61st Annual Critics Poll Jazz - Downbeat

108 Pages·2013·12.03 MB·English

61st Annual Critics Poll
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AUGUST 2013
VolUme 80 / NUmber 8
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Á

AUGUST 2013
on the cover
61st Annual Critics Poll
wayne shorter
20
Jazz Artist, Jazz Album, Jazz
Group & Soprano Saxophone
wItH essaYs bY JoseF woodaRd,
Joe LoVano and Jon IRabagon
The saxophonist lands a
quadruple-crown of victories.
28 top Jazz albums
30 charlie Haden
Hall of Fame
bY ed enRIgHt
36 Robert Johnson
Veterans Committee 30
Hall of Fame
bY FRanK-JoHn HadLeY
38 top Historical albums
40 christian mcbride
42 bBwYa tasesdd aPadnaKe Lneo smith Charlie haden mIcHaeL PIazza
Composer cover photo of wayne shorter by adam mccullough
bY aaRon coHen
44 tia Fuller
R ising Star Alto Saxophone &
Rising Star Flute
bY aLLen moRRIson
46 gregory Porter
R ising Star Jazz Artist &
Rising Star Male Vocalist
bY sHaun bRadY 72 tommy emmanuel/ 78 gregory tardy 79 Keith Jarrett/gary 84 wallace Roney
martin taylor Peacock/Jack deJohnette
48 gerald clayton
Rising Star Piano
bY Joe tangaRI
50 Jason marsalis departments
Rising Star Vibes
bY PHILLIP Lutz 8 First take 69 Reviews 98 toolshed
52 derrick Hodge
10 chords & 94 master class 102 Jazz on campus
Rising Star Electric Bass
discords By Gabriel Alegría
bY HILaRY bRown 106 blindfold test
54 complete critics Poll Results 13 the beat 96 transcription Javon Jackson
6 downbeat AUGUST 2013
AUGUST 2013 downbeat 7
First Take
By BoBBy reeD
Youthful
ambition
teenaGers are iMPressionaBle. seeinG a Great MusiCian
when you’re a youngster can alter your life’s path.
Javon Jackson was 13 when he met Dexter Gordon in Denver and
said to himself, “I want to do just what he does.” Jackson looked up to
Gordon—both figuratively and literally—as he vividly explains in this
month’s Blindfold Test, which also includes his anecdote about seeing
Sonny Stitt in concert. When Wayne Shorter was 15 years old, he saw
Lester Young perform in Newark, N.J. Charlie Haden was 18 when he
grabbed a seat on the front row
to see Paul Chambers share the wayne shorter
bandstand with Miles Davis,
John Coltrane and Philly Joe
Jones in Los Angeles.
In hindsight, the artists see
these as formative experiences.
Today Jackson is an acclaimed
saxophonist with a discography
of more than a dozen leader proj-
ects, and last year he released the
CD Celebrating John Coltrane.
And what ever happened to
those kids crazy kids named
Wayne and Charlie? Well,
Shorter takes home four awards
in this year’s Critics Poll, and
Haden has just been elected as the
134th member of the DownBeat
Hall of Fame.
As he approaches his 80th
birthday, Shorter remains one of ougH
tthhee mploasnte tr. evHeree ds tamnudssi cieatnersn aoln- m mccuLL
ly youthful and vital, garnering ada
wins for Jazz Artist, Jazz Album
(for Without A Net), Jazz Group (for the Wayne Shorter Quartet) and
Soprano Saxophone in this year’s poll. A decade after he was elected into
the DownBeat Hall of Fame, Shorter—whose bandmates in the quar-
tet are pianist Danilo Pérez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian
Blade—continues to make some of the most exciting music of his career.
For this issue, we recruited a couple of saxophonists (who are both
poll winners) to write about Shorter’s unique artistry. Both of them have
admired Shorter’s work since the days when they were young, aspiring
musicians. Joe Lovano, this year’s winner in the Tenor Saxophone cate-
gory, offers a loving, poetic, exuberant tribute to Shorter. Jon Irabagon,
our winner for Rising Star—Tenor Saxophone, describes some of his
favorite musical moments in Shorter’s oeuvre.
Haden, the ultra-melodic bassist, has been an integral contributor to
the music of dozens of Hall of Famers. And now, he rightfully joins
Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett and so many more of his collaborators.
We welcome Mr. Haden to the Hall of Fame. Our feature (starting on
page 30) illustrates his deep love for the music and for his colleagues.
Haden has been appearing in (and reading) DownBeat for a half-century.
Each year, our Critics Poll provides a thorough picture of what’s hap-
pening in the world of jazz, blues and improvised music. With 165 crit-
