Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Saxophonist, Sonic Explorer Casey Benjamin Dies at 45
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
Carla Bley, the critics’ choice for the DownBeat Hall of Fame
(Photo: Mark Sheldon)The 69th Annual DownBeat International Critics Poll delivered a warm blanket to a jazz community shivering through the vestiges of the COVID pandemic. From loving tributes for jazz icons to highlighting the best of today’s artists, the poll offered a snapshot of what happened in jazz during the past year.
At the top of the icon list were Carla Bley, the critics’ picks for Hall of Fame, and Chick Corea, who passed away in February, being named Artist, Pianist and Keyboardist of the Year.
“What were the chances in the 1950s that a teenaged girl from Oakland, California, would land smack in the middle of New York’s vibrant jazz scene, much less emerge as one of its most lasting compositional voices? Bley, who turned 85 this year, enters the DownBeat Hall of Fame after more than six decades of writing, recording and performing,” writes critic Suzanne Lorge in the August issue.
“I’ve been moved to try new things in music by the ever-changing world around me,” Bley said in accepting the honor. “I’m strongly impacted by what I hear. And I almost always write for specific musicians. I’ve moved through many communities of players, and I’ve tried to provide each one with the perfect setting for his or her voice. This has led to some drastic shifts in idiom, but I think the sound of my own voice, like the color of my eyes or the way I walk, has endured through all the twists and turns.”
The Veterans Committee also voted saxophonist Yusef Lateef and trumpeter Booker Little into the Hall of Fame.
In a massive show of respect, the critics marked the passing of Corea with a triple crown of honors.
“A true historical giant such as this can never truly be gone from us, certainly not in the recent aftermath of his absence, which is why it was probably a foregone conclusion that Corea would be once again atop the 2021 DownBeat Critics Poll,” wrote critic Gary Fukushima. “DownBeat’s critics undoubtedly would have also voted Corea to the DownBeat Hall of Fame if they hadn’t already done so back in 2010.”
If those artists represented where the music has been, then composer, arranger and bandleader Maria Schneider shows where it is now with her Album of the Year, Data Lords (ArtistShare). Schneider also earned multiple category honors. The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra was named Big Band of the Year and she was named Composer and Arranger of the Year, honors she has received many times.
As for the future, the poll provided plenty of promise. First-time winners included trombonist Michael Dease, vibraphonist Joel Ross and cellist Tomeka Reid in the established artist categories, and the Rising Stars categories delivered an array of voices leading this music in new directions, highlighted by pianist/composer Gerald Clayton receiving honors for Rising Star Artist and Group of the Year.
The complete list of winners can be found below. The complete poll can be purchased here. Last year’s poll winners can be found here. DB
2021 DownBeat Critics Poll
Hall of Fame: Carla Bley
Hall of Fame: Booker Little
Hall of Fame: Yusef Lateef
Jazz Artist: Chick Corea
Jazz Album: Maria Schneider, Data Lords (ArtistShare)
Historical Album: Thelonious Monk, Palo Alto (Impulse!)
Jazz Group: Charles Lloyd & The Marvels
Big Band: Maria Schneider Orchestra
Trumpet: Ambrose Akinmusire
Trombone: Michael Dease
Soprano Saxophone: Jane Ira Bloom
Alto Saxophone: Rudresh Mahanthappa
Tenor Saxophone: Charles Lloyd
Baritone Saxophone: Gary Smulyan
Clarinet: Anat Cohen
Flute: Nicole Mitchell
Piano: Chick Corea
Keyboard: Chick Corea
Organ: Dr. Lonnie Smith
Guitar: Mary Halvorson
Bass: Christian McBride
Electric Bass: Steve Swallow
Violin: Regina Carter
Drums: Brian Blade
Percussion: Zakir Hussain
Vibraphone: Joel Ross
Miscellaneous Instrument: Tomeka Reid (cello)
Female Vocalist: Cécile McLorin Salvant
Male Vocalist: Kurt Elling
Composer: Maria Schneider
Arranger: Maria Schneider
Record Label: Blue Note
Producer: Manfred Eicher
Blues Artist or Group: Shemekia Copeland
Blues Album: Shemekia Copeland, Uncivil War (Alligator)
Beyond Artist or Group: Rhiannon Giddens
Beyond Album: Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra (Luaka Bop)
Rising Star Categories
Rising Star–Jazz Artist: Gerald Clayton
Rising Star–Jazz Group: Gerald Clayton Trio
Rising Star–Big Band: Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (led by Orbert Davis)
Rising Star–Trumpet: Adam O’Farrill
Rising Star–Trombone: Samuel Blaser
Rising Star–Soprano Saxophone: Wayne Escoffrey
Rising Star–Alto Saxophone: Immanuel Wilkins
Rising Star–Tenor Saxophone: Nubya Garcia
Rising Star–Baritone Saxophone: Alex Harding
Rising Star–Clarinet: Angel Bat Dawid
Rising Star–Flute: Shabaka Hutchings
Rising Star–Piano: Nik Bártsch
Rising Star–Keyboard: Jacob Collier
Rising Star–Organ: Cory Henry
Rising Star–Guitar: Nir Felder
Rising Star–Bass: Reuben Rogers
Rising Star–Electric Bass: Jeff Denson
Rising Star–Violin: Tomoko Omura
Rising Star–Drums: Tomas Fujiwara
Rising Star–Percussion: Richie Flores
Rising Star–Vibraphone: Ches Smith
Rising Star–Miscellaneous Instrument: Brian Landrus (bass clarinet)
Rising Star–Female Vocalist: Thana Alexa
Rising Star–Male Vocalist: Jacob Collier
Rising Star–Composer: Melissa Aldana
Rising Star–Arranger: Stefon Harris
Rising Star–Producer: Kris Davis/David Breskin
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