The crucial Iowa caucus takes place on January 15. For improvised music obsessives, equally vital electoral returns arrived earlier this month. The 18th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll is the most comprehensive and meaningful of the yearly jazz surveys.
More than 500 titles released in 2023 received at least one vote from the poll’s 159 participants in the foremost new album category. In separate groupings, 57 debut albums, 51 vocal albums and 40 Latin jazz albums were acknowledged. (My ballot is here.)
Pouring over the results to glean meaning is akin to reading tea leaves, or for those who dislike innovative jazz, more like the ancient practice of divining the future by examining the entrails of animal sacrifices.
The expansiveness of this year’s poll indicates there’s little consensus even within the secluded jazz community. The staggering deluge of vital jazz exacerbates the form’s esoteric image.
Kansas City is represented by Pat Metheny’s Dream Box (#78 with four votes) and Matt Otto’s Umbra (tied at #473 with a single vote). In the Rara Avis category, the reissue of the Massey Hall concert featuring Charlie Parker (#26 with three votes) and the Basie All Stars’ Live at Fabrik Vol. 1: Hamburg 1981 (tied at #101 with one vote) were also recognized.
In a corresponding essay, Tom Hull, the man overseeing the complex tabulations for the poll, ponders the electorate’s consumption of the form. As a courtesy to Hull and on the off chance any Plastic Sax readers are curious, I’ve responded to his queries.
How many promos do you get and listen to?
I received less than a dozen CDs and vinyl albums last year. I have access to innumerable complimentary digital downloads.
How much streaming (do) you do?
A minimum of ten hours a day.
How much radio (do) you listen to?
I rarely listen to terrestrial radio. I stream loads of archived radio features and programs.
What (is) the split… between jazz and other music?
Approximately a third of the music I consume is jazz.
What other kinds of music do you like or hate?
I love all types of music.
(Are you) giving up some amount of (professional) opportunity cost to (cover jazz)?
Yes. It’s especially nice when an occasional endeavor unexpectedly pays off.