Annual Downbeat Critic’s Poll Recognizes College of Performing Arts Faculty, Students, and Alumni in Variety of Categories
Alumni, faculty, and students from the College of Performing Arts regularly earn praise and awards from a wide variety of industry organizations and publications. This year’s Critic’s Poll from Downbeat, the authority on jazz news, is no exception, and is filled with School of Jazz and Mannes School of Music alumni and faculty in various categories.
School of Jazz and Contemporary Music Faculty
Jane Ira Bloom won the Soprano Saxophone category.
Anat Cohen won the Clarinet category, placed in the Album of the Year category as part of the group Artemis, placed in the Big Band category as part of the group Tentet, and placed in the Rising Star Jazz Group category as part of Artemis.
Mary Halvorson won the Guitar category, and placed in both the Album of the Year category and the Jazz Group category for her album “Code Girl.”
Immanuel Wilkins won the Rising Star Alto Sax category.
Nir Felder won the Rising Star Guitar category.
Tomas Fujiwara won the Rising Star Drums category.
Melissa Aldana won the Rising Star Composer category, placed in the Album of the Year category as part of the group Artemis, placed in the Tenor Sax category, and the Rising Star Jazz Artist category.
Allison Miller placed in the Album of the Year category as part of the group Artemis and in the Drums category.
The Westerlies, currently in residence at School of Jazz, and featuring Willem de Koch, MA, Arts Management and Entrepreneurship ’20 and Chloe Rowlands, Jazz ‘14, placed in the Jazz Album of the Year category.
Dave Douglas placed in the Jazz Group category as part of the Sound Prints Quartet, the Trumpet category, and the Producer category.
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Jazz Latin Orchestra placed in the Big Band category.
Darcy James Argue placed in the Big Band category as part of the group Secret Society and in the Arranger category.
Ryan Keberle placed in the Trombone category.
Ingrid Laubrock placed in the Tenor Sax category.
Julian Lage placed in the Guitar category.
Rez Abbasi placed in the Guitar category.
Linda May Han Oh placed in the Bass and Electric Bass categories.
Sara Caswell placed in the Violin category.
Matt Wilson placed in the Drums category.
Andrew Cyrille placed in the Drums category.
Bobby Sanabria placed in the Percussion category.
Brandee Younger placed in the Miscellaneous category (Harp).
Sara Serpa placed in the Female Vocalist category.
Jen Shyu placed in the Female Vocalist category.
Fay Victor placed in the Female Vocalist category.
Patricia Brennan placed in the Rising Star Vibraphone category.
Spike Wilner, who also attended Jazz, placed in the Rising Star Producer category.
School of Jazz and Contemporary Music Alumni
Thana Alexa, Jazz ‘10, won the Rising Star Female Vocalist category.
Brad Mehldau, Jazz ‘93, placed in the Jazz Album of the Year category for “Round Again” in addition to the Jazz Group category and the Piano category.
Lakecia Benjamin, Jazz ‘05, placed in the Alto Sax, Rising Star Jazz Artist, and the Rising Star Arranger categories.
Robert Glasper, Jazz ‘01, placed in the Keyboard, Producer, and Beyond Artist categories.
José James, who attended Jazz, placed in the Male Vocalist category.
Jazzmeia Horn, Jazz ‘14, placed in the Female Vocalist and Rising Star Jazz Artist categories.
James Francies, Jazz ‘17, placed in the Rising Star Piano category.
E.J. Strickland, Jazz ‘02, placed in the Rising Star Drums category.
Camila Meza, Jazz ‘13, placed in the Rising Star Female Vocalist category.
Larry Goldings, Jazz ’90, who attended Jazz, placed in the Keyboard category.
Cecile McLorin Salvant, who attended Jazz, won the Female Vocalist category.
Mannes School of Music Faculty and Alumni
Faculty member Uri Caine placed in the Keyboard category.
Bill Evans, who attended Mannes, placed in the Historical Album category.
School of Jazz and Contemporary Music Students
Joel Ross, Jazz ‘22, won the Vibraphone category.