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DownBeat (USA) Critics Poll Archives

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:24 pm
by Jeff
I thought I should start a new thread to post previous DownBeat polls.

Here are the results from 2012:

2012 (60th Annual Poll)
Unlike for 2013, the editors broke the ties for the Jazz albums list. For the other two, I went with the traditional method for handling ties.

Jazz Albums
1. Vijay Iyer Trio, Accelerando (ACT) 115 votes
2. Sonny Rollins, Road Shows, Vol. 2 (Doxy/Emarcy) 69
3. Keith Jarrett, Rio (ECM) 68
4. Gregory Porter, Be Good (Motéma) 56
5. Miguel Zenón, Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook (Marsalis Music) 54
6. Brad Mehldau, Live In Marciac (Nonesuch) 52
7. Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts, An Attitude For Gratitude (Palmetto) 40
8. Corea, Clarke & White, Forever (Concord) 39
9. Terri Lyne Carrington, The Mosaic Project (Concord) 38
10. Tim Berne, Snakeoil (ECM) 33
11. Trombone Shorty, For True (Verve Forecast) 33
12. JD Allen Trio, Victory! (Sunnyside) 30
13. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Samdhi (ACT) 30
14. The Claudia Quintet + 1, What Is The Beautiful? (Cuneiform) 29
15. Bill Frisell, All We Are Saying … (Savoy Jazz) 27
16. Charlie Haden/Hank Jones, Come Sunday (Decca/EmArcy) 27
17. Matthew Shipp, The Art Of The Improviser (Thirsty Ear) 27
18. Charles Lloyd/Maria Farantouri, Athens Concert (ECM) 26
19. Brian Lynch, Unsung Heroes: A Tribute To Some Underappreciated Trumpet Masters (Holistic) 25
20. Branford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo, Songs Of Mirth And Melancholy (Marsalis) 25
21. Jenny Scheinman, Mischief & Mayhem (Jenny Scheinman) 25
22. Chick Corea/Eddie Gomez/Paul Motian, Further Explorations (Concord) 24
23. Gary Smulyan, Smul’s Paradise (Capri) 24
24. 3 Cohens, Family (Anzic) 23
25. Christian McBride, Conversations With Christian (Mack Avenue) 23
26. Tierney Sutton Band, American Road (BFM Jazz) 23
27. Gilad Hekselman, Hearts Wide Open (Chant Du Monde) 22
28. Amir ElSaffar Two Rivers Ensemble, Inana (Pi) 21
29. Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra, MTO Plays Sly (The Royal Potato Family ) 21
30. Craig Taborn, Avenging Angel (ECM) 20

Blues Albums
1. Otis Taylor, Otis Taylor’s Contraband (Telarc) 200
2. Gregory Porter, Be Good (Motéma) 140
3. Cornell Dupree, I’m Alright (Dialtone) 81
4. Samba Touré, Crocodile Blues (Riverboat ) 73
5. Eric Bibb, Troubadour Live (Telarc) 57
6. Electric Willie, A Tribute To Willie Dixon (Yellow Bird) 52
7. Mary Flower, Misery Loves Company (Yellow Dog) 43
8. Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three, Middle Of Everywhere (Free Dirt ) 41
9. Tedeschi Trucks Band, Revelator (Sony Masterworks ) 20
10. Johnny Nicholas, Future Blues (The People’s Label) 19
11. Johnny Rawls, Memphis Still Got Soul (Catfood ) 17
12. Marcia Ball, Roadside Attractions (Alligator ) 15
13. Mark Nomad, Torch Tones (Blue Star ) 12

Beyond Albums
1. Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio (Blue Note) 175
2. Tom Waits, Bad As Me (Anti-) 87
3. TUnE-yArDs, Whokill (4AD Records) 72
4. Paul Simon, So Beautiful Or So What (Hear Music) 66
5. The Roots, Undun (Def Jam) 65
6. Björk, Biophilia (Nonesuch) 60
7. Mostly Other People Do The Killing, The Coimbra Concert (Clean Feed) 56
8. Trombone Shorty, For True (Verve Forecast) 56
9. Tedeschi Trucks Band, Revelator (Sony Masterworks ) 54
10. Booker T. Jones, The Road From Memphis (Anti-) 52
11. The Beach Boys, The Smile Sessions (Capitol/EMI) 41
11. Meshell Ndegeocello, Weather (Naïve) 41
13. Erik Friedlander, Bonebridge (Skipstone) 40
13. Femi Kuti, Africa For Africa (Knitting Factory ) 40
15. Galactic, Carnivale Electricos (Anti-) 33
16. The Black Keys, El Camino (Nonesuch) 31
17. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop) 30
17. Paul McCartney, Kisses On The Bottom (Hear Music/Concord) 30
17. Rafael Saadiq, Stone Rollin’ (Columbia) 30
17. Wilco, The Whole Love (dbPM/Anti-) 30
21. Peter Gabriel, New Blood (Real World) 21

