The 50 Best Jazz Albums of All Time

(Essential Listening Guide)

Matt Fripp last updated July 29, 2023 Jazz Music

If you ask any serious jazz fan or musician to tell you what
the best jazz albums of all time are, you’ll probably receive
either a very short answer (“impossible!”) or a long one,
which is subject to change depending on the day of the
:
 week

With so many thousands of amazing records in the history

of jazz, maybe a definitive list of ‘best albums’ is not
feasible.

There are, though, a core collection of releases that have

come to be seen as essential jazz records: ones that every
jazz fan knows – or should know. Music that has stood the
test of time, influencing other musicians and receiving
critical acclaim over the years.

We started out with the goal of highlighting the 10 best

albums of all time, but there were just too many amazing
records missing.

So, as a result, here’s our updated selection of 50 essential

– or dare we say it – best jazz albums ever, from some of
the greatest musicians of all time.

Look out for links to more in-depth reviews of some of these

albums which we commissioned international jazz
journalists to write.
:
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50. Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke

Ellington Songbook

Legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was one of the most

influential artists of the 20th Century, providing many of the
definitive versions of classic jazz songs.

Many of these came from her ‘Songbook’ series, a

collection of 8 albums released between 1956 & 1964 which
saw her team up with songwriting greats of the day.

Whilst each of these (plus a bonus 9th, released in 1981)

deserves careful listening, her collaboration with Duke
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 Ellington and his Orchestra is perhaps the highlight.

‘The First Lady of Jazz’ (as she was known), works through
standards including Take The ‘A’ Train, Perdido & Satin Doll,
with the album also being notable as the only one in the
Song Book series where the composer is also featured as a
performer.

British jazz critic Nick Lea here dives into the album in
detail here.

49. Jaco Pastorius: Jaco Pastorius

Every facet of electric bass player Jaco Pastorius’s ability is

on kaleidoscopic display in this wildly ambitious debut
album.

Pastorius starts off with a jaw-dropping version of Miles

Davis’s “Donna Lee” (all via a single bass part
accompanied by congas!) and goes on to showcase a
collection of jazz fusion royalty, from Lenny White and
Herbie Hancock to the Brecker brothers and Wayne Shorter.

Classy strings and Latin rhythms share space with catchy

funk and bouncy bebop.
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 More importantly, the album made clear that Pastorius had
a musical mind as brilliant as his playing ability.

The whole dazzling package launched his name as a force

to be reckoned with in the music world.

48. Charlie Christian: Solo Flight, The Genius of

Charlie Christian

Unlike almost every other musician on this list, jazz guitarist

Christian barely recorded as a bandleader.

He was, though, one of the most influential early musicians

on his instrument and deserves a place in every jazz fan’s
collection.

This compilation is an excellent choice, as it brings together

some of his most notable work with Benny Goodman
(including some with Count Basie at the piano) as well as
some quintet tracks under Christian’s own name.

47. Louis Armstrong: Satchmo at Symphony Hall

It’s hard to talk about the history of jazz without noting the
original superstar of the music, Louis Armstrong.

He might be known by the wider world as a gravely voiced

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 entertainer, but “Satchmo”, or “Pops”, as he was sometimes
known, was first and foremost a virtuoso jazz trumpeter.

This 1947 live recording sees him return to a classic

Dixieland small band setting, alongside an all-star frontline
of Barney Bigard on clarinet and Jack Teagarden on
Trombone.

Two decades after his emergence, he showcases that

same jaw-dropping improvisational, technical and
rhythmic prowess that made him a star.

46. Wes Montgomery: Smokin’ at the Half Note

A jazz guitar favourite, Wes Montgomery developed an

unconventional playing style with a frequent use of
octaves, producing a highly distinctive sound that was
always joyous, soulful and swinging.

This 1965 recording, recorded live at the Half Note jazz club
in New York, sees Wes accompanied by Wynton Kelly, Paul
Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.

Backed by three hard-swinging musicians from the 1959-

63 Miles Davis band, the incredible jazz guitarist displays
the powerful and inventive soloing which first endeared
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 him to fans around the world.

45. Dizzy Gillespie: Afro

Many of the best jazz albums in history transcend music

and actually document the evolution of the genre.

This is certainly the case with this 1954 big band album
from trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, which showcases the major
role he played in bringing Afro-Cuban music into the jazz
arena.

Legendary arranger Chico O’Farrill provided the charts for

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 the session which sees mostly American horn players
accompanied by a Cuban rhythm section.

This fusion with bebop was known for a time as “Cubop”,

although the term never really stuck.

The penultimate track is Gillespie’s beautiful “Con Alma”

which is still played regularly by jazz musicians today.

44. McCoy Tyner: The Real McCoy

Described by producer Alfred Lion as “a pure jazz session”,

this 1967 album was recorded after the pianist’s departure
from the John Coltrane quartet.

It does, however, retain much of the power, enlisting

bandmates Ron Carter on bass and Elvin Jones alongside
tenor sax player Joe Henderson.

