Downbeat Critics Poll and Readers Poll

[Rooster_Ties]

And frankly, I mostly agree with many of the reasons NOT to care about polls.

BUT, for some weird reason, I still read 'em, and usually try to vote in them. (Just like the national elections, I figure "you catch bitch if you don't vote!!") I often learn about new people that I should know about through the polls (mostly through the critics picks for "Rising Stars" (which used to be called "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition"). And, I'm always amazed and the number of people in the polls who I am totally unfamiliar with (most of whom I lookup and discover there’s a good reason I’m totally unfamiliar with them ).

Probably 75% of the names that I'm glad I'm seeing in the polls, are in the "Rising Stars" categories, like I was glad to see Jason Moran get top honors in the "Rising Star - Jazz Artist", "Rising Star - Piano", and "Rising Star - Composer" categories this year.

I was also really glad to see Chick Corea's "The Complete 'IS' Sessions" actually get enough votes to 'place' in the top-10 of the critics "best reissue" category.

And, I was glad to see Jeremy Pelt win the "Rising Star - Trumpet" category, with Ingrid Jensen a very close second.

Anyway, here's how I voted this year. I normally only vote for names that at least got a few votes in the critics poll (meaning they placed in the top-10, or in the top-10 "Rising Star"). I figure, there’s no point in throwing my vote away with some crazy 'write-in' candidates. (Although I did write-in "Gary Thomas" in the flute category last year, even though he wasn't in the critics top-10, even under "Rising Star/TDWR"; and I wrote-in Greg Osby for clarinet last year too. This year, though, Sam Rivers got the 'flute' nod from me; and Osby didn’t do any clarinet work on record, so Chris Speed got my vote.) And sometimes I'll vote for a slightly lesser 'rising star', even if I realize that there is a 'master' who I really think is better.

So, here's my vote for 2003...

Hall of Fame: Billy Higgins

Jazz Musician of the Year: Wayne Shorter

Jazz Album of the Year: Jason Moran - "Modernistic"

Jazz Reissue of the Year: Chick Corea - "Complete 'IS' Sessions"

Jazz Record Label of the Year: Palmetto

Jazz Electric Group: Dave Douglas "Freak In"

Jazz Acoustic Combo: Greg Osby Quartet

Jazz Big Band: Andrew Hill

Blues Musician/Group of the Year: Blind Boys of Alabama

Blues Album of the Year: (no vote)

Beyond Musician/Group: Elvis Costello

Beyond Album: Elvis Costello "When I Was Cruel"

Arranger: Uri Caine

Composer: Andrew Hill

Trumpet: Jeremy Pelt

Trombone: Robin Eubanks

Flute: Sam Rivers

Clarinet: Chris Speed

Soprano Sax: Chris Potter

Alto Sax: Greg Osby

Tenor Sax: Wayne Shorter

Baritone Sax: John Surman

Electric Keyboard/Synth: Uri Caine

Acoustic Piano: Jason Moran

Organ: Dr. Lonnie Smith

Guitar: John Scofield

Electric Bass: James Genus

Acoustic Bass: Scott Colley

Drums: Nasheet Waits

Percussion: Kahil El'Zabar

Vibes: Stefon Harris

Misc. Instrument: Tom Varner (French horn)

Male Singer: Andy Bey

Female Singer: Cassandra Wilson

Vocal Group: (no vote)

(The one's I feel strongly about are in 'bold'.)

Edited July 16, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[A Lark Ascending]

Once again, spot the non-American!

John Surman and Elvis Costello as far as I can see.

[Saint Vitus]

Once again, spot the non-American!

John Surman and Elvis Costello as far as I can see.

Well, Bev, I don't think you realize this is Rooster's vote, not the poll results.

[Rooster_Ties]

If I might ask, then, who would you (Bev) have voted for in each of these categories?? (And yes, the first post above is MY vote.) I ask in all seriousness, what would your vote be?? If it helps any, here are some non-Americans that I gave serious thought to voting for...

Kenny Wheeler or Tomasz Stanko could have just as easily gotten my vote, as Jeremy Pelt. (I just was hoping to kick Pelt up into their top-10 list on the 'readers' side of the poll, since I'm pretty sure Wheeler and Stanko will already be there.) And, I love that Ingrid Jensen nearly tied Jeremy Pelt for "Rising Star - Trumpet".

I would have voted for Rabih Abou-Khalil for "Beyond Artist/Group", and probably for "Misc. Instrument" too - but the critics didn't even put him on any their top-10 lists, so I figured - why bother??

Would it help to say that I was very pleased to see the Esbjorn Svensson Trio listed as 3rd in the "Rising Star - Acoustic Jazz Group" category?? I couldn't vote for them as my favorite, but I'm glad some others think they are.

Also, I damn near voted for Nils Petter Molvaer for "Electric Group", but gave the nod to Dave Douglas (cuz I have my doubts as to weather Molvaer could even get in the top-10 in the readers poll).

Does that help any?? Maybe not, but it can't hurt, can it.

[BruceH]

Damn nice voting list, Rooser! Personally, I'd have voted for the Byrd/Watkins Transition Sessions for best re-issue of the year, but hey, to each his own.

[A Lark Ascending]

Once again, spot the non-American!

John Surman and Elvis Costello as far as I can see.

Well, Bev, I don't think you realize this is Rooster's vote, not the poll results.

Many, many apologies Rooster!

It's hot, I'd just got in from work, the beer was working too well! I thought this was the actual Downbeat result!

I would never question anyones personal choice (American, Italian, British or Icelandic!). I just despair at the blindness of the critics poll (people who pronounce on jazz as their job and thus have a duty to listen a bit more widely!).

I suppose I'm guilty of rushing to condemn...though I suspect my comment will remain apposite when checked against the real poll!

Sorry again! Nothing remotely wrong with your choices.

**************

I'm not sure I could list musicians of the year by category. I'm not a great fan of sticking musicians in hierarchies. I've enjoyed new piano recordings by Tord Gustavsen, Mal Waldron, Enrico Pieranunzi and Fred Hersch (to name a few) this year but wouldn't even know where to begin trying to decide who deserves the 'player of the year' award. I think such things are better left to athletics.

Quite happy to mention recordings I've really enjoyed or performances that have grabbed me. I've still heard nothing to beat Simone Guiducci's Chorale this year (Chris Speed is on it!).

[Rooster_Ties]

Your original point is mostly correct, Bev, in that most of the poll winners (as usual) were mostly Americans. However, down in the "Rising Star" ranks mostly, there were some notable non-Americans. Perhaps not as many as you'd like, but perhaps more than you might have been expecting?? Probably not, but there were at least a few - here and there.

Edited July 17, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

I know, many of you don't give a rat's ass about the jazz polls (and I'm not asking anyone to).

But come on, some of you can admit that there is some aspect to them that's interesting, if for no other reason that to gauge what the core readership of a magazine like Downbeat is really interested in.

And in that regard, although I never expect all my favorites to 'win' their respective categories... ...I am always glad to see when some more slightly obscure (or at least less 'popular' people) actually place highly in the polls.

For instance, Jason Moran probably isn't selling a ton of CD's, but I love that he's doing so well in the critic's polls, and doing (what I think is) pretty darn well in the reader's polls. Same thing with Greg Osby. Gives me some hope for the future of the music.

(And yes, I realize that some of you are barely interested in even half-a-dozen names (total!!) in any of the polls. That's fine - I'm not suggesting anybody like anything they don't like.)