The 20th Annual

August 4, 2025

Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll:
2025 Mid-Year

Ballot: Ken Waxman (Jazz Word)

NEW JAZZ ALBUMS (unranked)

  • Sophie Agnel & John Butcher, Rare (Les Disques Victo) →
  • The Attic & Eve Risser, La Grande Crue (NoBusiness ’24) →
  • Michel Doneda – Lê Quan Ninh – Núria Andorrà, El Retorn De L’Escolta: A La Memòria De Marianne Brull (Fundacja Słuchaj) →
  • Bertrand Gauguet & Didier Lasserre, Mehr (Akousis/NUNC ’24) →
  • Eunhye Jeong & Michael Bisio, Morning Bells Whistle Bright (ESP-Disk) →
  • Alexey Kruglov, Transfiguration 100 Duos (Solyd) →
  • Allen Lowe & the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, Louis Armstrong’s America (ESP-Disk ’24) →
  • Potsa Lotsa XL, Amoeba’s Dance (Trouble in the East) →
  • Anna Webber, Simpletrio2000 (Intakt ’24) →
  • Carlos Zingaro – João Madeira – Sofia Borges, Trizmaris (4DaRecord ’24) →

 RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) (unranked)

  • Bobby Bradford – Frode Gjerstad – William Roper – Alex Cline, Frice (Fundacja Słuchaj ’24) →
  • Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra, Vol. 4: Jo Maka (1977, Souffle Continu) →
  • Daunik Lazro – Tristan Honsinger – Jean-Jacques Avenel, True & Whole Rhythms Au Danois 9 Mai 1982 (Fou) →
  • Misha Mengelberg & Sabu Toyozumi, The Analects of Confucius (2000, NoBusiness) →
  • Irène Schweizer – Rüdiger Carl – Johnny Dyani – Han Bennink, Irène’s Hot Four (1981, Intakt) →