‘Passion Dance’ is a modal jazz classic, and McCoy Tyner’s

solo is a masterclass in approaching static harmony,
employing techniques such as inside-outside playing.

43. Kurt Rosenwinkel: The Next Step

Perhaps due to the increasing affordability of recording

music in the latter part of the 20th Century, the choice of
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 jazz records became exponentially bigger.

Few, however, had the impact of the Kurt Rosenwinkel

album, The Next Step, released in 2001.

Developed over the course of a long residency at New York

jazz club Smalls, Rosenwinkel brings together Berklee
alumni saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Ben Street and
drummer Jeff Ballard for a set of tunes that have become
something of modern jazz standards for a whole
generation of students.

Listen out, in particular, for his tune ‘Zhivago’, a real anthem

of early noughties contemporary jazz.

42. Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage

Herbie Hancock may be better known as a pioneering

fusion musician, experimenting with electro, funk, and pop
sounds.

But the pianist first appeared on the scene in the early

1960s as a hugely exciting talent in acoustic jazz, before
helping redefine the role of the rhythm section with Miles
Davis’ Second Great Quintet.
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 His 1964 album Maiden Voyage is a classic concept record,
with a nautical, oceanic theme.

The static modal harmony of the title track suggests open

waters, whilst ‘The Eye of the Hurricane’, an up-tempo
blues, features blistering solo work from Freddie Hubbard
on trumpet and George Coleman on tenor saxophone.

‘Dolphin Dance’, a medium swinger and one of Hancock’s

most celebrated compositions, contains a classic jazz solo
from the pianist.
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 41. Art Tatum: Piano Starts Here

Most of Art Tatum’s classic work was recorded before the LP

era, but it didn’t seem fair to exclude the piano legend from
this list of the greatest jazz albums just because of that.

The Piano Starts Here compilation, released in 1968,

includes classic 1933 solo takes like ‘Tea For Two‘,
‘Sophisticated Lady‘ and the famous ‘Tiger Rag‘, as well as
some live tracks from 1949.

Fresh, swinging and hugely impressive technically, this is

essential listening for every jazz pianist out there, as well as
jazz fans in general.

40. Count Basie: The Atomic Mr. Basie

For many, the swing era of the 1940s and 50s epitomises
the excitement and power of jazz music.

Count Basie was responsible for many classics during this

time and this 1958 album features the Second Testament
edition of the Count Basie Orchestra playing compositions
and arrangements of Neal Hefti.

Whilst certain players in the band would have success as

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 solo instrumentalists, it is less an all-star group and more
an incredibly swinging unit working their way through some
of the classic big band charts of the day.

Read our full review of The Atomic Mr Basie

39. John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman

By 1963, saxophonist John Coltrane had already

established himself as a jazz pioneer, having toured
extensively with Miles Davis and released albums including
Giant Steps, Blue Train & My Favorite Things.

Fans may have been surprised, then, by the decision to

record with romantic singer Johnny Hartman.

Whatever the circumstances, the session resulted in one of

the classic jazz ballad albums of all time, showcasing yet
another aspect of Coltrane’s emotional range on the sax.

Listen out, in particular, for the beautiful treatment of the

jazz song ‘My One and Only Love’.

38. Lee Konitz: Motion

This 1961 album from alto saxophonist Lee Konitz is unique

on this list in that the band barely play the melodies of any
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 of the five jazz standards it includes.

Instead, the frontman launches into pure, inspired

improvisation on what many consider to be his finest
album ever.

The choice of rhythm section on this record is also

fascinating: the drum chair is held by powerful drummer
Elvin Jones (most famous for his role in John Coltrane’s
firey, spiritual quartet) and bassist Sonny Dallas, a student
of cool jazz icon Lennie Tristano.

Regardless of how this match-up might look on paper, it

provides the setting for one of the great improvised albums
of all time.

37. Ahmad Jamal: At the Pershing: But Not For

Me

Ahmad Jamal’s highly distinctive approach and concept

famously influenced Miles Davis and is an essential
addition to any jazz collection.

In the late 1950s, Jamal’s trio had a residency at Chicago’s

Pershing Hotel which, as with several others on this list,
allowed him to pull together various sets of music into a
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 live album.

This is a true ‘group’ album, rather than a star soloist;

intricate arrangements highlight his sidemen Israel Crosby
(bass) and Vernel Fournier (drums), with the latter’s groove
on the tune ‘Poinciana‘ proving particularly influential for
subsequent drummers.

The success of this 1958 live recording allowed Jamal to

open his own jazz club, The Alhambra, in Chicago.

36. Michael Brecker: Tales From The Hudson

Whilst so much acclaim rightly goes to those bandleaders

in the 1950s and 1960s who established jazz as a popular
genre, one saxophonist, in particular, stands out as
carrying that torch on throughout the latter part of the 20th
Century towards what we’d now call modern jazz.

