Your Top 10 favorite JAZZ albums of all time

Your Top 10 favorite JAZZ albums

Petzi, It's a great one all right! Let's see, a top 10 best jazz records thread. Sounds great. My top 10
favorites in today's order (tomorrow the order might change):

12. Bill Evans: Interplay (OJC or DCC)
11. Duke Ellington with John Coltrane (Impulse)
10. Paul Desmond Quartet Live (A&M)
9. Roy Haynes: Out of the Afternoon (Impulse)
8. Getz/Gilberto #2 (live @ Carnegie Hall) Verve
7. Miles Davis: Complete Live In Concert (1964)
6. Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus (Fantasy)
5. Armstrong/Ellington Together (roulette)
4. Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh: Intuition (Capitol Jazz).
3. Charlie Parker: Yardbird Suite - Dial & Savoy Masters (Rhino)
2. Rocky Boyd Quintet: Ease It! (retitled as Kenny Dorham: West 42nd Street on the Black Lion label).

1. Buck Clayton and Friends: How Hi The Fi (Columbia)

The order of the top 5 could change from day to day, depending on my mood. Sometimes I think
there will never be another jazz album as good as Ease It. I didn't have room for some Honorable
Mentions: Barney Kessel: Poll Winners (all volumes), Bill Berry: Shortcake (Concord OOP), Time to put
the Dorham avatar back up.

 

1. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
2. John Coltane - A Love Supreme
3. Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
4. Bill Evans Trio - Waltz For Debby
5. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
6. The Quintet - Jazz at Massey Hall
7. Duke Ellington - The Far East Suite
8. Eric Dolphy - Out To Lunch
9. Thelonious Monk - Alone in San Francisco
10. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George Gershwin Songbook

 

My list is going to contain all manner of jazz, mostly fusion jazz, which I consider legitimate. Some may not even consider one or two of these jazz, but here goes:

In no particular order:
1. Jimmy Smith-The Monster
2. Ramsey Lewis Trio-The "In" Crowd (Live)
3. Ramsey Lewis-Don't It Feel Good
4. Herbie Handcock-Headhunters
5. Miles Davis-A Kind Of Blue
6. Grover Washington Jr.-Winelight
7. Chuck Mangione-Give It All You Got
8. (Marsalis family)-Fathers And Sons
9. Dave Grusin & The NY/LA Dream Band
10. Grover Washington Jr.-Skylarkin'
11. Spyro Gyra-Catching The Sun

 

Steve, what are some of your favirite jazz albums?

 

Oh, I want to add Lou Rawls' first live album recorded in Chicago. I know, that's twelve albums now.

 

Not a very balanced selection I know but then they don't make them like this any more

Louis Armstrong/Ella Fitzgerald - Ella and Louis
Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives, Vol 1 (worth buying for King of the Zulus alone )
Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy
Armstrong/Ellington -Together
Count Basie - April in paris
Miles Davis - A Kind of Blue
Ella Fitzgerald - Sings the Cole Porter Song Book
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Spyro Gyra - Spyro Gyra
Weather Report - Weather Report (1971 version)

All the best - Andrew

 

Just a few...

Miles Davis - Milestones (a great overlooked record)
Barney Kessel - Slow Burn
Lionel Hampton & Stan Getz- Hamp & Getz
Bob Minzter - Incredible Journey
Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West - Country Cabin Jazz

 

Only recently got into jazz, so not a very varied list;

John Coltrane - Giant Steps
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
John Coltrane - In A Soulful Mood (compilation)
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis - Sketches Of Spain
Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius
Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich - Drum Battle At JAPT
Miles Davis & John Coltrane - Columbia Boxset (not really an album, but...)

 

Star Dance- David Friesen
The Best of Thelonious Monk
New Directions - Jack DeJohnette
Amber Skies - David Friesen
Gettin' It On - Chrisstian McBride
Giant Steps - John Coltrane

I don't have enough jazz albums to have 10 favorites. I'll just have to do something about that.

 

1-miles - kind of blue
2-coltrane - tranein in
3-miles - milestones
4-brubeck - time out
5-desmond - best of
6-adderly - something else
7-sample - old faces new places
8-red garland - it's a blue world
9-miles - the new miles davis quintet
10-dave grusin - the dave grusin collection

 

In no particular order:

01 - Imaginary Voyage - Jean Luc Ponty
02 - School Days - Stanley Clarke
03 - Live at the Village Vanguard - Bill Evans
04 - Sun Bear Concerts - Keith Jarrett
05 - MF Horn - Maynard Ferguson
06 - Best Of Buddy Rich (with Channel One Suite) - Buddy Rich
07 - Spectrum - Billy Cobham
08 - Romantic Warrior - Return To Forever
09 - My Spanish Heart - Chick Corea
10 - Weekend In LA - George Benson

I know there are a couple of fusion titles in my list but you can't deny the playing on any of it!!!