ics voting, and more than 1,000 artists listed, these results provide an
invaluable database for anyone who wants to explore the noteworthy
singers and instrumentalists who are making waves in 2013. This issue is
your invitation to the greatest virtual concert imaginable. Dig in. DB
8 downbeat AUGUST 2013
AUGUST 2013 downbeat 9
Chords Discords
snark attack
As a DownBeat reader since 1961, I have
a comment regarding one of your Hot
Box critics. The time has come to tell
Paul de Barros to please cut back on the
snark. In the May issue, he dropped a
musical deuce on Aaron Diehl with a 2½-
star review of the pianist’s The Bespoke
Man’s Narrative and never took the time to
mention the incredible musicality of Rod-
ney Green’s drumming on that CD. Then, in
the July issue, his 2-star comments
offered nothing constructive in
criticizing saxophonist Joshua Red-
man’s album Walking Shadows. To
call the work “dull” really provides no
cooovnnelyrt eatnhstse u ummpaoejno t rhwitayht iomcfh oh tsiots ojruefd vtghieeew. msL,o uIo c-kainng JoHn abbott From left:
Drummer rodney
sic de Barros enjoys is the kind Green, pianist
that brings spontaneous rectal aaron Diehl,
vibraphonist
bleeding to the listener. Paul warren wolf
de Barros is not a person to be taken seriously any and bassist
David wong
longer. His personality gets too much in the way.
The Rev. JeffRey WalkeR
[email protected]
standing tall too Foul? corrections
Paquito D’Rivera’s tribute I am writing in regard to „ In the Reviews section of
to the late pianist Bebo the Blindfold Test with the July issue, the Order-
Valdés (“The Big Horse David Weiss in your May ing Info was incorrect for
Rides Away,” July) issue. In his comments two albums. The website
endeared me to your about the Peter Evans for Finas Misturas (Fine
magazine differently than Quintet, Mr. Weiss’ Mixtures) by Antonio
any another time I’ve been description includes the Adolfo is aammusic.
moved during the 40-plus “f-word,” saying, “It’s com. The website for A
years that I’ve subscribed pretty random for him to Quiet Thing by Madeline
to DownBeat. I hope my f@*# with his sound like Eastman & Randy Porter
reaction makes you stand that … .” Please keep in is madelineeastman.com.
even a little taller by your mind that your educa- „ In the July issue, the article
invaluable publication. tional subscriptions reach “The Art of the Archtop”
younger audiences, and contained a misspelling
Ned coRmaN as an educator, I am dis- of the name of Adam
RochesTeR, N.y.
appointed that this kind Aronson, Sales V.P. at
of language would be D’Angelico Guitars.
sayer a Video star acceptable. „ In the June issue, there
DownBeat is a great way was a misspelling in the
I enjoyed the article on
to get students interested in Student Music Awards sec-
banjoist Cynthia Sayer a
jazz. They can read articles tion. In the category Classi-
great deal (Players, June).
about artists like Tia Fuller cal Soloist, the junior high
Before reading that profile,
and Terence Blanchard, school winner is viola play-
I had never heard of the
as well as masters of jazz er Eugenea Raychaudhuri.
plectrum banjo (I played
like Dave Brubeck. My „ In the June issue, a
the five-string as a teen
students look forward to the Toolshed article on Peter
40 years ago). I watched
Woodshed section to obtain Ponzol saxophone mouth-
videos of her playing on
information about how pieces incorrectly stated
YouTube and was floored.
artists think via the tran- the tip-opening size of two
As a consequence, I’m
scriptions. I do not condone tenor mouthpieces sent
going to order a plectrum
this type of language in my to DownBeat for review,
banjo next month and take
classroom. DownBeat and the TM2 SL 100 and TM2
the plunge! Sayer displays
its contributors should put PLUS SL 100. The correct
great diversity in her more consideration into who size is 110 (.110 inches).
approach to the plectrum
the magazine’s audience is.
banjo, while at the same doWNbeaT RegReTs The eRRoRs.
time staying true to the tra-
maRk a. Russo
ditions of the instrument. diRecToR of iNsTRumeNTal music
coNsTellaTioN schools PuRTias/ Have a chord or discord?
WesTPaRk commuNiTy
eRic Paul Russo.maRk@coNsTellaTioN- email us at [email protected]
[email protected] schools.com or find us on Facebook & twitter
10 downbeat AUGUST 2013