DownBeat

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title: "DownBeat" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["blues-music-magazines", "jazz-awards", "jazz-magazines-published-in-the-united-states", "magazines-established-in-1934", "magazines-published-in-chicago", "monthly-magazines-published-in-the-united-states", "music-magazines-published-in-the-united-states", "1934-establishments-in-illinois"] description: "American jazz magazine (founded 1934)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DownBeat" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American jazz magazine (founded 1934) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox magazine"]

Field	Value
title	DownBeat
image_file	Down Beat.png
frequency	Monthly
category	Music magazine
founded
company	Maher Publications
country	United States
based	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
language	English
website
issn	0012-5768
::

|title = DownBeat |image_file = Down Beat.png |editor = |editor_title = |previous_editor = |staff_writer = |frequency = Monthly |total_circulation = |circulation_year = |category = Music magazine |publisher = |founded = |firstdate = |company = Maher Publications |country = United States |based = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |language = English |website = |issn = 0012-5768 DownBeat (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois. It is named after the "downbeat" in music, also called "beat one", or the first beat of a musical measure.

DownBeat publishes results of annual surveys of both its readers and critics in a variety of categories. The DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame includes winners from both the readers' and critics' poll. The results of the readers' poll are published in the December issue, those of the critics' poll in the August issue. Since 2008, the Hall of Fame also includes winners from the Veterans Committee.

Popular features of DownBeat magazine include its "Reviews" section where jazz critics, using a '1-Star to 5-Star' maximum rating system, rate the latest musical recordings, vintage recordings, and books; articles on individual musicians and music forms; and its famous "Blindfold Test" column, in which a musician listens to records by other artists, tries to guess who they are, and rates them using the 5-star maximum rating system.

History

DownBeat was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois. In September 1939, the magazine announced that its circulation had increased from "a few hundred five years ago to more than 80,000 copies a month", and that it would change from monthly to fortnightly from the following month. In Summer 1960 DownBeat launched the Japanese edition. Don DeMicheal was editor-in-chief of DownBeat from 1961-1967. In 1972 the publisher of the magazine was Maher Publishers. Starting in July 1979, DownBeat went to a monthly schedule for the first time since 1939.

DownBeat was named Jazz Publication of the Year in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 by the Jazz Journalists Association.

''DownBeat'' Jazz Hall of Fame

The DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame's current membership, by year, is listed in the following table. The Readers' Poll began in 1952, the Critics' Poll in 1961, and the Veterans Committee Poll in 2008. ::data[format=table]

