Best Jazz Albums of All Time?
 

I am going to toss into the mix first off:

* Headhunters - Herbie Hancock
* A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
* The Birth Of The Cool - Miles Davis
* The Girl From Impanema - Getz/Gilberto

to name a few. . .

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Most of my jazz collection consists of greatest hits albums (of which an RCA Benny Goodman album is my favorite). I guess my favorite regular jazz album is Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.

Man, I can't believe that I forgot to add that classic. Also Sketchs From Spain is amazing too. Bitchs Brew comes to mind as another great Davis album.

Although I too have many greatest hits, the Verve's Nina Simone disc being my favorite.

If we are counting Sinatra then the His Way - Two Disc set is great as well.

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Chet Baker - My Favorite Songs Vol. 1 (The Last Great Concert)
This album was recorded 2 weeks before his death and is among my top 4 albums from all genres. The 9 min version of My Funny Valentine is worth the price of the the CD alone. Also on this album are versions of Miles Davis' 'All Blues' and Thelonious Monk's 'Well You Needn't'. I can't recommend this one enough.

Also, if you like Chet Baker I recommend The Italian Sessions. This is from much earlier in his carrer and it's remarkable to listen to the version of 'Well You Needn't' off of here and compare it to the My Favorite Songs version.

Also, John Coltrane's My Favorite Things is simply beautiful. After that try Coltrane's Giant Steps

I also agree no one can go wrong getting Miles Davis Birth of the Cool, Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew. Well, maybe you could go wrong with Bitches Brew but it's one of my favorite albums of all time.

And for best of albums, try the Best of Cannonball Adderley if only to hear 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy'.

I'm going to have to go with Kind of Blue by Miles Davis as my favorite.

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
John Coltrane: Blue Train (or the Ultimate Blue Train edition)
Dave Brubeck: Time Out

Well if I look at the world of Jazz music and try to pick an album that was both influential to Jazz music and Jazz musicians I would have to choose Louis Armstrong - Hot Five(1925).

Armstrong was quite possibly the most influential Jazz musician ever, and that album is an amazing example of that.

Along that same rational I would also have to elect the debut album by Jelly Roll Morton(1923)

Morton was very influential with the "new" Jazz sound he created.

If I look at it from the perspective of my opinion of the greatest Jazz album based on what moves me I would have to go with Miles Davis - Kind of Blue and Mingus Dynasty - Next Generation.

These 2 albums are just absolutely amazing works of art and have been a very big part of my life.

John Coltrane - Live At The Village Vanguard
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
Joe Pass - Virtuoso
Wes Montgomery - Smokin' At The Half Note
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Miles Davis/John Coltrane - The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955-1961
Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser
Charles Mingus - Ah Um
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out

Oh crap I forgot Sonny Rollins - Tenor Madness and John Coltrane - Giant Steps.

This thread has now become a "name essential Jazz albums" thread.

That's it right there for me. 2 of my "desert island discs".

Guru - Jazzmatazz - Volume 1.

Or

Malcolm McLaren - Paris ( i love love love love this cd)

I guess I need to get educated and buy some of the original stuff, this thread could help.

Ella and Louis
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
Giant Steps - Coltrane
Sunday at the Village Vanguard - Bill Evans

and anything by Billie Holiday

Sounds like SACD is the format for you (if you don't have it already)... Kind of Blue, Straight, No Chaser, Ah Um and Time Out are available on SACD and A Love Supreme will be released within the next few months.

Thanks for the replies to this thread, folks. Actually got me picking up some new stuff. For example, this Joe Pass is excellent.

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And I'd add Bill Evans- Waltz for Debbie

Jazz suggestions
 

I'm just starting to get into Jazz and I really don't know where to begin...

Any artist/album suggestions?

Here are a few of my faves:
John Coltrane: Blue Train, Giant Steps
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew, Birth of the Cool
Wynton Marsalis: Big Train, Standard Time Vol. 6: Mr. Jellylord
Branford Marsalis Trio: The Dark Keys
Dave Brubeck: Time Out

Definitely Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (The best piece of recorded music ever of any genre)

For me you can't go wrong with any Miles Davis. He was a total genius not only in his own music but the bands he put together. The work that he did with Gil Evans was just amazing and will transcend all time. This pairing created such albums as Miles Ahead, Scetches Of Spain, Porgy & Bess, and Quiet Nights. If you have the money I suggest picking up Miles Davis/Gil Evans - The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings.

With that said not everything Miles did is for everyone...take Bitches Brew for instance. Miles experimented quite a lot over the years and why I can appreciate it others can not.


The rest depends on what you like. Traditional Jazz, Bop, Swing, Fusion, Contemporary.

