙ The Four Freshmen
Blues Group
∙ The Tedeschi Trucks Band
∙ B.B. King
∙ Shemekia Copeland
∙ North Mississippi Allstars
BEST OF THE
JAZZ INDUSTRY
Record Label
∙ Mack Avenue
∙ ECM
∙ Concord Jazz
∙ Motéma
∙ Palmetto
Book
∙ Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice
by Tad Hershorn (University of California Press)
∙ What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong’s Later Years
by Ricky Riccardi (Pantheon)
∙ Nica’s Dream: The Life and Legend of the Jazz Baroness
by David Kastin (W.W. Norton)
∙ All the Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett
by David Evanier (Wiley)
Film/Video/TV Series
∙ Treme (HBO)
∙ Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way (TCM)
∙ Stan Kenton: Artistry in Rhythm-Portrait of a Jazz Legend (Jazzed Media)
Syndicated Radio Program
∙ Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz (NPR)
∙ JazzSet With Dee Dee Bridgewater (NPR)
∙ Jazz With Bob Parlocha (WFMT Chicago)
∙ Judy Carmichael’s Jazz Inspired (SiriusXM)
Festival
∙ Newport Jazz Festival
∙ Detroit International
Jazz Festival
∙ Monterey Jazz Festival
∙ Montreal International
Jazz Festival
Nightclub
∙ Village Vanguard
∙ Yoshi’s Oakland &
San Francisco
∙ Smalls
∙ Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
BEST MUSICIANS
Trumpet
∙ Wynton Marsalis
∙ Terence Blanchard
∙ Roy Hargrove
∙ Randy Brecker
Trombone
∙ Steve Turre
∙ Wycliffe Gordon
∙ Robin Eubanks
∙ Trombone Shorty
Clarinet
∙ Anat Cohen
∙ Eddie Daniels
∙ Ken Peplowski
∙ Don Byron
∙ Paquito D’Rivera
Tenor Saxophone
∙ Sonny Rollins
∙ Joe Lovano
∙ Joshua Redman
∙ Chris Potter
∙ James Carter
Alto Saxophone
∙ Phil Woods
∙ Lee Konitz
∙ Bunky Green
∙ Kenny Garrett
∙ Jaleel Shaw
Soprano Saxophone
∙ Wayne Shorter
∙ Branford Marsalis
∙ Dave Liebman
∙ Jane Ira Bloom
Baritone Saxophone
∙ Gary Smulyan
∙ James Carter
∙ Claire Daly
∙ Ronnie Cuber
Flute
∙ Nicole Mitchell
∙ Hubert Laws
∙ Dave Valentin
∙ Frank Wess
Violin
∙ Regina Carter
∙ Jean-Luc Ponty
∙ Sara Caswell
∙ Christian Howes
Piano
∙ Keith Jarrett
∙ Chick Corea
∙ Brad Mehldau
∙ Jason Moran
Electric Keyboards
∙ Chick Corea
∙ Herbie Hancock
∙ Craig Taborn
∙ John Medeski
∙ Uri Caine
Organ
∙ Joey DeFrancesco
∙ Dr. Lonnie Smith
∙ Larry Goldings
∙ Gary Versace
Guitar
∙ Pat Metheny
∙ John Scofield
∙ Kurt Rosenwinkel
∙ Jim Hall
∙ Julian Lage
Acoustic Bass
∙ Christian McBride
∙ Dave Holland
∙ John Patitucci
∙ Charlie Haden
Electric Bass
∙ Stanley Clarke
∙ Marcus Miller
∙ Victor Wooten
∙ Steve Swallow
Vibraphone
∙ Gary Burton
∙ Stefon Harris
∙ Steve Nelson
∙ Joe Locke
∙ Warren Wolf
Drums
∙ Roy Haynes
∙ Jeff “Tain” Watts
∙ Jack DeJohnette
∙ Matt Wilson
Percussion
∙ Poncho Sanchez
∙ Cyro Baptista
∙ Giovanni Hidalgo
∙ Naná Vasconcelos
Male Vocalist
∙ Kurt Elling
∙ Tony Bennett
∙ Freddy Cole
∙ Sachal Vasandani
Female Vocalist
∙ Dianne Reeves
∙ Dee Dee Bridgewater
∙ Gretchen Parlato
∙ Esperanza Spalding
∙ Tierney Sutton
Miscellaneous Instruments
(banjo, harmonica, cello, oud, et al.)
[four winners]
∙ Béla Fleck (banjo)
∙ Toots Thielemans (harmonica)
∙ Steve Turre (conch shells)
∙ Howard Levy (harmonica)
Arranger
∙ Maria Schneider
∙ Billy Childs
∙ John Clayton
∙ Mike Holober
∙ Gerald Wilson