Year	Readers Poll	Critics Poll	Veterans Committee Poll
1952	Louis Armstrong
1953	Glenn Miller
1954	Stan Kenton
1955	Charlie Parker
1956	Duke Ellington
1957	Benny Goodman
1958	Count Basie
1959	Lester Young
1960	Dizzy Gillespie
1961	Billie Holiday	Coleman Hawkins
1962	Miles Davis	Bix Beiderbecke
1963	Thelonious Monk	Jelly Roll Morton
1964	Eric Dolphy	Art Tatum
1965	John Coltrane	Earl Hines
1966	Bud Powell	Charlie Christian
1967	Billy Strayhorn	Bessie Smith
1968	Wes Montgomery	Sidney Bechet & Fats Waller
1969	Ornette Coleman	Pee Wee Russell & Jack Teagarden
1970	Jimi Hendrix	Johnny Hodges
1971	Charles Mingus	Roy Eldridge & Django Reinhardt
1972	Gene Krupa	Clifford Brown
1973	Sonny Rollins	Fletcher Henderson
1974	Buddy Rich	Ben Webster
1975	Cannonball Adderley	Cecil Taylor
1976	Woody Herman	King Oliver
1977	Paul Desmond	Benny Carter
1978	Joe Venuti	Rahsaan Roland Kirk
1979	Ella Fitzgerald	Lennie Tristano
1980	Dexter Gordon	Max Roach
1981	Art Blakey	Bill Evans
1982	Art Pepper	Fats Navarro
1983	Stéphane Grappelli	Albert Ayler
1984	Oscar Peterson	Sun Ra
1985	Sarah Vaughan	Zoot Sims
1986	Stan Getz	Gil Evans
1987	Lionel Hampton	Johnny Dodds, Thad Jones, Teddy Wilson
1988	Jaco Pastorius	Kenny Clarke
1989	Woody Shaw	Chet Baker
1990	Red Rodney	Mary Lou Williams
1991	Lee Morgan	John Carter
1992	Maynard Ferguson	James P. Johnson
1993	Gerry Mulligan	Ed Blackwell
1994	Dave Brubeck	Frank Zappa
1995	J. J. Johnson	Julius Hemphill
1996	Horace Silver	Artie Shaw
1997	Nat King Cole	Tony Williams
1998	Frank Sinatra	Elvin Jones
1999	Milt Jackson	Betty Carter
2000	Clark Terry	Lester Bowie
2001	Joe Henderson	Milt Hinton
2002	Antonio Carlos Jobim	John Lewis
2003	Ray Brown	Wayne Shorter
2004	McCoy Tyner	Roy Haynes
2005	Herbie Hancock	Steve Lacy
2006	Jimmy Smith	Jackie McLean
2007	Michael Brecker	Andrew Hill
2008	Keith Jarrett	Joe Zawinul	Jo Jones, Jimmie Lunceford, Erroll Garner, Harry Carney, Jimmy Blanton
2009	Freddie Hubbard	Hank Jones	Oscar Pettiford, Tadd Dameron
2010	Muhal Richard Abrams	Chick Corea	Baby Dodds, Chick Webb, Philly Joe Jones, Billy Eckstine
2011	Ahmad Jamal	Abbey Lincoln	Paul Chambers
2012	Ron Carter	Paul Motian	Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt
2013	Pat Metheny	Charlie Haden	Robert Johnson
2014	B.B. King	Jim Hall	Bing Crosby, Dinah Washington
2015	Tony Bennett	Lee Konitz	Muddy Waters
2016	Phil Woods	Randy Weston	Hoagy Carmichael
2017	title=Marsalis, Krall, Corea Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners	url=http://wyntonmarsalis.org/news/entry/marsalis-krall-corea-among-downbeat-readers-poll-winners	website=wyntonmarsalis.org
2018	Ray Charles	last= Panken	first=Ted
2019	Hank Mobley	Nina Simone	Scott LaFaro, Joe Williams
2020	George Benson	Jimmy Heath	Mildred Bailey, Carmen McRae
2021	Roy Hargrove	Carla Bley	Booker Little, Yusef Lateef
2022	Kenny Barron	Geri Allen
2023	Pharoah Sanders	Alice Coltrane	Red Norvo, Mario Bauza
2024	John McLaughlin	Charles Lloyd
2025	Jack DeJohnette	Anthony Braxton	Tito Puente
::

Awards

Album of the Year

Critics' Poll

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Musician	Label
1965	A Love Supreme	John Coltrane	Impulse!
1966	At the Golden Circle, Vol. 1	Ornette Coleman Trio	Blue Note
1967	The Popular Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington	RCA
1968	The Far East Suite	Duke Ellington	Bluebird/RCA
1969	...And His Mother Called Him Bill	Duke Ellington	Bluebird/RCA
1970	Bitches Brew	Miles Davis	Columbia
1971	New Orleans Suite	Duke Ellington	Atlantic
1972	The You and Me That Used to Be	Jimmy Rushing	RCA
1973

