Craig Taborn's Dream Archives and Nu Art Orchestra Win 2026 Jazz Edisons

Pianist and composer Craig Taborn has won the 2026 Edison in the Jazz International category for Dream Archives, his trio album with cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Ches Smith. The Dutch broadcaster Concertzender and WorldofJazz announced the result on Tuesday, Oct. 20, one day after naming the Nu Art Orchestra winner of the Jazz National category for its debut album, The Tivoli Sessions #1.

The two outlets are revealing one winner from the six Edison Jazz jury categories each day this week at 11 a.m. in the Netherlands. The Jazz National Vocal winner is due on Oct. 21, with the International Vocal, Global and Newcomer categories still to come. According to the Edison organization, the bronze statuettes by sculptor Pieter d'Hont will be presented on Oct. 25.

Dream Archives was released by ECM on Jan. 16, 2026 (ECM 2833). The label describes it as the trio's debut, recorded in New Haven in 2024 and produced by Manfred Eicher, with four extended Taborn originals at its core alongside Paul Motian's "Mumbo Jumbo" and Geri Allen's "When Kabuya Dances." In highlights from its report, the jury said the trio explores "expansive, electronics-influenced soundscapes" while navigating "the space between structure and freedom," and called the record "a timeless, exciting, colourful, balanced and adventurous masterpiece." The other nominees in the category were Hiromi featuring Sonicwonder's Out There and Pino Palladino and Blake Mills' That Wasn't A Dream.

For large-ensemble listeners, the national award is the notable one. The jury described the Nu Art Orchestra as "not your average jazz orchestra," but an improvising ensemble built on community, with the focus on "collective dynamics rather than a traditional conductor-led hierarchy." It also highlighted the group's emphasis on inclusion and on raising the visibility of women jazz musicians and composers, "without excluding male participants." The jury said the debut establishes a distinctive identity through compositions by band members. The album is listed on Bandcamp among releases from the Dutch label ZenneZ Records. Suzan Veneman's The Art Of Letting Go and WAAN's We Want WAAN were the other national nominees.

The Edison organization says all nominated productions were released between April 1, 2025, and April 1, 2026, and were chosen by independent juries on artistic value and recording quality. This year's jazz jury is chaired by Frank Bolder, with Mischa Andriessen, Marieke Meischke, Sakti Kehdoe and Martine van Zelst. The Edisons date to 1960 and are described by their organizers as the highest honor in the Dutch music industry.