Link: http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/ ... 201208.pdf

Re: DownBeat (USA) Critics Poll Archives

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:24 pm
by Jeff
2011 (59th Annual Poll)
Jazz Albums
1. Jason Moran, Ten (Blue Note) 66 votes
2. Joe Lovano Us Five, Bird Songs (Blue Note) 47
3. Esperanza Spalding, Chamber Music Society (Heads Up) 25
4. Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green, Apex (Pi) 22
5. Keith Jarrett/Charlie Haden, Jasmine (ECM) 20
6. James Moody, Moody 4B (IPO) 20
7. Brad Mehldau, Highway Rider (Nonesuch) 19
8. Mary Halvorson Quintet, Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12) 17
9. William Parker, I Plan To Stay A Believer: The Inside Songs Of Curtis Mayfield (AUM Fidelity) 17
10. Danilo Pérez, Providencia (Mack Avenue) 17
11. Anat Cohen, Clarinetwork: Live At The Village Vanguard (Anzic) 15
12. Absolute Ensemble, Absolute Zawinul (Sunnyside) 13
13. Evan Christopher, The Remembering Song (Arbors) 13
14. The Nels Cline Singers, Initiate (Cryptogramophone) 13
15. Dave Holland Octet, Pathways (Dare2) 12
16. Herbie Hancock, The Imagine Project (Hancock) 11
17. Robert Hurst, Unrehurst, Vol. 2 (Bebob) 10
18. Vijay Iyer, Solo (ACT) 10
19. Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Preservation (Preservation Hall) 10
20. Chucho Valdés & The Afro-Cuban Messengers, Chucho’s Steps (4Q) 10
21. Randy Weston and his African Rhythms Sextet, The Storyteller: Live At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (Motéma) 10

Blues Albums
1. Pinetop Perkins/Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Joined At The Hip (Telarc) 59
2. Buddy Guy, Living Proof (Silvertone ) 49
3. Otis Taylor, Clovis People, Vol. 3 (Telarc) 31
4. Lucky Peterson, You Can Always Turn Around (Dreyfus) 30
5. Charlie Musselwhite, The Well (Alligator ) 27
6. Junior Wells & The Aces, Live In Boston 1966 (Delmark) 26
7. The Holmes Brothers, Feed My Soul (Alligator ) 18
7. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Couldn’t Stand The Weather: Legacy Edition (Epic/Legacy) 18
9. Eden Brent, Ain’t Got No Troubles (Yellow Dog) 15
9. Gary Lucas & Dean Bowman, Chase The Devil (Knitting Factory ) 15
9. Buckwheat Zydeco, Buckwheat Zydeco’s Bayou Boogie (Music For Little People) 15
12. Hot Tuna, Live At New Orleans House Berkeley, CA 09/69 (Collectors’ Choice) 13
13. Roy Gaines And His Orchestra, Tuxedo Blues (Black Gold) 10

Beyond Albums
1. Lizz Wright, Fellowship (Verve Forecast) 40
2. Herbie Hancock, The Imagine Project (Hancock) 37
3. Cee Lo Green, The Lady Killer (Elektra) 25
4. Janelle Monáe, The Archandroid (WondalandArts Society/Bad Boy) 25
5. Mavis Staples, You Are Not Alone (Anti-) 25
6. Jeff Beck, Emotion & Commotion (Atco) 23
7. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella) 23
8. The Black Keys, Brothers (Nonesuch) 20
8. Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma (Warp) 20
8. Syl Johnson, Complete Mythology (NumeroGroup) 20
11. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh (Universal Motown) 18
11. Wilson Pickett, Funky Midnight Mover–The Atlantic Studio Recordings (1962-1978) (Rhino Handmade) 18
13. Bettye LaVette, Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook (Anti-) 15
13. Nellie McKay, Home Sweet Mobile Home (Verve Forecast) 15
15. Vinicius Cantuária & Bill Frisell, Lágrimas Mexicanas (Entertainment One Music/Naive) 12
16. Joanna Newsom, Have One On Me (Drag City) 10

