TOP 100 Jazz Albums

**jspringky** · 12-02-2009, 10:58 AM

No particular order- depends on the time of year/day and state of mind

Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
Milt Jackson- Sunflower
Michael Brecker- Pilgrimage
Herbie Hancock- New Standard
Roy Hargrove- With the Tenors of Our Time
Weather Report- Mysterious Traveler
Wynton Marsalis- Black Codes (From the Underground)
Frank Sinatra- Nothing But the Best
Bill Evans- The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings
Antonio Carlos Jobim- Wave

**healthy_scratch** · 12-02-2009, 11:02 AM

Here are some of mine in no particular order that I do not think I have seen mentionned here above yet but I could be wrong. A couple of them obviously include guitar players but they seem to me to be clearly sidemen and not really the driving force behind the outing - much like what I saw others had done (i.e. Joshua Redman Wish and Joe Henderson So Near So Far etc.)

Horace Silver - Cape Verdean Blues
Jimmy Smith - Back At The Cicken Shack
Ella Fitzgerald - Live in Berlin
Wayne Shorter - Adam's Apple
Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
Michael Brecker - Time Is Of The Essence (yes I know Pat Metheny is on here but hell it is such a phenomenal outing being steared by the late great MB)
Bela Fleck - Live Art
Jaco Pastorius - The Birthday Concert
Herbie Hancock - Thrust
Stanley Turrentine - Sugar
Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay
Horace Silver - Song For My Father
Rickie Lee Jones - Pop Pop
Miles Davis - Round About Midnight
Art Blakey - Moanin'
Joe Henderson - Lush Life (The Songs of Billy Straythorn)
Oscar Peterson - Night Train

Cheers

-HS

**Johnny b** · 12-02-2009, 11:08 AM

Duke Ellington - Live at Newport '56. This is perhaps THE greatest jazz album of all time.
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train
Charles Mingus - Ah Um
Miles Davis - Milestones
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
Sonny Rollins - Our Man in Jazz and Saxophone Collosus
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Charlie Parker - Yardbird Suite
Horace Silver - Song for my Father
Lambert, Hendricks and Ross - The hottest new group in jazz
Ray Brown Trio - Live at the Loa
Ornette Coleman - Change of the century/Shape of jazz to come/This is our music
Gene Harris Quartet - Black and Blue
Wynton Marsalis - Big Train
Quincy Jones - Walkin' in Space
Branford Marsalis - Footsteps of our Fathers
Cyrus Chestnut - Soul Food
John Coltrane - Blue train
Jeff 'Tain' Watts - Watts

**Johnny b** · 12-02-2009, 11:29 AM

Dear Jazzers,

I know this is for fun only but I am absolutely gobsmacked that no one has mentioned: Duke Ellington Orchestra live at Newport 1956. Maybe folks are not aware of the gig but please check it out as many jazz historians and jazzers alike cite the music on this album as close as to jazz perfection as you can get (whatever that is?). Just listen to the Newport Suite and Jeep's Blues and Crescendo and Diminuendo in Blue. Wow, oh wow, oh wow!

**Balulalow** · 12-02-2009, 12:20 PM

Here is what I love to hear:

Miles Davis: Kind of blue

Charlie Mingus: Ah Um
Charlie Mingus: Mingus plays piano
Miles Davis: Straight no chaser
Bill Evans & Jim Hall: Undercurrents
Bill Evans & Jim Hall: Intermodulations
Bill Evans: You must believe in spring
Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concerts (1966)
Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges: Back to back
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Duke Ellington: Piano reflections
Dr. John: Plays Ellington
Hans Ulrik: Slow procession
Jacob Dinesen: Dino
Jens Winther European Quartet: Directions/New directions
John Coletrane: Giant steps
Keith JArret trio: Tokyo concert 1996
Kenny Werner & Jens Soendergaard Duo: Love letters
Michel Petrucciani & NHOP
Spacelab: The champ
Esbjoern Svensons trio: Leucocyte

Cheers!

