ON THE COVER

82nd ANNUAL READERS POLL

• p 32 : Wynton Marsalis
  Building the Cathedral
  By Allen Morrison
  Wynton Marsalis enters the Hall of Fame and tops the Trumpet category in the 2017 DownBeat Readers Poll. We sit down with Marsalis to discuss his work as a musician, composer and managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

FEATURES

• p 38 : Chick Corea
  Spiritual Chemistry
  By Ted Panken
  Corea topped the Jazz Artist category in the Readers Poll.
• p 40 : Top Jazz Albums
  — 1. Diana Krall : Turn Up The Quiet (Verve)

  
  — 2. Branford Marsalis Quartet Feat. Kurt Elling : Upward Spiral (Sony Masterworks)

  
  — 3. John Scofield : Country For Old Men (Impulse !)

  
  — 4. Chris Potter : The Dreamer Is The Dream (ECM)

  
  — 5. Brad Mehldau Trio : Blues And Ballads (Nonesuch)

  
  — 6. Norah Jones : Day Breaks (Blue Note)

  
  — 7. Trombone Shorty : Parking Lot Symphony (Blue Note)

  
  — 8. Jack Dejohnette/Ravi Coltrane/Matthew Garrison, In Movement (ECM)

  
  — 9. JLCO With Wynton Marsalis Feat. Jon Batiste : The Music Of John Lewis (Blue Engine)

  
  — 10. Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan : Small Town (ECM)
• p 42 : Top Historical Albums
  — 1. Bill Evans Trio : On A Monday Evening (Fantasy)
  — 2. Jaco Pastorius : Truth, Liberty & Soul—Live In NYC : The Complete 1982 NPR Jazz Alive ! Recording (Resonance)
  — 3. Wes Montgomery With The Wynton Kelly Trio : Smokin’ In Seattle : Live At The Penthouse (Resonance)
  — 4. John Coltrane : The Atlantic Years In Mono (Atlantic)
  — 5. Thelonious Monk : Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Sam Records/Saga)
  — 6. Miles Davis : Freedom Jazz Dance : The Bootleg Series Vol. 5 (Sony Legacy)
  — 7. Chet Baker : Live In London (Ubuntu)
  — 8. Count Basie & Lester Young : Classic 1936–1947 Studio Sessions (Mosaic)
  — 9. Dizzy Gillespie : Concert Of The Century—Tribute To Charlie Parker (Justin Time Essentials)
  — 10. David Bowie : Who Can I Be Now ? 1974–1976 (Parlophone)
• p 44 : Diana Krall Moving Pictures By J.D. Considine
  Krall topped two categories : Female Vocalist and Jazz Album (for her Verve Album Turn Up The Quiet)
• p 46 : Snarky Puppy Snarky Mastermind By Phillip Lutz
  Michael League talks about the amazing success of his band Snarky Puppy, which topped the Jazz Group category.
• p 50 : Christian McBride Muscles Flexed By Ken Micallef
  McBride topped the Bass category in the Readers Poll.
• p 54 : Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Breaking Down Inhibitions By Jeff Johnson
  The blues veterans topped the Blues Album category for their collaborative disc, TajMo (Concord).
• p 58 : Complete Poll Results
  • Blues Album
    — 1. Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’, TajMo (Concord)

    
    — 2. Joe Bonamassa, Live At The Greek Theatre (J&R Adventures)

    
    — 3. Gary Clark Jr., Live/North America 2016 (Warner Bros.)

    
    — 4. The Rolling Stones, Blue & Lonesome (Interscope)

    
    — 5. Robert Cray, Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm (Jay-Vee)

    
    — 6. John Mayall, Talk About That (Forty Below)

    
    — 7. David Bromberg Band, The Blues, The Whole Blues And Nothing But The Blues (Red House)

    
    — 8. Various Artists, Classic Piedmont Blues (Smithsonian Folkways)

    
    — 9. Colin James, Blue Highways (True North)

    
    — 10. Otis Taylor, Fantasizing About Being Black (Trance Blues Festival)

SPECIAL SECTION :

• p 85 : HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
  – 15 Holiday Music Albums
  – Ella Fitzgerald Box Sets
  – Remembering Buddy Rich
  – Lucky Thompson Box Set
  – Jean-Pierre Leloir Photography Book
  – John Lee Hooker Box Set
  – Jimmy Reed Box Set
  – Allan Holdsworth Box Set
  – Bill Bruford Box Set

DEPARTMENTS

• p 8 : First Take
• p 10 : Chords & Discords
• p 13 : The Beat
• p 26 : Players
  – Django Bates
  – Alex Han
  – Laura Ainsworth
  – Charles Rumback
• p 102 : Master Class : Creating an Alternative Large Ensemble
  By John Vanore
• p 104 : Pro Session : The Whole Picture : Considering Performance in Music
  By Sarah Partridge
• p 106 : Transcription : Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Guitar Solo on ’All The Way To Rajasthan’
• p 108 : Toolshed
• p 110 : Jazz On Campus
• p 114 : Blindfold Test : Ambrose Akinmusire
  Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire was tested on the following tracks for the “Blindfold Test” :
  – Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra : “Low Down” from All My Yesterdays : The Debut 1966 Recordings At The Village Vanguard (Resonance)
  – Jonathan Finlayson & Sicilian Defense : “Flank And Center” from Moving Still (Pi)
  – Don Cherry : “Dewey’s Tune” from Critics’ Pick Sampler, Vol. 1 (Black Saint/Soul Note)
  – Clark Terry : “One Foot In The Gutter” from In Orbit (Riverside)
  – Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah : “Phrases” from Ruler Rebel (Stretch/Ropeadope)
  – Johnny Coles : “My Sweet Passion” from Little Johnny C (Blue Note)
  – Enrico Rava/Stefano Bollani : “In Search Of Titina” from The Third Man (ECM)