Link: http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/ ... 201108.pdf

Re: DownBeat (USA) Critics Poll Archives

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:26 pm
by Jeff
2010 (58th Annual Poll)
Jazz Albums
1. Vijay Iyer Trio, Historicity (ACT)
2. Joe Lovano Us Five, Folk Art (Blue Note)
3. Miguel Zenón, Esta Plena (Marsalis)
4. Henry Threadgill, This Brings Us To, Vol. 1 (Pi)
5. Allen Toussaint, Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
6. Darcy James Argue, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
7. Keith Jarret, Paris/London Testament (ECM)
8. Tomasz Stanko, Dark Eyes (ECM)
9. Branford Marsalis Quartet, Metamorphosen (Marsalis Music)
10. Wadada Leo Smith, Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform)
11. Brian Lynch Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Bolero Nights For Billie Holiday (Venus)

Blues Albums
1. Eric Bibb, Booker’s Guitar (Telarc)
2. Otis Taylor, Pentatonic (Telarc)
3. Shemekia Copeland, Never Going Back (Telarc)
4. Corey Harris, blu.black (Concord)
5. Carolina Chocolate Drops, Genuine Negro Jig (Nonesuch)
6. Tommy Castro, Hard Believer (Alligator)

Beyond Album
1. Béla Fleck, Throw Down Your Heart (Rounder)
1. Caetano Veloso, Zii e Zie (Nonesuch)
3. Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest (Warp)
3. Egberto Gismonti, Saudacoes (ECM)
3. Tom Waits, Glitter And Doom Live (Anti)
6. Rosanne Cash, The List (Manhattan)
7. Medeski Martin & Wood, Radiolarians (Indirecto)
8. Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca (Domino)

Link: http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/ ... 201008.pdf


2009 (57th annual poll)
No ‘Beyond’ list this time.

Jazz Albums
1. Sonny Rollins, Road Shows,Vol. 1 (Doxy/Emarcy)
2. Joe Lovano, Symphonica (Blue Note)
3. Charles Lloyd Quartet, Rabo De Nube (ECM)
4. Jim Hall/Bill Frisell, Hemispheres (ArtistShare)
5. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Kinsmen (Pi)
6. Donny McCaslin, Recommended Tools (Greenleaf Music)
6. Jeff “Tain” Watts, Watts (Dark Key)
8. Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Remedy (ArtistShare)
9. Atomic, Retrograde (Jazzland)
9. E.S.T., Leucocyte (Emarcy)
9. Dave Holland Sextet, Pass It On (Dare2)
12. Roy Hargrove Quintet, Earfood (Emarcy)
12. Joshua Redman, Compass (Nonesuch)
12. Bobo Stenson Trio, Cantando (ECM)

Blues Albums
1. B.B. King, One Kind Favor(Geffen)
2. Taj Mahal, Maestro(Heads Up)
3. Buddy Guy, Skin Deep (Zomba)
4. Shemekia Copeland, Never Going Back (Telarc)
5. Joe Louis Walker, Witness To The Blues (Stony Plain)
6. Rory Block, Blues Walkin’ Like A Man (Stony Plain)
6. Susan Tedeschi, Back To The River (Verve Forecase)
8. Derek Trucks, Already Free (RCA Victor)
9. Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, Full Tilt (Alligator)
10. Amos Garrett, Get Way Back: A Tribute To Percy Mayfield (Stony Plain)
10. Wynton Marsalis/Willie Nelson, Two Men WithThe Blues (Blue Note)
12. Dr. John and the Lower 911, City That Care Forgot(429)

Link: http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/ ... DB0809.pdf

Re: DownBeat (USA) Critics Poll Archives

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:28 pm
by Jeff
I have not been able to find the complete poll results from any year before 2009. Instead, I have only found the winners. Here are those running back to 1990. The best album poll dates back to 1962 and are available to view on DownBeat's website. I will post the others later if I should have the time.