Michael Brecker was an astonishingly versatile musician,

whose career included work with pioneering jazz-rock and
fusion bands, sideman appearances with older jazz
masters, extensive session work with some the biggest pop
and rock acts in the world, and acclaimed, award-winning
albums under his own name.
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 One of his most memorable – Tales From The Hudson –
was released in 1996 and won the Grammy Award for Best
Instrumental Jazz Album and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo.

The album features a ‘who’s who’ of the mid 90s jazz scene
(both old and new) with Pat Metheny on guitar, Joey
Calderazzo & McCoy Tyner sharing piano duties, Dave
Holland on double bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and
percussionist Don Alias.

Cabin Fever
PREVIEW Michael Brecker

35. Joe Henderson: Inner Urge

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson may have first found

widespread fame for his solo on Horace Silver’s ‘Song For
My Father’, but it’s his 1966 Blue Note release which really
cemented his place in jazz history.

The title track itself, ‘Inner Urge‘, has become a jazz

standard and has provided countless jazz students a tricky
technical workout.

[jazz education note: beginning with a locrian sound, each

following Lydian chord is held for four bars, before a
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 faster-moving sequence of major seventh chords towards
the end…]

Another standout track, ‘El Barrio’, is a brooding, Spanish-

tinged piece that uses two scales.

The album finishes with a reharmonised version of the Cole

Porter classic ‘Night and Day’.

34. Charlie Parker: Charlie Parker With Strings

Bebop pioneer Charlie Parker took a deep interest in

classical music, with Stravinsky, Brahms and Bartok
amongst his favourites, and it was a long-held ambition of
his to record with an orchestral ensemble.

This dream was realised in 1949 when he made Charlie

Parker with Strings, accompanied by a string section
including harp, plus oboist Mitch Miller and a standard jazz
rhythm section.

As the featured soloist, ‘Bird’ soars above the ensemble on

a selection of standards arranged by Jimmy Carroll.

After this brilliant Charlie Parker album found commercial

success, a second recording – also included on this Master
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 Takes edition – was made the following year.

The double time-filled alto solo on the opening track “Just

Friends” is a particular highlight, and continues to be
transcribed by awe-struck students learning jazz today.

33. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong: Ella and

Louis

In 1956, Armstrong teamed up with Ella Fitzgerald, ‘The First

Lady of Song‘ and one of the greatest jazz singers ever.

As vocalists, the pair are almost opposites: Armstrong’s

voice is deep and earthy, while Fitzgerald’s is clean and
light, almost girlish.

They complement each other perfectly though, their sunny

personalities shining brightly, and this is a gloriously
accessible classic jazz record.

It’s the perfect gateway drug for newcomers to the genre,

but these are artists with enough timeless quality that it
also bears repeated listens for seasoned jazz fans.

This was Armstrong’s first production for Norman Granz’s

Verve Records.
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 Following the success of this first effort, he and Fitzgerald
would soon record Ella and Louis Again and Porgy and
Bess, a selection of songs from George Gershwin’s opera.

32. Bill Evans: Waltz for Debby

As a sideman, Bill Evans’ introspective and thoughtful

playing was heard on some of the greatest recordings of
the 20th Century.

As a bandleader, he favoured the piano trio format and

helped redefine the lineup as an interactive, democratic
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 unit.

Perhaps most famous iteration featured Scott LaFaro on

bass and Paul Motian on drums, which is the lin up on the
jazz classic Waltz For Debbie.

Recorded live at The Village Vanguard in New York, it is

based on more standard harmonic material than other
releases from that period and is perhaps most notable as
the final recording from this line up; Scott LaFaro died in a
car crash less than 2 weeks later.

31. Alice Coltrane: Universal Consciousness

This 1971 recording was Alice Coltrane’s fifth solo album,

with the bandleader playing harp, organ and contributing
string arrangements.

The mystical and highly spiritual jazz combines elements of

modal, free improvisation and more structured
composition.

An essay on “100 Records That Set The World On Fire” in The

Wire states that Universal Consciousness “clearly connects
to other dyspeptic jazz traditions – the organ trio, the
soloists with strings – yet volleys them into outer space,
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 ancient Egypt, the Ganges, the great beyond.”

30. Horace Silver: Song For My Father

American jazz pianist Horace Silver was one of the leading

components of the hard bop movement and the title track
from this Blue Note album is perhaps his most well-known
contribution to the world of jazz.

Whilst Song for my Father has gone on to become a true

jazz standard, the album contains 9 other gems, including
the latin-influenced Que Pasa? and punchy, up-tempo
number The Kicker.

29. Chick Corea: Now He Sings, Now He Sobs

Recorded in 1968, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs was Chick

Corea’s second album as a bandleader and perhaps his
most famous.

It features the musician in a classic jazz piano trio lineup

with Miroslav Vitouš on bass and drummer Roy Haynes,
who had previously featured on classic bebop recordings
with Bud Powell and Charlie Parker.