**dougal** · 12-02-2009, 01:03 PM

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Oscar Peterson - The Trio
Oscar Peterson - Canadiana Suite
Brubeck - Time Out
Brubeck - Time Further Out
Bill Evans - Portrait In Jazz
Cannonball Adderley - Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Stan Getz - Getz Plays Jobim
Art Tatum - 20th Century Piano Genius
Billie Holiday - Easy Living
Lambert, Hendricks and Ross - Everybody's Boppin'
Lester Young - Lester Young With The Oscar Peterson Trio
Mel Torme - The Duke Ellington and Count Basie Songbooks
Stephane Grappelli - The Intimate Grappelli
Thelonoius Monk - Monk's Dream
Tony Bennett - Duets

**RichardFrance** · 12-02-2009, 03:07 PM

I admit I've posted once already, but straightaway felt uneasy that the suggestions were falling into a pattern of choosing a smallish number of favourites that are mostly well known, recorded some time ago, and form part of the 'Jazz canon'. Should a list do this? ISn't there room for a more dynamic selection? What could be the alternative? How about a list just from the last ren years - otherwise it seems we have all stopped buying new records, or at least stopped listening to them.

**randalljazz** · 12-02-2009, 03:23 PM

well...what if most of the best jazz albums actually were made mor than 10 years ago? (not much point in talking about 'best classic roman architecture' built after the 546)...

**igor77** · 12-02-2009, 03:30 PM

Grover Washington Jr.- All my tomorrows
Milt Jackson/Oscar Peterson -Ain't But a Few of Us Left
Bob James&Kirk Whalum Joined at the heap

**mcbreeze** · 12-02-2009, 03:33 PM

A Portrait in Jazz-Bill Evans
Kind of Blue-Miles Davis
My Favorite Things-John Coltrane
Yardbird Suite-Charlie Parker
Atomic Basie-Count Basie
Groove Yard-The Montgomery Brothers
Workin'-Shirley Scott
At The lighthouse-Cannonball Adderly
Timeless-Dizzy Gillespe
Piano-Wynton Kelly

**steveheard** · 12-02-2009, 04:00 PM

I'll get back to it later, but Cal Tjader and Carmen McRae's 'Heatwave' is my favorite of all time.

**Mikka** · 12-02-2009, 04:39 PM

Manhattan Jazz Orchestra Moanin'

**BARRACUDA** · 12-02-2009, 06:18 PM

JACO PASTORIUS - THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT
STANLEY CLARKE - THE BASS-IC COLLECTION
OSCAR PETERSON - PIANO MOODS
GEORGE SHEARING - THE SHEARING PIANO
GEORGE SHEARING - THE ULTIMATE
STEPHANE GRAPPELLI - EACH & EVERY OF HIS RECORDINGS! (JAZZ VIOLONISTS ARE PEARLS BEYOND PRICE!)
PAUL DESMOND FEELING BLUE
TOOTS THIELEMANS - (harmonica)

**mdefilippo** · 12-02-2009, 08:09 PM

Not in any particular order:

Joe Henderson - the Kicker
Wayne Shorter - Adam's Apple
Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off
Antonio Carlos Jobim & Elis Regina - Elis & Tom
Roy Haynes - When It's Haynes it Roars
Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
John Stubblefield - Morning Song
Gary Bartz - Blues Chronicles, Tales of Life
Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard
Chic Corea - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs

**slimjim57** · 12-02-2009, 11:36 PM

1. Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
2. Andrew Hill - Black Fire
3. E.S.T. - Strange Place for Snow
4. The Bad Plus - Give
5. Lou Donaldson - Blues Walk
6. Sam Rivers - Contours
7. Cannonball Adderley - Nippon Soul
8. Yusef Lateef - Eastern Sounds
9. Yusef Lateef - The Blue Yusef Lateef
10. Thelonius Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