2008
Jazz Album Of The Year: Maria Schneider, Sky Blue (ArtistShare)
Blues Album Of The Year: Otis Taylor, Recapturing The Banjo (Telarc)
Beyond Album Of The Year: Radiohead, In Rainbows (ATO)

2007
Jazz Album Of The Year: Ornette Coleman, Sound Grammar (Sound Grammar)
Blues Album Of The Year: Otis Taylor, Definition Of A Circle (Telarc)
Beyond Album Of The Year: Toumani Diabate’s Symmetric Orchestra, Boulevard De L’Independance (World Circuit/Nonesuch)

2006 (No Blues album this year)
Jazz Album Of The Year: Andrew Hill, Time Lines (Blue Note)
Beyond Album Of The Year: Ry Cooder, Chavez Ravine (Nonesuch)

2005
Jazz Album Of The Year: Maria Schneider Orchestra, Concert In The Garden (ArtistShare)
Blues Album: Otis Taylor, Double V (Telarc)
Beyond Album: Brian Wilson, SMiLE (Nonesuch)

2004 (no ‘Beyond’ album this year)
Jazz Album Of The Year: Dave Holland Quintet, Extended Play—Live At Birdland (ECM)
Blues Album Of The Year: Otis Taylor, Truth Is Not Fiction (Telarc)

2003
Jazz Album of the Year: Wayne Shorter Quartet, Footprints Live! (Verve)
Blues Album of the Year: Solomon Burke, Don’t Give Up On Me (Fat Posum)
Beyond Album of the Year: Ry Cooder/Manuel Galban, Mambo Sinuendo (Nonesuch)

2002
Jazz Album of the Year: Dave Holland, Not For Nothin’ (ECM)
Blues Album of the Year: Buddy Guy, Sweet Tea (Silvertone)
Beyond Album of the Year: Björk, Vespertine (Elektra)

2001
Jazz Album of the Year: Andrew Hill, Dusk (Palmetto)
Blues Album of the Year: B.B. King/Eric Clapton, Riding with the King (Reprise)
Beyond Album of the Year: Steely Dan, Two Against Nature (Giant)

2000
Jazz Album of the Year: Dave Douglas, Soul On Soul (RCA)
Blues Album of the Year: Luther Allison, Live In Chicago (Alligator)
Beyond Album of the Year: Caetano Veloso, Livro (Nonesuch)

1999
Jazz Album of the Year: Herbie Hancock, Gershwin's World (Verve)
Blues Album of the Year: Alvin Youngblood Hart, Territory (Hannibal)
Beyond Album of the Year: Lauryn Hill, Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (RuffHouse); Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels On Gravel Road

1998
Jazz Album of the Year: Bill Frisell, Nashville (Nonesuch)
Blues Album of the Year: Pinetop Perkins, Born In The Delta (Telarc)
Beyond Album of the Year: Buena Vista Social Club, Buena Vista Social Club (World Circuit/Nonesuch)

1997
Jazz Album of the Year: Ornette Coleman Quartet, Sound Museum Hidden Man (Harmolodic/Verve)
Blues Album of the Year: James Cotton, Deep In The Blues (Verve)
Beyond Album of the Year: Meshell Ndegeocello, Peace Beyond Passion (Warner Bros.)

1996
Jazz Album of the Year: Joe Lovano, Quartets: Live At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note)
Blues Album of the Year: Buddy Guy, Buddy Guy with G.E. Smith & The Saturday Night Live Band (Silvertone)
Beyond Album of the Year: Los Lobos, Colossal Head (Warner Bros.)

1995
Jazz Album of the Year: Joe Lovano & Gunther Schuller, Rush Hour (Verve)
Blues Album of the Year: Buddy Guy, Slippin' In (Silvertone)
Beyond Album of the Year: Maleem Mahmoud Ghania & Pharoah Sanders, The Tranca Of Seven Colors (Axiom)

1994
Jazz Album of the Year: Charlie Haden, Always Say Goodbye (Verve)
Blues Album of the Year: B.B. King, Blues Summit (MCA)
Beyond Album of the Year: A.F. Toure/Ry Cooder, Talking Timbuktu (Hannibal)

1993
Jazz Album of the Year: Joe Henderson, So Near, So Far (Musings For Miles) (Verve)
Blues Album of the Year: John Lee Hooker, Boom Boom (Pointblank/Virgin)
Beyond Album of the Year: Mario Bauza, Tanga (Messidor); and Sting, 10 Summoner’s Tales (A&M) (tie)

1992
Jazz Album of the Year: Joe Henderson, Lush Life (Verve)
Blues Album of the Year: Buddy Guy, Damn Right (Silvertone)
Beyond Album of the Year: Neil Young, Arc/Weld (Reprise)