It mixes Corea’s originals, the Monk tune ‘Pannonica‘, the

standard jazz ballad ‘My One and Only Love‘ and passages
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 of free improvisation.

The line-up changes at various points on the album, but

features trumpeters Carmell Jones & Blue Mitchell, tenor
saxophonists Joe Henderson & Junior Cook, bassists Teddy
Smith & Gene Taylor and drummers Roger Humphries &
Roy Brooks.

28. Charles Mingus: Changes One & Two

After encountering health issues in the mid 1960s, bassist

Charles Mingus had to step back and even take a break
from playing for some time.

It wasn’t until 1974 that he started a new quintet with his

longtime collaborator Dannie Richmond on drums, Don
Pullen on piano, George Adams on tenor sax and Jack
Wallrath on trumpet.

They released two albums, “Changes One” & “Changes

Two” for Atlantic Records in 1975 that were praised by the
critics and marked his successful comeback.

Now available as a double album, we took the liberty of

including both in the same entry.
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 His famous ballad “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” was
Mingus’ obituary to his longtime idol who passed away
shortly before. The song contains literal quotations of
Ellington’s tunes “Lush Life”, “Blues in Black, Brown and
Beige” and “Take the A-Train“.

Sue’s Changes is dedicated to his last wife Susan Graham

(now Sue Mingus).

“Remember Rockefeller at Attica” is another political title

such as “Fables of Faubus” which is quoted. It refers to a
prison riot in New York in 1971 where Governor Nelson
Rockefeller ordered to storm the prison, which lead to 39
dead people.

Devil Blues is co-written with saxophonist George Adams

and has, once again, its roots in Gospel & Blues music, with
Adams taking in the role of a traditional Blues ‘shouter’.

27. Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1

Bebop pioneer Bud Powell was famously described as ‘the

Charlie Parker of piano’ for his role in the emergence of this
style of jazz.

First released by Blue Note in 1952, the album is centred

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 around his usual piano trio setting, but includes tracks with
the addition of Fats Navarro and a very young Sonny Rollins
on trumpet and tenor saxophone respectively.

One track in particular – ‘Un Poco Loco’ – is considered

particularly significant as an early example of Afro-Cuban
music’s consolidation as part of jazz music.

Other well-known number Bud Powell compositions are

heard too, including ‘Dance of the Infidels’, ‘Bouncing with
Bud’, ‘Wail’, and ‘Parisian Thoroughfare’.

26. Art Pepper: Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm

Section

This 1957 session sees alto saxophone great Art Pepper

accompanied by Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly
Joe Jones.

As members of Miles Davis’ quintet at the time, they are

perhaps the antithesis of the West Coast style that Art
Pepper was known for which may, in part, make this album
such a fascinating listen.

Described by All Music as “a classic east meets west, cool

plus hot but never lukewarm combination” the playing is
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 raw and exciting.

Standout track “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” in

particular showcases Art Pepper at his inventive best.

Check out our in-depth article on the album here

You'd Be so Nice to Come Home To (Remastered 2017)

25. Frank Sinatra: Sinatra at the Sands

His film-star career and off-stage antics may lead some

hardcore jazz fans to consider Sintra more of a pop star,
but this 1966 live album, from the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas,
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 sees him at his captivating best.

Accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra, with brilliant

arrangements by Quincy Jones, it’s hard not to tap your
foot as Sinatra delivers definitive versions of songs that he’s
come to be known for.

Performances of ‘Come Fly with Me’, ‘I’ve Got You Under My

Skin’ and ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ in front of one of the best big
bands of all time makes this an essential jazz album for
every fan of the swing era.

24. Hank Mobley: Soul Station

Soul Station may not be a game-changer in the way some

albums on this list charted the journey of jazz itself, but it
features some of the most seriously swinging, grooving
bop versions of jazz standards that you’ll ever hear.

Hank Mobley was one of the most swinging tenor

saxophonists of the hard bop era and this outing –
alongside Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) &
Art Blakey (drums) – is indisputably his most famous
album.

23. Chet Baker: Chet Baker Sings: It Could

Happen To You
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 Whilst Chet Baker rose to prominence as a lyrical and
swinging trumpeter, it was his decision to begin singing in
the mid-1950s which really put him on the map.

His light, delicate voice did not really sound like any other
singers of the time and divided opinion in the jazz world,
but they proved a commercial success and have stood the
test of time.

Our pick of the best album from the Chet Baker catalogue
is the 1958 session Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen To
You which sees him singing and swinging on a great
selection of standards, as well as taking short but
wonderfully melodic trumpet solos.

The title track, as well as ‘Everything Happens to Me‘, in

particular, have become defining performances of the
artist and is an essential jazz album for anyone who wants
to better understand the art of phrasing.

22. Herbie Hancock: Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock rose to prominence as a part of Miles

Davis’ band, joining what came to be known as his Second
Great Quintet in 1963.
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 But alongside masterpieces such as E.S.P and Miles Smiles,
he found time to record extensively for the Blue Note record
label throughout the 1960s and can be heard on dozens of
records both as a sideman and a leader.