My suggestions (I consider these, along with edclems suggestions, essential to any collection)....

Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington (amazing recording and Armstrong was a big influence on just about everyone)

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - A Night In Tunisia

Charlie Parker - Ornithology

Clifford Brown - Clifford Brown's Finest Hour

Clifford Brown - Study In Brown

John Coltrane - Live In Paris 1962

Duke Ellington - Beyond Category

Donald Byrd - Blackbyrd

Stan Getz - Anniversary

Joe Pass - My Song

Stanley Clarke - School Days

Stanley Clarke - Live 9176 - 1977

Chick Corea - Chick Corea Electrik Band

Frank Sinatra - Ring a Ding Ding!

Billie Holiday - Billie's Blues

There are many others but that's a start.

I once heard a critic state that all jazz begins and ends at "Kind of Blue" -- it's the best album for someone first getting into Jazz, and it's the best for someone experienced to come back to years later to.

I think people already have mentioned the classics so I will put in some of my own personal favorites (not all of which are pure jazz - I'm including some classical or blues or what have you):

Don Byron - A Fine Line : I have been going absolutely insane over this album, it's amazing. Byron is a very accomplished clarinet player who's brough along pianist Uri Caine to bring some new life and new themes to older songs. They, along with ex-Pat Metheny Group vocalist Mark Ledford, do a great cover of Roy Orbison's "It's Over" --- there's some other stuff in there too, Cassandra Wilson, a Four Tops cover, etc. Awesome!

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

Keith Jarrett - Live at the Blue Note (box set) or Live in Köln

Ahmad Jamal - Awakening

Terry Callier - Live at Mother Blues 1964

Derrick Shezbie - Spodie's Back : This New Orleans trumpeter brought with his debut album comparisons to Louis Armstrong (!), sadly, he has yet to follow up this great album.

Keb' Mo' - Keb' Mo' : The strongest of this guitar player's albums. This debut had people comparing Keb' Mo' to Robert Johnson (!!!)

There's tons more, so if someone read these and wants more, I'll post em.

I LOVE Antonios Carlos Jobim. The Brazilian percussion puts these songs in a different arena.

I think everyone's already mentioned my fav jazz albums.

Though I'd like to add Cannonball Adderley's "Something Else". "Autumn Leaves" is a stunner!

I'd also add some box sets to the mix. Coltrane's "Impusle! Studio Recordings", 'cause I believe McCoy Tyner should have equal billing with Coltrane, honestly.

Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew sessions", "In a Silent Way sessions", and most of all "Complete Quintet Recordings, 1965-1968", probably my fav jazz ever (they could do no wrong!).

Bill Evans' "Complete Riverside Recordings". Expensive, but worth every cent.

Kenny G of course :D

My favorite Jazz album is not a "purist's" Jazz album, but it is AWESOME!

Buddy Rich - The Roar Of '74

One of the greatest Big Band Jazz albums EVER (if not THE greatest).

It's VERY cool - it's got bits of Rock and Funk thrown in with the traditional Big Band Jazz, and the band is tight and powerful (but they are also able to show the right finesse when needed).

This one's been re-released on CD 2 or 3 times. (Once by Laserlight as a cheapie $5.99 CD under the title "Buddy Rich and his orchestra" or something like that - and, surprisingly, the sound quality on that one was great!)

(I grew up listening to Jazz - My dad is a Jazz fanatic. I got to see Buddy Rich live about 4 or 5 times, I also got to see some of the other legends like Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, etc.)

Have to go with Brubeck -- Time Out

Also, I saw him at Ravinia last Sunday. :thumbsup:

Among the afore-mentioned classics such as:
Kind of Blue & Blue Train &Ah Um & Straight No Chaser & Night in Tunisia in fact most of Miles, Coltrane, and Art Blakey; all of Mingus & Monk.
Lee Morgan/Sidewinder --Absolute top 5
Monk/Live at the IT Club
Jimmy Smith/Bashin' and"
Root Down , The Incredible Jimmy Smith at the Organ Vol.3
Gene Ammons & Richard 'Groove' Holmes/Groovin' with Jug
Hank Mobley/Workout
Cliiford Jordan & John Gilmore/Blowin' in from Chicago
Art Blakey/Moanin'

and newer:
Medeski, Martin, & Wood/It's a Jungle in Here

I agree with a lot of the older jazz discs...Kind of Blue, A Love Supreme and Headhunters are three of my favorite discs. I'd also throw Root Down Live! by Jimmy Smith in there as well.

As far as newer jazz discs go, I recommend...

A Go Go by John Scofield (with Medeski Martin and Wood)
All Kooked Out! by Stanton Moore
Money Shot by Robert Walter's 20th Congress
Dance Lesson #2 by Karl Denson