For this year’s Expanded Critics’ Poll, a follow-up to last issue’s
Year in Review feature, 30 of our trusted contributors participated
in an online survey featuring most of the same categories
as our yearly Readers’ Poll. Our writers were asked to focus on
artists’ achievements during 2014 rather than career accomplishments.
Winners are bolded; runners-up are listed below in order of number of points. THE EDITORS
Best of All
New Artist
Melissa Aldana
Julian Lage
David Virelles
Jon Batiste
Artist of the Year
Miguel Zenón
Ambrose Akinmusire
Bill Frisell
Mark Turner
BEST GROUPS
Acoustic Group/Artist
Jason Moran & the Bandwagon
Tom Harrell Colors of a Dream/Trip
Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet/Sextet
Charles Lloyd New Quartet
Electric/Fusion/Contemporary Group/Artist
Pat Metheny Unity Group
Dave Holland Prism
Robert Glasper Experiment
Eric Harland Voyager
Big Band/Large Ensemble
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band
Henry Butler/Steven Bernstein & the Hot 9
Vocal Group
New York Voices
The Manhattan Transfer
Tillery
Sweet Honey in the Rock
Blues Group/Artist
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Dr. John
Gary Clark Jr.
Bettye LaVette
BEST OF THE JAZZ INDUSTRY
Record Label
ECM
Blue Note
Pi Recordings
Motéma
Festival
NYC Winter Jazzfest
Montreal International Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
Nightclub
Village Vanguard
Jazz Standard
Bohemian Caverns
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
Syndicated Radio Program
The Checkout
JazzSet With Dee Dee Bridgewater
Jazz After Hours With Jim Wilke/Jeff Hanley
Jazz Night in America
Podcast
A Noise From the Deep With Dave Douglas
The Jazz Session With Jason Crane
Book
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities by Herbie Hancock and Lisa Dickey (Viking)
Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World’s Rarest 78rpm Records by Amanda Petrusich (Scribner)
ART: Why I Stuck With a Junkie Jazzman by Laurie Pepper (APM)
Benson: The Autobiography by George Benson and Alan Goldsher (Da Capo)
BEST MUSICIANS
Trumpet/Cornet/Flugelhorn
Ambrose Akinmusire
Sean Jones
Avishai Cohen
Terence Blanchard
Trombone
Conrad Herwig
Wycliffe Gordon
Robin Eubanks
Ryan Keberle
Tenor Saxophone
Mark Turner
Joe Lovano
Chris Potter
Sonny Rollins
Alto Saxophone
Miguel Zenón
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Kenny Garrett
David Binney
Soprano Saxophone
Dave Liebman
Wayne Shorter
Branford Marsalis
Jane Ira Bloom
Baritone Saxophone
Gary Smulyan
James Carter
Ronnie Cuber
Josh Sinton
Clarinet
Anat Cohen
Ken Peplowski
Don Byron
Paquito D’Rivera
Flute
Nicole Mitchell
Charles Lloyd
James Newton
Jamie Baum
Violin
Regina Carter
Jenny Scheinman
Mark Feldman
Sara Caswell
Piano
Jason Moran
Fred Hersch
Vijay Iyer
Craig Taborn
Electric Keyboards
Herbie Hancock
Craig Taborn
Jason Moran
John Medeski
Organ
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Joey DeFrancesco
Gary Versace
Larry Goldings
Guitar
Julian Lage
Bill Frisell
John Scofield
Pat Metheny
Acoustic Bass
Christian McBride
Dave Holland
John Patitucci
Linda Oh
Electric Bass
Steve Swallow
Matthew Garrison
Stanley Clarke
Victor Wooten
Vibraphone
Stefon Harris
Gary Burton
Warren Wolf
Bobby Hutcherson
Drums
Brian Blade
Nasheet Waits
Jack DeJohnette
Eric Harland
Percussion
Pedrito Martinez
Zakir Hussain
Cyro Baptista
Roman Díaz
Miscellaneous Instrument [4 Winners]
Béla Fleck (banjo)
Erik Friedlander (cello)
Steven Bernstein (slide trumpet)
Grégoire Maret (harmonica)
Male Vocalist
Gregory Porter
Andy Bey
Kurt Elling
Freddy Cole
Female Vocalist
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Dianne Reeves
Cyrille Aimée
Cassandra Wilson
Composer
Maria Schneider
Vijay Iyer
Wadada Leo Smith
Chick Corea
Arranger
Maria Schneider
Steven Bernstein
Vince Mendoza
Rufus Reid