His biggest hit, however, which put him on the musical map
with music fans of all styles, came in 1973 when he formed
the group Head Hunters.

Their eponymous album sold over a million copies and

features Hancock extensively on synthesisers, fusing
elements of funk, groove and R&B.

The deep, earthy sound resonated with the public and one
track in particular – Watermelon Man – is one of those rare
jazz songs which seem to be known by everyone,
regardless of musical taste.

Watermelon Man
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 21. Sonny Rollins: A Night at the Village
Vanguard

It takes a special sort of musical talent to release a live

album that stands up to the best studio sessions of the
day.

That’s exactly what we find with Sonny Rollins’ 1957

recording A Night At The Village Vanguard, though.

Rollins chose to document his first live recorded

performance as bandleader with a saxophone trio, fellow
musicians here being Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones.

He didn’t have a regular group at the time and was

constantly altering his ensembles.

The playing is raw and exciting and perfectly sums up the

seemingly endless rhythmic creativity of the tenor man.
:
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20. Lennie Tristano: Tristano

Pianist Lennie Tristano was much more than a musician; he

took on the role of educator for a whole generation of cool
jazz musicians who followed.

His 1956 album ‘Tristano‘ is undoubtedly one of the most

influential records, and was groundbreaking for more than
just the playing.

The pianist’s improvisation on the old jazz standard ‘All of

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 Me‘ (named “Line Up” on the album) is full of breathtakingly
complex rhythmic trickery and odd phrase lengths.

However, it was apparently recorded at half speed and an

octave lower, separately from the bass and drums, before
being sped up to the tempo and pitch that we hear, which
accounts for the recording’s other-worldly sound quality.

The piece ‘Turkish Mambo‘ also utilises multi-tracked

recording.

These recording techniques were almost unheard of in the

mid-1950s, and some people considered Tristano’s use of
them tantamount to cheating.

The second half of this album is a more standard quartet

affair, featuring Konitz and a great rhythm section of Art
Taylor and Gene Ramey.

19. Lee Morgan: The Sidewinder

As with several albums on this list, the title track of The

Sidewinder has entrenched itself as a classic jazz standard,
called at jam sessions and pickup gigs the world over even
today!
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 But the big hit aside, it’s an addictive album whose 5 songs
ooze blues, soul and groove, with plenty of complexity just
underneath the surface.

Jazz trumpet great Lee Morgan is joined by legendary

saxophonist Joe Henderson on tenor, Barry Harris on piano,
Bob Cranshaw on bass & Billy Higgins on drums.

As you might expect, it featured prominently on our list of

the best jazz trumpet albums too!

18. Oscar Peterson: Night Train

Widely considered to be one of the great pianists in the

history of jazz, Oscar Peterson’s long and decorated career
saw him release over 200 recordings, scoop up seven
Grammys and perform thousands of concerts worldwide
over a period of nearly 7 decades.

This 1963 release on Verve is his most famous, featuring the

classic Ray Brown & Ed Thigpen rhythm section which
served him so well throughout his career.

As you’d expect from Peterson, Night Train is highly

swinging and accessible.
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 Its fairly short track lengths (allegedly planned to make it
more appealing to commercial radio stations) makes it a
particularly good introduction for newcomers: an essential
jazz album for every collection!

“What makes Night Train such an important record is not

the dazzling virtuosity, but because the record takes a
respectful look at the mainstream” – British jazz journalist
Nick Lea

17. Miles Davis: The Birth of The Cool

Ever the innovator, Miles Davis was a central figure in the

emergence of Cool jazz, as this collaboration with the
influential arranger Gil Evans attests.

The nine-piece band on this historic recording is lent a

chamber-jazz sound by the unusual inclusion of tuba and
French horn.

With his iconic trumpet tone and striking sense of visual

style, Miles was the perfect frontman for a band that
included some of the most forward-thinking soloists of the
day.

Birth of the Cool must have sounded hugely futuristic when

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 it was recorded in 1949. With its contrapuntal
arrangements and a harmonic palette informed by
impressionistic classical music, the band’s sound was
foreshadowed by Evans’ writing for the Claude Thornhill
Orchestra.

Davis would collaborate with the orchestrator again on

later classic jazz albums like Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain
and Porgy and Bess.

Check our in-depth guide to the album by British jazz

journalist Nick Lea here.

16. Cannonball Adderley: Somethin’ Else

Countless jazz fans around the world have been drawn to

the genre for its soulful, feel-good qualities and, as such, no
‘best of’ list would be complete with alto saxophone great
Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley.

His ebullient playing is perhaps most well-known as a

sideman on Miles Davis records, but this 1958 release
showcases Cannonball as bandleader and ringleader.

Along with Hank Jones (piano), Sam Jones (bass) and Art
Blakey (drums), the album is memorable for featuring a
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 rare appearance from Miles himself as a sideman.