• (tie)* | Constellation | Sonny Stitt | Cobblestone | | Sahara | McCoy Tyner | Milestone | | | 1974 | Solo Concerts | Keith Jarrett | ECM | | 1975 | Silent Tongues | Cecil Taylor | Freedom | | 1976 | Oscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie | Oscar Peterson & Dizzy Gillespie | Pablo | | 1977 | Creative Orchestra Music 1976 | Anthony Braxton | Arista | | 1978
• (tie)* | Insights | Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band | RCA | | Dancing in Your Head | Ornette Coleman | Horizon | | | Sophisticated Giant | Dexter Gordon | Columbia | | | Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard | Dexter Gordon | Columbia | | | Nonaah | Roscoe Mitchell | Nessa | | | 1979 | Cumbia & Jazz Fusion | Charles Mingus | Atlantic | | 1980 | Air Lore | Air | Arista/Novus | | 1981 | Full Force | Art Ensemble of Chicago | ECM | | 1982 | | Playing | Old and New Dreams | ECM | | 1983 | Blues Forever | Muhal Richard Abrams | Black Saint | | 1984 | The Ballad of the Fallen | Charlie Haden | ECM | | 1985 | That's the Way I Feel Now | Various | A&M | | 1986 | The African Flower | James Newton | Blue Note | | 1987 | Song X | Pat Metheny & Ornette Coleman | Geffen | | 1988 | In All Languages | Ornette Coleman | Caravan of Dreams | | 1989 | Audio-Visualscapes | Jack DeJohnette | Impulse! | | 1990 | In East Berlin | Cecil Taylor | FMP | | 1991 | Dream Keeper | Charlie Haden | Blue Note | | 1992 | Lush Life | Joe Henderson | Verve | | 1993 | So Near, So Far (Musings for Miles) | Joe Henderson | Verve | | 1994 | Always Say Goodbye | Charlie Haden | Verve | | 1995 | Rush Hour | Joe Lovano & Gunther Schuller | Verve | | 1996 | Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note | Keith Jarrett Standards Trio | ECM | | 1997 | Sound Museum: Hidden Man | Ornette Coleman Quartet | Harmolodic/Verve | | 1998 | Nashville | Bill Frisell | Nonesuch | | 1999 | Gershwin's World | Herbie Hancock | Verve | | 2000 | Soul on Soul | Dave Douglas | RCA | | 2001 | Dusk | Andrew Hill | Palmetto | | 2002 | *Not for Nothin' * | Dave Holland | ECM | | 2003 | Footprints Live! | Wayne Shorter Quartet | Verve | | 2004 | Extended Play: Live at Birdland | Dave Holland Quintet | ECM | | 2005 | Concert in the Garden | Maria Schneider | ArtistShare | | 2006 | Time Lines | Andrew Hill | Blue Note | | 2007 | Sound Grammar | Ornette Coleman | Sound Grammar | | 2008 | Sky Blue | Maria Schneider | ArtistShare | | 2009 | Road Shows, Vol. 1 | Sonny Rollins | Doxy/EmArcy | | 2010 | Historicity | Vijay Iyer | ACT | | 2011 | Ten | Jason Moran | Blue Note | | 2012 | Accelerando | Vijay Iyer | ACT | | 2013 | Without a Net | Wayne Shorter Quartet | Blue Note | | 2014 | WomanChild | Cécile McLorin Salvant | Mack Avenue | | 2015 | Bird Calls | Rudresh Mahanthappa | ACT | | 2016 | The Epic | Kamasi Washington | Brainfeeder | | 2017 | America's National Parks | Wadada Leo Smith | Cuneiform | | 2018 | Dreams and Daggers | Cécile McLorin Salvant | Mack Avenue | | 2019 | Emanon | Wayne Shorter | Blue Note | | 2020 | Waiting Game | Terri Lyne Carrington | Motema Music | | 2021 | Data Lords | Maria Schneider Orchestra | ArtistShare | | 2022 | Jesup Wagon | James Brandon Lewis and the Red Lily Quintet | Tao Forms | | 2023 | Amaryllis & Belladonna | Mary Halvorson | Nonesuch | | 2024 | The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow | Charles Lloyd | Blue Note | | 2025 | Breaking Stretch | Patricia Brennan | Pyroclastic Records | ::

Lifetime Achievement Award

• 1981 John H. Hammond
• 1982 George Wein
• 1983 Leonard Feather
• 1984 Billy Taylor
• 1985 Lawrence Berk
• 1986 Orrin Keepnews
• 1987 David Baker
• 1988 John Conyers Jr.
• 1989 Norman Granz
• 1990 Rudy Van Gelder
• 1991 Bill Cosby
• 1992 Rich Matteson
• 1993 Gunther Schuller
• 1994 Marian McPartland
• 1995 Willis Conover
• 1996 Chuck Suber
• 1997 William P. Gottlieb
• 1998 Bruce Lundvall
• 1999 Sheldon Meyer
• 2000 George Avakian
• 2001 Milt Gabler
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005 Creed Taylor
• 2006 Claude Nobs
• 2007 Dan Morgenstern
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010 Manfred Eicher
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017 George Avakian
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022 Gretchen Valade
• 2023 Randall Kline

