ON THE COVER

73th ANNUAL CRITICS POLL

• p 24 : Anthony Braxton
  ​Enters the Hall of Fame
  By Bill Meyer
  Anthony Braxton turned 80 in June, and his productivity this year alone exceeds that of some other artists’ entire careers. The composer, musician, educator and philosopher of positivity has released more than 14 hours of music. That includes his latest opera, Trillium X ; a wooly collaboration with Wolf Eyes ; and Quartet (England) 1985.
  Anthony Braxton enters the DownBeat Hall of Fame. The bandleader, improviser, composer, educator, unwaveringly positive philosopher and player of all the saxophones from sopranino through contrabass, continues to release music at a blistering pace and of a the highest of high art quality. For that, the critics applaud him and his audacious career.

FEATURES

• p 30 Tito Puente
  The Veteran Committee’s Choice for Hall of Fame
  By Aaron Cohen
• p 32 : James Brandon Lewis
  Artist of the Year/Tenor Saxophonist of the Year By Ammar Kalia
• p 36 : Patricia Brennan
  Album of the Year/Vibraphonist of the Year
  By Jim Macnie
  “As a composer, as a performer, the fact that the message got across is awesome,” says Patricia Brennan of Breaking Stretch being honored as Album of the Year
• p 40 : Critics Capsules
  – Immanuel Wilkins, by Jon Newey
  – Ambrose Akinmusire, by Alexa Peters
  – Meshell Ndegeocello, by Eugene Holley Jr.
  – Ingrid Laubrock, by Thierry De Clemensat
  – Brian Blade, by Filipe Freitas
  – Michael Dease, by Mark Ruffin
  – Mary Halvorson, by A.D. Amorosi
  – Isaiah Collier, by Ayana Conteras
  – Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad, by Tom Ineck
  – Susan Alcorn, by Peter Margasak
• p 48 : Complete Poll Listings
  • Album of the Year
    — 1. Patricia Brennan, Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic)

    
    — 2. Ambrose Akinmusire, Honey From a Winter Stone (Nonesuch)

    
    — 3. Kris Davis Trio, Run The Gauntlet (Pyroclastic)

    
    — 4. Tyshawn Sorey, The Susceptible Now (Pi)
    — 5. Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson, Bone Bells (Pyroclastic)

    
    — 6. Wadada Leo Smith/Amina Claudine Myers, Central Park’s Mosaics Of Reservoir Lake Paths And Gardens (Red Hook)

    
    — 7. Immanuel Wilkins, Blues Blood (Blue Note)

    
    — 8. Tomeka Reid Quartet, 3+3 (Cuneiform)
    — 9. Jeff Parker ETA IVtet, The Way Out Of Easy (International Anthem)

    
    — 10. David Murray Quartet, Francesca (Intakt)

  • Historical Album of the Year
    — 1. Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (Impulse !)
    — 2. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson, Forces Of Nature : Live At Slugs’ (Blue Note)
    — 3. John Coltrane, A Love Supreme : 60th Anniversary Edition (Impulse !)
    — 4. Miles Davis, Miles In France : 1963 & 1964 : The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (Legacy A&R)
    — 5. Sonny Rollins, A Night At The Village Vanguard : The Complete Masters (Blue Note)
    — 6. Keith Jarrett, The Old Country : More From The Deer Head Inn (ECM)
    — 7. Roy Hargrove’s Crisol, Grande-Terre (Verve)
    — 8. Wayne Shorter, Celebration Volume 1 (Blue Note)
    — 9. Andrew Hill, A Beautiful Day Revisited (Palmetto)
    — 10. Emily Remler, Cookin’ At The Queens (Resonance)
  • Blues Album
    — 1. Shemekia Copeland, Blame It On Eve (Alligator)

    
    — 2. Cedric Burnside, Hill Country Love (Provogue)

    
    — 3. John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Power Of The Blues Pt. II (MIG-Music)
    — 4. Eric Bibb, In The Real World (Stony Plain)

    
    — 5. Staple Jr. Singers, Searching (Luaka Bop)
    — 6. Albert Collins & Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland, Showdown ! (Alligator)

    
    — 7. Eric Bibb, Live At The Scala Theatre (Repute/Stony Plain)

    
    — 8. Joe Bonamassa, Live At The Hollywood Bowl (J&R Adventures)

    
    — 9. Guy Davis, The Legend Of Sugarbelly (M.C.)

    
    — 10. Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Young Fashioned Ways (Deep Rush)

DEPARTMENTS

• p 8 : First Take
• p 10 : Chords & Discords
• p 13 : The Beat
  • p 13 : Scott Robinson
  • p 16 : Van Gelder Studio
  • p 18 : Brittany Davis
  • p 20 : Mark Masters
  • p 22 : Final Bar
• p 60 : Indie Life
  – EMP Records
  – Julian Shore
  – Ludovica Burtone
• p 67 : Reviews
• p 69 : Hot Box
  – Joshua Redman
  – James Brandon Lewis
  – Brandee Younger
  – Mary Halvorson
• p 72 : Historical Review
  – Chick Corea
  – Bennie Maupin
  – Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan
  – Art Pepper
• p 76 : Anthony Braxton Review
  – Trillium X
• p 78 : Indie Reviews
  – James Davis’ Beveled
  – Jarod Bufe
  – Alyn Cosker
  – Chris Varga

• p 80 : Master Class : Translating Musical Experience Into Best Bandleading Practices
  By Karrin Allyson
• p 82 : Transcription : James Brandon Lewis Tenor solo on ’Remember Brooklyn & Moki’
  By Jimi Durso
• p 84 : Toolshed
  – JodyJazz DV JC ’Jody Custom’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
  – Odisei Music’s Travel Sax 2
• p 86 : Gear Box
• p 90 : Blindfold Test : Buster Williams
  Bassist Buster Williams, who at the age of 83 has been on the scene for 65 years, had never done a Blindfold Test. The first for the legendary, Camden, NJ-born bassist was hosted by the jazz studies program at New York University. More than 30 students attended, as did a few faculty members, including drummer Lenny White. For two hours, Williams spoke of his own storied career, as much as responded to the bass-focused recordings played for him. At the close of the session, he saluted the young musicians on their career choice. “People in your family that love you, like your grandmother and your mother, will ask you, ’What are you going to do if it doesn’t work out ? What’s your back door ?’ My father told me, ’There ain’t no back door !’ There’s only one door, and when you’re in, you’re in. When I chose music, I was trapped. What a great entrapment. So congratulations to all of you. You could have chosen to work for the Federal government.”
  – Oscar Pettiford : “Trictatism (originally “Tractitism”)” from Oscar Pettiford (Bethlehem, 1954)
  – Esperanza Spalding : “The Peacocks” from Junjo (Ayva Music, 1988)
  – Ray Brown Trio : “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be” from at the Bern Jazz Festival (YouTube video, 2002)
  – Stanley Clarke : “Bass Folk Song” from Children of Forever (Polydor, 1972)
  – Red Norvo/Tal Farlow/Charles Mingus : “Godchild” from The Red Norvo Trio with Tal Farlow and Charles Mingus (Savoy, 1952)
  – Percy Heath : “Django” from A Love Song (Daddy Jazz, 2003)
  – Billy Drummond : “The Bat” from Dubai (Criss Cross Jazz, 1995)