It’s the trumpet player who, at the end of the song “One for
Daddy-O”, can be heard uttering the now-famous line to
the producer:

“Is that what you wanted Alfred?”

15. John Coltrane: Giant Steps

John Coltrane was deeply involved in the modal jazz

revolution that took place in the late 1950s, joining Miles
Davis in moving away from traditional chord functions
towards a more static harmonic landscape.

But alongside that, the tenor and soprano saxophonist was

plotting his own contrasting harmonic upheaval.

This evolution is heard, fully formed, on the 1959 Atlantic

release Giant Steps album, memorable for its rapidly
changing tonalities and use of his ‘Coltrane Changes’
sequence.

The title track remains a tune that’s studied by jazz

musicians around the world – almost a rite of passage for
students – but is also a thrilling listen for jazz fans.
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 Listen out in particular for the beautiful ballad ‘Naima‘,
reportedly Coltrane’s favourite of his own compositions,
and a tender dedication to his first wife.

Want more? British music journalist Nick Lea of

Jazzviews.net reviewed Giant Steps for us here.

14. Keith Jarrett: The Köln Concert

Perhaps no musician better bridged the gap between the

legendary musicians of the 50s and 60s with the 21st
Century than Keith Jarrett.

His 1975 album The Köln Concert for ECM Records sold
more than 3.5 million copies, easily making it the best
selling solo-piano album in jazz history.

Whilst it could technically be described as a kind of free

jazz (it is, after all, a completely improvised solo piano
concert), it’s a million miles away from the sometimes-
dissonant conception of avant-gardists like Ornette
Coleman.

Jarrett, seemingly overflowing with ideas, demonstrates his

sound which ranges from from sensitive beauty to
hypnotic grooving vamps.
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 13. Duke Ellington: Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington’s career was not at a high point in 1956:

many of the classic big bands had folded and Duke’s
Orchestra did not even have a record deal.

However, a legendary performance at that year’s Newport

Jazz Festival, thankfully recorded for posterity, helped
revive his flagging career.

The highlight of the set, and a famed moment in jazz

history, is Paul Gonsalves’s inspired 27-chorus tenor solo on
‘Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue’.

Other highlights from this essential jazz album include alto

saxophonist Johnny Hodges’ features on ‘ I Got It Bad (And
That Ain’t Good)’ and ‘Jeep’s Blues’, and Ray Nance’s vocal
turn on ‘Tulip or Turnip’.

The excitable crowd can be heard clearly on the recording,

and apparently gave Ellington and the Orchestra one of
the biggest ovations in Newport Jazz Festival’s history.

12. Eric Dolphy: Out To Lunch

When you think of 1960s Blue Note, you probably don’t

immediately imagine free jazz.
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 But that’s exactly what was presented in 1964, with the
iconic and forward-thinking Eric Dolphy album Out To
Lunch.

All of the musicians on the record had serious jazz pedigree

– especially trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who is perhaps
thought of as more of a hard bop player – and the
combination of Dolphy’s bass clarinet with Bobby
Hutcherson’s vibraphone is a highly distinctive sound.

Incredibly, drummer Tony Williams had only just turned 18

when he made this record. Although, as a fully fledged
member of Miles Davis’ ‘second great quintet’ he was by no
means a surprise…

11. Miles Davis: Bitches Brew

Inspired in the late 1960’s by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and

James Brown, and fuelled by the desire to always explore
new artistic directions, Miles Davis is rightly credited as one
of the most important figures in the birth of jazz fusion.

Bitches Brew, released in 1970 and featuring fellow fusion

greats such as Joe Zawinul & John McLaughlin, is arguably
his most influential, continuing his experimentation with
electric instruments started a year before with the release
:
 of In a Silent Way.

The distorted guitars, heavy-rock influenced arrangements

and abrasive in-your-face playing mark Bitches Brew as
one of the most important early examples of jazz-rock.

Top 10 Best Jazz Albums

A little note before we continue onto our pick of the ten

greatest jazz albums of all time…

Of course, there can be no definitive pick for something as

subjective and emotional as music.

These records, though, don’t stand out just for the music
contained on them; their popularity is enduring (both
commercially and critically) and they each highlight not
just some of the best playing of all time, but capture
definitive moments in jazz history.

In fact, in listening to these 10 iconic albums, you can

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 almost hear the evolution or emergence of various styles of
jazz we’ve come to know any love.

10. Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music:

Volume 1

A conversation about the most influential figures in jazz

history isn’t complete without the one and only Thelonious
Monk and this album is our top pick from his extensive
discography.

Compiling tracks recorded in 1947 for the iconic Blue Note

label, the music on Genius of Modern Music must have
sounded shockingly modern when it was first released.

Reissues of this disc have presented different track-listings

with alternate takes, but the big hits are all there.

It includes a number of favourite Monk tunes, including ‘In

Walked Bud’ (a dedication to Bud Powell), ‘Epistrophy’, ‘I
Mean You’ and ‘Round Midnight’, his most famous
composition.

