74th Annual DownBeat Critics Poll: And the Winners Are …

By Frank Alkyer I Jul. 16, 2026

Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s *At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings*, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
(Photo: Clockwise from top left, by Elana Olivia, Courtesy Patricia Brennan, Steven Sussman, Courtesy ECM, Andy Freeberg, K. Gypsy Zaboroskie.)

The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and first-time winners. The following stories are just a few threads from this year’s poll. Click HERE, or on the cover image below, to see more, including Critics Capsules where a few of our voters talked about some of their favorite artists of the year. Oh, and don’t miss the complete listings, an opportunity to check out hundreds of albums and artists that made the team photo for 2026. Enjoy! DB

A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.

News

Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM

Hyde Park Jazz Fest on Chicago’s South Side to Present 20th Edition

The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”

Interview, From the Magazine

Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM

A John Coltrane Centennial

Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
Camille Thurman took to the stage alongside bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Tommy Campbell for a rendition of Johnny Mercer’s “I’m An Old Cowhand” that recalled Rollins’ epochal 1957 trio outing Way Out West.

Live

Oct 6, 2026 1:33 PM

Sonny Rollins Gets an Epic Send-Off in Manhattan

As emcee Mark Ruffin noted at the commencement of an epic tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins at the Cathedral of Saint…
Kurt Elling, Katherine Russell and Emmet Cohen (host on the 2027 Jazz Cruise) share a laugh at sea.

News, From the Magazine

Sep 8, 2026 11:52 AM

Jazz Cruises Swing at Sea

It began in 2001. A travel agent named Anita E. Berry had been booking clients on “partial” jazz cruises that took…
News, From the Magazine

Sep 17, 2026 11:00 AM

Check Out the College Guide!

The 2027 DownBeat College Guide is an invaluable resource for music students, especially jazz students, to find a school…