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. Year Readers Poll Critics Poll Veterans Committee Poll1952Louis Armstrong1953Glenn Miller1954Stan Kenton1955Charlie Parker1956Duke Ellington1957Benny Goodman1958Count Basie1959Lester Young1960Dizzy Gillespie1961Billie HolidayColeman Hawkins1962Miles DavisBix Beiderbecke1963Thelonious MonkJelly Roll Morton1964Eric DolphyArt Tatum1965John ColtraneEarl Hines1966Bud PowellCharlie Christian1967Billy StrayhornBessie Smith1968Wes MontgomerySidney Bechet & Fats Waller1969Ornette ColemanPee Wee Russell & Jack Teagarden1970Jimi HendrixJohnny Hodges1971Charles MingusRoy Eldridge & Django Reinhardt1972Gene KrupaClifford Brown1973Sonny RollinsFletcher Henderson1974Buddy RichBen Webster1975Cannonball AdderleyCecil Taylor1976Woody HermanKing Oliver1977Paul DesmondBenny Carter1978Joe VenutiRahsaan Roland Kirk1979Ella FitzgeraldLennie Tristano1980Dexter GordonMax Roach1981Art BlakeyBill Evans1982Art PepperFats Navarro1983Stéphane GrappelliAlbert Ayler1984Oscar PetersonSun Ra1985Sarah VaughanZoot Sims1986Stan GetzGil Evans1987Lionel HamptonJohnny Dodds, Thad Jones, Teddy Wilson1988Jaco PastoriusKenny Clarke1989Woody ShawChet Baker1990Red RodneyMary Lou Williams1991Lee MorganJohn Carter1992Maynard FergusonJames P. Johnson1993Gerry MulliganEd Blackwell1994Dave BrubeckFrank Zappa1995J. J. JohnsonJulius Hemphill1996Horace SilverArtie Shaw1997Nat King ColeTony Williams1998Frank SinatraElvin Jones1999Milt JacksonBetty Carter2000Clark TerryLester Bowie2001Joe HendersonMilt Hinton2002Antonio Carlos JobimJohn Lewis2003Ray BrownWayne Shorter2004McCoy TynerRoy Haynes2005Herbie HancockSteve Lacy2006Jimmy SmithJackie McLean2007Michael BreckerAndrew Hill2008Keith JarrettJoe ZawinulJo Jones, Jimmie Lunceford, Erroll Garner, Harry Carney, Jimmy Blanton2009Freddie HubbardHank JonesOscar Pettiford, Tadd Dameron2010Muhal Richard AbramsChick CoreaBaby Dodds, Chick Webb, Philly Joe Jones, Billy Eckstine2011Ahmad JamalAbbey LincolnPaul Chambers2012Ron CarterPaul MotianGene Ammons, Sonny Stitt2013Pat MethenyCharlie HadenRobert Johnson2014B.B. KingJim HallBing Crosby, Dinah Washington2015Tony BennettLee KonitzMuddy Waters2016Phil WoodsRandy WestonHoagy Carmichael2017Wynton MarsalisDon CherryEubie Blake, George Gershwin, Herbie Nichols2018Ray CharlesBenny GolsonMarian McPartland2019Hank MobleyNina SimoneScott LaFaro, Joe Williams2020George BensonJimmy HeathMildred Bailey, Carmen McRae2021Roy HargroveCarla BleyBooker Little, Yusef Lateef2022Kenny BarronGeri Allen2023Pharoah SandersAlice Coltrane Red Norvo, Mario Bauza2024John McLaughlinCharles Lloyd2025Jack DeJohnetteAnthony BraxtonTito Puente2026Sheila JordanJaki Byard
Awards Album of the Year Critics' Poll 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 ColumbiaHomecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard Dexter Gordon ColumbiaNonaah 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 ArtistShare2022 Jesup Wagon James Brandon Lewis and the Red Lily Quintet Tao Forms2023 Amaryllis & Belladonna Mary HalvorsonNonesuch2024 The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow Charles LloydBlue Note2025 Breaking Stretch Patricia BrennanPyroclastic Records2026 Of The Near And Far Patricia BrennanPyroclastic 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
See also The Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Award International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) BBC Jazz Awards NEA Jazz Masters
References
External links Down Beat website "About Down Beat: A History As Rich As Jazz" The Jazz Journalists Association Lifetime Achievement Award Nesuhi Ertegun, Jazz Hall of Fame Arts For Art Lifetime Achievement Award NAMM Oral History Interview with Kevin Maher January 25, 2014