As with all albums in this top 10, the music is not just a jazz
fan-favourite, but has woven its way into the
consciousness of millions of other listeners around the
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 world.

9. Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto: Getz/Gilberto

This Brazilian-American collaboration is credited with kick-

starting the Bossa Nova craze that took the USA by storm in
the 1960s.

Antonio Carlos Jobim was the primary composer of this

new fusion of samba and jazz, and he is heard here on
piano, along with fellow Brazilian Joao Gilberto, whose
languid, rhythmically dextrous guitar playing and singing
fits perfectly with Stan Getz’s sweet tenor sound.

During the 1963 recording session, it was suggested that

they record an English language version of Jobim’s ‘The Girl
From Ipanema‘ and, as the only Brazilian present who
could speak English, Astrud Gilberto, Joao’s wife, sang the
song.

Despite the fact that she had never sung professionally,

Astrud’s soft vocal approach suited the composition and
the band perfectly, and the piece has gone on to become
one of the most famous songs in the history of jazz.

A number of Jobim’s bossa nova classics are present, like

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 ‘Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)’ and ‘ Desafinado’,
with Stan Getz following up each vocal chorus with a short,
perfectly formed saxophone solo.

Getz/Gilberto wasn’t just a watershed moment in the

history of jazz; it was also a critical and commercial smash
hit, winning multiple Grammy Awards.

8. Billie Holiday: Lady In Satin

By 1958 years of addiction had taken their toll upon Billie

Holiday’s distinctive voice, and she had lost the top of her
vocal range.

But whilst, from a technical perspective, Lady in Satin may

not contain her strongest singing, Holiday’s performance is
filled with an incredible intensity of feeling, no doubt
inspired by her own complicated life.

Newly signed to Columbia Records, this was her most

expensively produced album, with a 40-piece orchestra
arranged by Ray Ellis, who was initially considered
something of a left-field choice.

While some listeners prefer her classic 1930s recordings

with the likes of Teddy Wilson and Lester Young, this moving
:
 programme of American Songbook ballads offers a whole
other level of emotional power and depth.

Perhaps combined with the knowledge that she would die

the following year, aged just 44, Lady In Satin is a must-
have for every jazz enthusiast.

7. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: Moanin’

This hard bop masterpiece from Art Blakey & The Jazz
Messengers is an absolute classic and can be found in the
record collection of jazz fans of all persuasions.
:
 The band itself reads as something of a who’s who of the
hard bop scene at the time: Art Blakey is joined by Lee
Morgan (trumpet), Benny Golson (tenor sax), Bobby
Timmons (piano) and Jymie Merritt (bass).

The drummer-bandleader was central in the emergence of

this jazz style and this album – and in particular the
standout track Moanin’ – became synonymous with the
bluesy, groovy, soulful music coming out of the East Coast
of America.

Add to that some of the most memorable solos from the

era (that Lee Morgan trumpet break just before the 1
minute mark on Moanin’ or Benny Golson’s trademark
singing, melodic lines on Come Rain or Come Shine) and
you’ve got yourself a classic…

Read the full story of Moanin’ here.

6. Dave Brubeck: Time Out

Dave Brubeck, a classically influenced pianist, was hugely

popular on the college circuit playing for enthusiastic
young students, and he would become only the second
jazz musician, after Louis Armstrong, to feature on the
cover of Time magazine.
:
 His 1959 Columbia release Time Out was ground-breaking
at the time for its extensive use of unusual time signatures
and achieved massive commercial success.

It peaked at number 2 on the pop charts, was the first jazz

album to sell over one million copies, and its enduring
popularity saw it inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in
2009.

The album features six compositions by pianist Brubeck,

and one (the biggest selling jazz single ever, ‘Take Five’) by
saxophonist Paul Desmond whose sound was described by
the bandleader as “like a dry Martini”.

Brubeck’s compositions draw inspiration from a wide range

of musical backgrounds.

‘Blue Rondo à la Turk’ is inspired by a Turkish folk song in

9/8 time while ‘Pick Up Sticks’ is in 6/4.

Brubeck’s defining Cool masterpiece is both sophisticated

and accessible: a must-have in any jazz record collection.
:
 5. Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus

Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins laid out his claim to be

considered one of the most inventive improvisers in music
across a selection of the best jazz records of the mid-late
1950s – The Sound of Sonny, Way Out West, Tenor Madness,
Newk’s Time and Freedom Suite are all brilliant – but
Saxophone Colossus, from 1956, is probably his most
famous album.

The calypso ‘St. Thomas’ is his most recognisable song,

although it is actually derived from a Caribbean nursery
rhyme that his mother sang to him as a child.

‘St. Thomas’ and ‘Blue 7’, a blues with an off-the-cuff

melody that Rollins came up with in the studio, are
particularly good examples of the clever, highly rhythmic
thematic development that characterises his
:
 improvisational voice.