**Scolohofo** · 12-03-2009, 08:03 AM

Jelly roll Morton - 5cd box
Charles Mingus- the complete 1959 columbia recordings
Thelenious Monk and his quartet-Olympia-March 6th,1965
Yoron israel connection- a gift for you
The complete Billie Holiday mastertakes collection vol 1&2
Ornette Coleman-the shape of jazz to come
Fred Anderson-Chicago chamber music
Jimmy Scott-Heaven
Mal Waldron-One more time
Bill Evans-The brilliant

**Borat** · 12-03-2009, 09:16 AM

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: Moanin'
Miles Davis: Kind of blue
Bill Evans: You must believe in spring
John Coltrane: Giant steps
Donald Byrd: Places and spaces
Horace Silver: Song for my father
Wayne Shorter: Speak no evil
Cannonball Adderley: Somethin' else
Bobbi Humphrey: Blacks and blues
Herbie Hancock: Maiden voyage

**DrNue** · 12-03-2009, 11:33 AM

In no particular order

Renauld Garcia Fons - Fuera
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Outbound
Karate - Some Boots
Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior
Frank Sinatra - No One Cares

**holgit** · 12-03-2009, 11:37 AM

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers Volume 2: Mission Eternal
The Jazz Mandolin Project - The Deep Forbidden Lake
John Coltrane - Coltrane's Sound
Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr - Upgraded In Gothenburg
Youn Sun Nah - Voyage

**tomwil110548** · 12-03-2009, 11:58 AM

Dirk:

I would add:

Milestones Miles Davis
Bitches Brew Miles Davis
Conversations with Myself Bill Evans
Study in Brown Clifford Brown/Max Roach
Atomic Basie Count Basie Orchestra
Mingus Ah Um Charles Mingus
Somethin' Else Cannonball Adderley
Maiden Voyage Herbie Hancock
Sunday at the Village Vanguard Bill Evans Trio
The Savoy and Dial Studio Sessions Charlie Parker
Lady Day Billie Holiday
Heavy Weather Weather Report
Night Train Oscar Peterson Trio
At Carnegie Hall Thelonius Monk w/ John Coltrane
The Best of the Song Books Ella Fitzgerald
Out of the Cool Gil Evans Orchestra
The Best of Gerry Mulligan w/ Chet Baker Gerry Mulligan Quartet
April in Paris Count Basie Orchestra
Fancy Pants Count Basie Orchestra
Open Sesame Freddie Hubbard
Soulville Ben Webster
Tenor Madness Sonny Rollins

**Johnny b** · 12-03-2009, 12:15 PM

My list has contained some of the classic jazz CDs (that's why they are on the list) as well as some contemporary jazz. Y'all must listen to Jeff 'Tain' Watts CD entitled 'Watts'. Talk about some hot bebop!

Does anyone else out there know about 'Duke Ellington live at Newport 1956'? This is considered to be the greatest jazz album of them all and yet I see it on no ones list. Maybe folks haven't heard it yet.

**bluesman39** · 12-03-2009, 05:52 PM

Louis Armstrong--Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man
Duke Ellington--Such Sweet Thunder, and Indigos
Miles Davis--'Round about Midnight, Kind of Blue, Milestones, Blue Moods, Bitches Brew
Clifford Brown--Clifford Brown and Max Roach, and The Complete Pacific Recordings
Blue Mitchell--Blue Soul
Vince Guaraldi--Soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas
Allman Brothers--Eat A Peach
Count Basie and Tony Bennet--Live at Symphony Hall
Horace Silver--Song for My Father
Chet Baker--(dvd) Jazz Icons, live in the Netherlands, and Belgium
Freddie Hubbard--Red Clay
Thelonious Monk--Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane
Bix Beiderbecke-- a type of "best of" collection
John Coltrane--A Love Supreme, Blue Trane, Live at The Half Note, Naima
Sonny Rollins--(dvd) The one in Jazz Icons series
Charlie Parker--The Essential Charlie Parker
Dizzy Gillespie--Ken Burns Jazz
Jennifer Hartswick--True
Matt Shulman--So it Goes
Christian Sands--Risin'
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers--Moanin'
Charles Mingus--Mingus Ah Um

That's all I can think up off the top of my head...