References

References

1. Welburn, Ron. (Autumn 1987). "Jazz Magazines of the 1930s: An Overview of Their Provocative Journalism". [[American Music (journal).
2. Komara, Edward. (2006). "Encyclopedia of the Blues". Psychology Press.
3. (September 1939). "A New Down Beat".
4. (September 12, 1960). "Music: Shinu, Shinu, Shinu".
5. {{Cite encyclopedia. (2003). Daniel. Zager. [[Oxford University Press]]
6. Perryman, Lucile. (1972). "Guide to Children's Magazines, Newspapers, Reference Books". [[Association for Childhood Education International]].
7. (May 16, 2017). "Wadada Leo Smith Among Winners of 2017 JJA Awards".
8. "DownBeat Archives".
9. "1952 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
10. "1953 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
11. "1954 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
12. "1955 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
13. "1956 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
14. "1957 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
15. "1958 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
16. "1959 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
17. "1960 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
18. "1961 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
19. "1961 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
20. "1962 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
21. "1962 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
22. "1963 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
23. "1963 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
24. "1964 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
25. "1964 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
26. "1965 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
27. "1965 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
28. "1966 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
29. "1966 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
30. "1967 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
31. "1967 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
32. "1968 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
33. "1968 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
34. "1969 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
35. "1969 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
36. "1970 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
37. "1970 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
38. "1971 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
39. "1971 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
40. "1972 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
41. "1972 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
42. "1973 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
43. "1973 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
44. "1974 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
45. "1974 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
46. "1975 Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
47. "1975 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
48. "1976 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
49. "1977 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
50. "1978 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
51. "1979 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
52. "1980 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
53. "1981 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
54. "1982 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
55. "1983 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
56. "Oscar Peterson Dies at Age 82". downbeat.com.
57. "1984 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
58. "1985 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
59. "1986 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
60. "1987 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
61. "1988 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
62. "1989 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
63. "1990 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
64. "1991 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
65. "1992 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
66. "1993 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
67. "1994 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
68. "1995 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
69. "1996 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
70. "1997 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
71. "1998 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
72. (December 1999). "BMI Scores in Year End Jazz Polls". bmi.com.
73. "1999 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
74. "2000 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
75. "2001 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
76. "2002 Down Beat Critics Poll". downbeat.com.
77. (June 26, 2003). "BMI Dominates Downbeat Critics Poll". bmi.com.
78. (November 11, 2008). "BMI Jazz Greats Sweep 'Downbeat' Critics Poll". bmi.com.
79. (July 27, 2007). "BMI Jazz Giants Score in Down Beat 2007 Critics Poll". bmi.com.
80. (November 11, 2008). "BMI Jazz Composers Top 'Downbeat' Readers Poll". bmi.com.
81. "Marsalis, Krall, Corea Among DownBeat Readers Poll Winners".
82. Panken, Ted. (August 2018). "Benny Golson".
83. (November 23, 2021). "Down Beat Readers Poll". downbeat.com.
84. (July 13, 2021). "Down Beat Critics Poll".
85. "DownBeat December 2022 Readers Poll".
86. "DownBeat August 2022 Critics Poll Results".
87. (November 22, 2023). "DownBeat 2023 Readers poll".
88. (July 27, 2023). "Alice Coltrane Hall of Fame".
89. (November 7, 2024). "John McLaughlin-Hall of Fame". DownBeat.
90. "Charles Lloyd sweeps 72nd annual DownBeat Critics Poll".
91. (December 2025). "Jack DeJohnette enters Hall of Fame". DownBeat.
92. (August 2025). "Anthony Braxton enters Hall of Fame". DownBeat.
93. (August 2025). "Tito Puente enters Hall of Fame". DownBeat.
94. (December 4, 2017). "In Memoriam: Producer George Avakian".
95. (September 23, 1994). "Leonard Feather; Jazz Critic, Composer".
96. (July 25, 1987). "Baker Wins Downbeat's 1987 Lifetime Award". [[The Indianapolis Star]].
97. Pincus, Andrew L.. (2002). "Musicians with a Mission: Keeping the Classical Tradition Alive". UPNE.
98. "The Right Groove - "DownBeat" Lifetime Achievement Award".
99. (April 4, 2010). "Manfred Eicher Wins Downbeat Lifetime Achievement Award".

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