1991
Jazz Album of the Year: Charlie Haden, Liberation Music Orchestra, Dream Keeper (Blue Note)
Blues Album of the Year: Charles Brown, All My Life (Bullseye/ Rounder)
Beyond Album of the Year: Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Ragged Glory (Reprise)

1990 (lots of different genres this year)
Jazz Album of the Year: Cecil Taylor, In Berlin (FMP)
Blues Album of the Year: John Lee Hooker, The Healer (Chameleon)
R&B/Soul Album of the Year: Neville Brothers, Yellow Moon (A&M)
World Beat Album of the Year: Peter Gabriel, Passion (Geffen)
Rock Album of the Year: Pixies, Doolittle (Elektra)
Rap Album of the Year: Public Enemy, Fear Of A Black Planet (Def Jam)

Edit: I fixed a copy-paste issue where I had posted the 2000 poll results for two consecutive years.

Re: DownBeat (USA) Critics Poll Archives

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:54 am
by Henrik
Many thanks for this, Jeff!

Re: DownBeat (USA) Critics Poll Archives

Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 12:50 am
by Jeff
Here are the poll results from 1965 (the first poll with an 'album of the year category') through 1989. Prior to 1990, only jazz albums were honored, with the blues and beyond categories only recognizing an 'artist of the year.'

1989
Jazz Album of the Year: Jack DeJohnette, Audio Visualscapes (Impulse)

1988
Jazz Album of the Year: Ornette Coleman, In All Languages (Caravan Of Dreams)

1987
Jazz Album of the Year: Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman, Song X (Geffen)

1986
Jazz Album of the Year: James Newton, The African Flower (Blue Note)

1985
Jazz Album of the Year: Various Artists, That's The Way I Feel Now (A Tribute To Thelonious Monk) (A&M)

1984
Jazz Album of the Year: Charlie Haden, The Ballad Of The Fallen (ECM)

1983
Jazz Album of the Year: Muhal Richard Abrams, Blue Forever (Black Saint)

1982
Jazz Album of the Year: Old and New Dreams, Playing (ECM)

1981
Jazz Album of the Year: Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Full Force (ECM)

1980
Jazz Album of the Year: Air, Air Lore (Arista/Novus)

1979
Jazz Album of the Year: Charles Mingus, Cumbia And Jazz Fusion (Atlantic)

1978
Jazz Album of the Year (Tie): Akiyoshi/Tabackin, Insights (RCA)
Jazz Album of the Year (Tie): Ornette Coleman, Dancing In Your Head (Horizon)
Jazz Album of the Year (Tie): Dexter Gordon, Sophisticated Giant (Columbia)
Jazz Album of the Year (Tie): Dexter Gordon, Homecoming (Columbia)
Jazz Album of the Year (Tie): Roscoe Mitchell, Nonaah (Nessa)

1977
Jazz Album of the Year: Anthony Braxton, Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (Arista)

1976
Jazz Album of the Year: Oscar Peterson/Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson & Dizzy Gillespie (Pablo)

1975
Jazz Album of the Year: Cecil Taylor, Silent Tongues

1974
Jazz Album of the Year: Keith Jarrett, Solo Concerts

1973
Jazz Album of the Year: McCoy Tyner, Sahara; Sonny Stitt, Constellation

1972
Jazz Album of the Year: Jimmy Rushing, The You And Me That Used To Be

1971
Jazz Album of the Year: Duke Ellington, New Orleans Suite

1970
Jazz Album of the Year: Miles Davis, Bitches Brew

1969
Jazz Album of the Year: Duke Ellington, >And His Mother Called Him Bill

1968
Jazz Album of the Year: Duke Ellington, Far East Suite

1967
Jazz Album of the Year: Duke Ellington, The Popular Duke Ellington

1966
Jazz Album of the Year: Ornette Coleman Trio, At the Golden Circle, Vol. 1

1965 (this was the first year that the critics poll included an ‘Album of the year’)
Jazz Album of the Year: John Coltrane, A Love Supreme

Here's the link to all of the older lists:
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=cpollindex

Re: DownBeat (USA) Critics Poll Archives

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 8:48 pm
by Jeff
Bumping this to post the 2013 and 2014 lists.