This essential jazz album also contains a powerful rendition

of the standard ballad ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’ and
another wonderful solo on Kurt Weil’s ‘Moritat’ (AKA ‘Mack
The Knife‘).

British jazz journalist Nick Lea reviewed the album for us

here, concluding that “this extraordinary recording
witnessed the emergence of Rollins as one of the giants of
the music and guaranteed him a place in the pantheon of
tenor saxophonists along with Coleman Hawkins, Lester
Young, Ben Webster and John Coltrane.”

4. Ornette Coleman: The Shape of Jazz to Come

Another revolutionary album from 1959, The Shape of Jazz

To Come isn’t just a great album, it signalled a whole new
direction in jazz, as musicians sought to break free from
conventional structures like chord sequences and
compositional forms.

Ornette Coleman’s quartet, fronted with his long-standing

collaborator Don Cherry on trumpet, would play one of
Ornette’s memorable themes as the ‘head in’ at the
beginning, and the ‘head out’ at the end, just as a standard
:
 jazz band would.

However, the improvised solos in between these melodies

dispensed with chord changes and form, in a technique
known as ‘time, no changes’.

The Shape of Jazz to Come includes some of Ornette

Coleman’s most memorable compositions , including
‘Peace’ and ‘Lonely Woman’, and, despite its radicalism, is
steeped in infectious, bluesy swing.

Discover albums similar to this in our round up of the best

free jazz & avant garde albums in jazz history…

3. Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um

Bassist, bandleader & composer Charles Mingus was a

notoriously fiery character and a true musical original.

There was something Ellingtonian in his approach: leading

bands of devoted disciples, his music was highly thematic,
deliberately written to evoke a particular person or mood.

Perhaps the album that best sums up the spirit of his

writing, his playing and his influence as a bandleader is
Mingus Ah Um.
:
 Another classic jazz album from the legendary year of 1959,
Mingus Ah Um was his first for Columbia Records and
contains a number of musical tributes.

‘Goodbye Pork Pie Hat’ is a mournful elegy for the great

tenor saxophonist Lester Young, who died two months
before this recording was made. ‘Jelly Roll’ refers to the
New Orleans pianist Jelly Roll Morton and ‘Open Letter to
Duke’ is an Ellington homage.

‘Better Git It In Your Soul’ brings to mind devotional church

music and preaching, while ‘Fables of Faubus’ is a protest
directed at Arkansas Govenor Orval E. Faubus, an opponent
of racial integration.

2. John Coltrane: A Love Supreme

This 1964 classic takes the form of a four-part suite:

‘Acknowledgement’, ‘Resolution’, ‘Pursuance’ and ‘Psalm’.

As suggested by the track titles, the saxophonist was

heading in an increasingly spiritual direction that would
characterise much of his later work, and the music can be
interpreted as an expression of gratitude to a higher power.

Coltrane himself chants verbally on the opening track,

:
 hypnotically repeating the words that make up the album
title.

Accompanied by his classic rhythm section of McCoy Tyner

(piano), Jimmy Garrison (double bass) and Elvin Jones
(drums), Coltrane wrings every melodic possibility out of
this intense modal jazz .

1. Miles Davis: Kind of Blue

Kind of Blue (1959) is the top jazz album on most ‘best-of’

lists and is cited as jazz’s biggest-seller.

The Miles Davis classic has reached the kind of

mainstream popularity that sees it included in the record
collections of non-jazz fans as their token jazz record.

But its legendary status is very much warranted: Kind of

Blue is surely some of the greatest, most atmospheric and
influential music every recorded.

‘So What’ – the album’s most famous track – continues the

experiments with modal music that Davis had had begun
on Milestones, with Jimmy Cobb’s famous cymbal fill
setting up the bandleader’s cool, spacious solo.
:
 Pianist Bill Evans provides an introspective, impressionistic
touch to the gorgeous ballad ‘ Blue In Green ‘, whilst John
Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley contribute some
contrasting fire on tenor and alto saxophones respectively.

Another highlight is Wynton Kelly’s hard-swinging solo on

‘Freddie Freeloader’: Kelly replaced Evans on the piano
chair in Davis’ working band, and is heard on just one track
here.

Davis was a relentless innovator who refused to stand still:

his music would change drastically over the following
years, taking in freer forms and jazz fusion, but Kind of Blue,
for many, remains his definitive artistic statement and
certainly a great starting point when it comes to jazz for
beginners.

Miles Davis - So What (Official Audio)

:
 Thanks for joining us on this trip through our pick of 50 of
the most essential jazz albums of all time – we hope you
discovered at least a few new albums to check out!

If you’re interested to dive deeper into this genre, check

out our guide to the different types & styles of jazz.

And, as you might have noticed, the word ‘blues’ crops

up often; discover more about that via our pick of the
most famous blues albums in history.

Happy listening!
:
 Jazz Music
Audience Development for Jazz Musicians
11 of the Best Jazz Solos That Every Musician Should
Transcribe

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