JazzTimes Critics' Poll: Vijay Iyer's "Accelerando" Takes Top Honors

Critical consensus says that Vijay Iyer‘s “Accelerando” (ACT) is one of last year’s finest jazz recordings: The CD, with the pianist joined by bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, just topped the JazzTimes critic poll.

Also making the Top Ten, as selected by a large group of JazzTimes writers (I voted):

2. Branford Marsalis Quartet, “Four MFs Playin’ Tunes” (Marsalis Music)

3. Sam Rivers/Dave Holland/Barry Altschul, “Reunion: Live in New York” (Pi)

4. Ryan Truesdell, “Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans” (ArtistShare)

5. Ravi Coltrane, “Spirit Fiction” (Blue Note)

6. Gregory Porter, “Be Good” (Motema)

7. Henry Threadgill Zooid, “Tomorrow Sunny/The Revelry, Spp” (Pi)

8. Wadada Leo Smith, “Ten Freedom Summers” (Cuneiform)

9. Tim Berne, “Snakeoil” (ECM)

10. Brad Mehldau Trio, “Ode” (Nonesuch)

Check the January/February print edition of JazzTimes for the full list of the year’s Top 50 jazz releases.

Wanna see the individual ballots (including mine)? Click here.