2014 Critics Poll
Jazz Albums
1. Cécile McLorin Salvant - WomanChild
2. Ambrose Akinmusire - The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier
3. Dave Holland & Prism - Prism
4. Gregory Porter - Liquid Spirit
5. Pat Metheny Unity Group - Kin
6. Frank Wess - Magic 101
7. Kenny Garrett - Pushing The World Away
8. Jane Ira Bloom - Sixteen Sunsets
9. The Bad Plus - The Rite Of Spring
10. Terence Blanchard - Magnetic
11. Dave Douglas - Time Travel
12. Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette - Somewhere
13. Matt Wilson Quartet + John Medeski - Gathering Call
13. Eric Alexander - Chicago Fire
13. Preservation Hall Jazz Band - That’s It!
14. Michele Rosewoman’s New Yor-Uba - 30 Years! A Musical Celebration Of Cuba In America
14. Chucho Valdés, Border-Free
15. Chick Corea - The Vigil
15. Wadada Leo Smith & TUMO - Occupy The World
15. Craig Taborn Trio - Chants
15. Randy Weston/Billy Harper - The Roots Of The Blues
16. Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society - Brooklyn Babylon
16. The New Gary Burton Quartet - Guided Tour
16. Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra - Habitat
16. Warren Wolf - Wolfgang
17. William Parker - Wood Flute Songs: Anthology/Live 2006–2012
18. Craig Handy - Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith
18. Tierney Sutton, After Blue
19. Andy Bey - The World According To Andy Bey
20. Kenny Barron - Kenny Barron & The Brazilian Knights
20. Cyrus Chestnut - Soul Brother Cool
20. Albert “Tootie” Heath/Ethan Iverson/Ben Street - Tootie’s Tempo
20. Dianne Reeves - Beautiful Life
20. Catherine Russell - Bring It Back
21. 3 Cohens, Tightrope
22. Fred Hersch/Julian Lage - Free Flying
22. Bill Frisell - Big Sur

Blues Albums
1. Buddy Guy - Rhythm & Blues
2. North Mississippi Allstars - World Boogie Is Coming
3. James Cotton - Cotton Mouth Man
4. Rory Block - Avalon: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt
5. Joe Louis Walker - Hornet’s Nest
6. Lurrie Bell - Blues In My Soul
7. Joe Bonamassa - Tour De Force Live In London
8. Robben Ford - A Day In Nashville
9. Eric Bibb - Jericho Road
9. Guy Davis - Juba Dance
10. Jonny Lang - Fight For My Soul
11. Luther Dickinson - Rock ’n’ Roll Blues
11. JJ Grey & Mofro - This River
11. Hugh Laurie - Didn’t It Rain
12. Cyril Neville - Magic Honey
12. The Duke Robillard Band - Independently Blue
13. Frank Bey & Anthony Paule Band - Soul For Your Blues
13. Honey Island Swamp Band - Cane Sugar
14. Tommy Castro And The Pain Killers - The Devil You Know
14. Popa Chubby - Universal Breakdown Blues

Beyond Albums
1. Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio 2
2. Allen Toussaint - Songbook
3. Rokia Traoré - Beautiful Africa
4. Elvis Costello & The Roots - Wise Up Ghost
5. Dawn Of Midi - Dysnomia
6. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Give The People What They Want
7. Rosanne Cash - The River & The Thread
7. Angelique Kidjo - Eve
8. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Made Up Mind
9. Ry Cooder - Live In San Francisco
10. Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady
11. Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight
12. Mavis Staples - One True Vine
13. Anoushka Shankar - Traces Of You
14. Leyla McCalla - VariColored Songs
14. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
15. Dawn Upshaw/Maria Schneider - Winter Morning Walks
16. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
17. Booker T - Sound The Alarm
18. Steve Martin/Edie Brickell - Love Has Come For You
18. Kanye West - Yeezus

