Majalah DownBeat telah melansir sejumlah nama peraih 79th Annual DownBeat Readers Poll. Di antaranya ialah bluesman legendaris B.B. King (DownBeat Hall of Fame), Pat Metheny yang kali ini memenangkan tiga kategori dan Chick Corea sebagai “Jazz Artist of the Year.” Gary Smulyan, Chris Potter, Kenny Garrett serta Wayne Shorter masing-masing di kategori Baritone, Tenor, Alto, dan Soprano Saxophone.
Kategori Bass diberikan kepada mendiang Charlie Haden, sedangkan Herbie Hancock meraih dua kategori yakni Piano dan Keyboard. Kategori lain seperti “Beyond Artist or Group” dan “Beyond Album” mendaftar Robert Glasper untuk album Black Radio 2 (Blue Note Records, 2013).
Polling tahun ini diikuti oleh sebanyak 27.504 pemilih, merupakan jumlah terbesar sepanjang sejarah DownBeat Readers Poll, setelah edisi tahun lalu sebanyak 24.552 partisipan.
Berikut adalah daftar lengkap pemenang Down Beat 79th Annual DownBeat Readers Poll:
Hall of Fame: B.B. King
Jazz Artist: Chick Corea
Jazz Album: Pat Metheny Unity Group, Kin (Nonesuch)
Historical Album: Miles Davis, Miles At The Fillmore—Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 (Columbia/Legacy)
Jazz Group: Pat Metheny Unity Group
Big Band: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Trumpet: Wynton Marsalis
Trombone: Trombone Shorty
Soprano Saxophone: Wayne Shorter
Alto Saxophone: Kenny Garrett
Tenor Saxophone: Chris Potter
Baritone Saxophone: Gary Smulyan
Clarinet: Anat Cohen
Flute: Hubert Laws
Piano: Herbie Hancock
Keyboard: Herbie Hancock
Organ: Joey DeFrancesco
Guitar: Pat Metheny
Bass: Charlie Haden
Electric Bass: Stanley Clarke
Violin: Regina Carter
Drums: Jack DeJohnette
Vibraphone: Gary Burton
Percussion: Poncho Sanchez
Miscellaneous Instrument: Béla Fleck (banjo)
Female Vocalist: Diana Krall
Male Vocalist: Gregory Porter
Composer: Maria Schneider
Arranger: Maria Schneider
Record Label: Blue Note
Blues Artist or Group: B.B. King
Blues Album: Buddy Guy, Rhythm & Blues (RCA/Silvertone)
Beyond Artist or Group: Robert Glasper Experiment
Beyond Album: Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio 2 (Blue Note)