link: http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/ ... DB1408.pdf

2013 Critics Poll
Jazz Albums (30 total)
1 - Wayne Shorter Quartet – Without a Net
2 - Wadada Leo Smith - Ten Freedom Summers
3 - Sam Rivers/Dave Holland/Barry Altschul - Reunion: Live In New York
4 - Joe Lovano Us Five - Cross Culture
5 - Charles Lloyd/Jason Moran - Hagar’s Song
6 - Ryan Truesdell - Centennial: Newly Discovered Works Of Gil Evans
7 - Branford Marsalis - Quartet, Four MFs Playin’ Tunes
8 - Kurt Rosenwinkel - Star Of Jupiter
9 - Christian Scott - Christian aTunde Adjuah
10 - Neneh Cherry/The Thing - The Cherry Thing
10 - Kenny Garrett - Seeds From The Underground
11 - Anat Cohen - Ciaroscuro
12 - Ravi Coltrane - Spirit Fiction
13 - Fred Hersch Trio – Alive At The Vanguard
14 - Pat Metheny - Unity Band
15 - Mostly Other People Do The Killing - Slippery Rock
16 - Orrin Evans - Flip The Script
17 - Aaron Diehl – The Bespoke Man’s Narrative
17 - Dave Douglas Quintet - Be Still
17 - Rudresh Mahanthappa - Gamak
18 - Lee Konitz/Bill Frisell/Gary Peacock/Joey Baron - Enfants Terribles
19 - The Bad Plus - Made Possible
19 - Chick Corea/Gary Burton - Hot House
19 - Mary Halvorson Quintet - Bending Bridges
19 - Chris Potter - The Sirens
20 - John Abercrombie Quartet - Within A Song
20 - The Cookers - Believe
20 - Return To Forever - The Mothership Returns
21 - Theo Bleckmann - Hello Earth! (The Music Of Kate Bush)
21 - Yosvany Terry - Today’s Opinion

Blues Albums (20 total)
1 - Dr. John, Locked Down (Nonesuch)....184
2 - Tedeschi Trucks Band, Live: Everybody’s Talkin’ (Sony Masterworks )...86
3 - Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite, Get Up! (Sta x)..............82
4 - Buddy Guy, Live At Legends (RCA)..............78
5 - Gary Clark Jr., Blak And Blu (Warner Bros.)......76
6 - Otis Taylor, My World Is Gone (Telarc)............... 72
7 - Shemekia Copeland, 33 1/3 (Telarc)..............54
8 - Etta James, Etta James Live At Montreux 1993 (DVD) (Eagle Eye)............51
9 - Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream (Redwing )......................46
10 - Robert Cray, Nothin’ But Love (Mascot ).......38
11 - Slide Brothers, Robert Randolph Presents: The Slide Brothers (Concord ).... 37
12 - Billy Boy Arnold, Billy Boy Arnold Sings Big Bill Broonzy (Electro-Fi).....31
13 - Boz Scaggs, Memphis (429)............. 27
13 - ZZ Top, La Futura (Universal Republic).... 27
14 - Jon Cleary, Occapella (FHQ)...........24
*14 - Jack White, Blunderbuss (Third Man/Columbia )...24
15 - Joe Bonamassa, Driving Towards The Daylight (J&R Adventures )...........19
15 - The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Between The Ditches (Side One Dummy)..........19
15 - Various Artists, First Came Memphis Minnie (Stony Plain)..................19
16 - Anders Osborne, Black Eye Galaxy (Alligator ).....................13

Beyond Albums (20 total)
1 - José James, No Beginning No End (Blue Note)......... 100
2 - Donald Fagen, Sunken Condos (Reprise)..........74
3 - Bob Dylan, Tempest (Columbia )...70
4 - Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel… (Epic)................ 55
5 - Norah Jones, Little Broken Hearts (Blue Note )....................54
6 - Melody Gardot, The Absence (Verve)... 53
7 - Flying Lotus, Until The Quiet Comes (Warp)... 52
8 - Frank Ocean, Channel Orange (Def Jam).........46
9 - Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls (ATO)........43
10 - David Byrne & St. Vincent, Love This Giant (4AD)....................40
*10 - Jack White, Blunderbuss (Third Man/Columbia).....40
11 - Fatoumata Diawara, Fatou (World Circuit/Nonesuch ).................... 37
12 - Patti Smith, Banga (Columbia ).................... 35
13 - Bobby Womack, The Bravest Man In The Universe (XL)................28
14 - David Bowie, The Next Day (Columbia )............ 27
15 - Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Psychedelic Pill (Reprise).........................26
16 - Kendrick Lamar, Good Kid, m.A.A.d City (Interscope ).................. 25
17 - Billy Bragg/Wilco, Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions (Nonesuch )....................21
17 - Kelly Hogan, I Like To Keep Myself In Pain (Anti -)..............................21
18 - Mumford & Sons, Babel (Glassnote /Sony RED).....20

link: http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/ ... 201308.pdf
*Jack White’s Blunderbuss appears on both lists.