 

1. Vince Guaraldi - Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus
2. Stan Getz & the Oscar Peterson Trio (Mono)
3. Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
4. John Coltane - Blue Train
5. Charlie Parker with Strings - April in Paris
6. Stephane Grappelli - Live at the Blue Note
7. Duke Ellington - Greatest Hits
8. Brubeck - Time Out
9. Thelonious Monk - Solo Monk
10. Miles Davis - Bags Groove

 

Thanks all for the great contributions so far. I'm sure that everybody knows that there are reasons why certain jazz albums are considered milestones. Albums such as Saxophone Colossus, Waltz For Debby, Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool and Giant Steps each brought something NEW to jazz in the form of modals, scalar chords, improvs and the like.

Above I listed Lennie Tristano's Intuition, an album that may not be familiar to many of the younger jazz enthusiasts here, but deserves its place among those titles above as one of the most innovative jazz recording sessions ever recorded. Jazz recording history was made in the spring of 1949 when during three sessions, Tristano teamed up with Marsh and Konitz, to record the very first free jazz improvisations. The most important of these was a tune aptly named “Intuition,” spontaneously created without any preconceived ideas on time, melody or tonality. To hear these recordings in all their mono glory is to be captivated at once with the synchronized playing of the saxophones. Konitz and Marsh appear to be reading each other’s minds as they play off Tristano’s tonal suggestions. Another improvisation, “Digression,” also appeared on the original album originally entitled Crosscurrents, along with four more Tristano compositions and one by Konitz and Marsh. This album is currently available on a CD entitled (oddly enough), Intuition (Capitol Jazz 52771-2). The disk also includes twelve tracks from a 1956 stereo album Marsh recorded in Los Angeles, Jazz of Two Cities. There’s no Tristano on this portion, but the tunes offer insight into Marsh’s development over the seven-year passage of time. The sound on this segment of the album would have you doubting the recording’s date, as this has to be one of the earliest jazz records in stereo. This is bop at its finest.

 

I love 'most all kinds of jazz, but my fav's are here, but really could make this list MUCH longer!

Kind of Blue-Miles
Ramsey Lewis-In Crowd
Herbie Hancock-Headhunters
John Coltrane-Giant Steps
Art Blakey-Night in Tunisia
Coleman Hawkins-High and Mighty Hawk
Ella Fitzgerald-The Intimate Ella
Max Roach-+Four
Lee Morgan-Candy
Thelonious Monk-Monk's Music

 

In no particular order...

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Sun Ra - Sun Song
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Ornette Coleman - At The Golden Circle Stockholm volume 2
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Cannonball Adderly - Walk Tall
Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior
Weather Report - Heavy Weather
Frank Zappa - Waka/Jawaka

 

in no particular order;

Louis Armstrong- Satchmo Plays King Oliver
Cannonball Adderly- Someth'in Else
Ella Fitzgerald- Let No Man Write My Epitath
Miles Davis- Kind Of Blue
Armstrong/Ellington- Recording Together For The First Time
Bill Evans- Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Ben Webster- Live At The Renaissance
Dexter Gordon-Go
Chico Freeman-Spirit Sensitive
Charles Mingus-Mingus Ah Um

 

I'm not a big jazz head, but these albums talk directly to me:
In no particular order:
ORNETTE COLEMAN-Science Fiction I listened to this constantly thru 1982-83. I wasn't really into jazz, but it was very high energy, like MC5 or the Stooges. or so I thought at the time. I still put it on every so often.

MIROSLAV VITOUS-Mountain in the Clouds
solo album by the Weather Report bassist

MILES DAVIS-In A Silent Way. Very nice for listening late at night, or early in the morning. Good music to hypnotize people by.

RAVI SHANKAR-Live At The Monterey Pop Festival. Having a rave-up with Ravi! If you're in India, this sounds like jazz, i guess. Ravi picks up on the crowd energy and takes off, and takes the audience with him.

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO-People in Sorrow. It's sort of a correlation to abstract art, at least to me. They weep and wail and it's all over the place free jazz. I woudn't really recomment it to anybody, but it means something to me.

QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE-Happy Trails. OK, it's a rock album, but there is a lot of jazz influence improv. I've never stopped listening to it since it came out.

CHARLIE PARKER-Birdology. This was a bargain bin cheapie 2 record set on Trip records, but it has a smoking version of white christmas, and a lot of cool high energy bebop.

JOHN COLTRANE-A Love Supreme
CHARLES MINGUS-The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
MILES DAVIS-Kind Of Blue

I would commend Mr. H on his superb taste in picking jazz discs to rerelease on DCC: I definitely would never have picked up Shelly Manne's
My Fair Lady if I hadnt had such a great experience with the other jazz discs. I have a new appreciation for Andre Previn.

 

I'm going to "cheat" and include a couple of compilations, but in those cases it's because the music was recorded in the pre-LP era.

Alphabetically by artist:

Louis Armstrong, The Complete Hot Fives and Hot Sevens
Dave Brubeck, Time Out
John Coltrane, A Love Supreme
Miles Davis, Birth of the Cool
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
Benny Goodman, The 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert
Vince Guaraldi, A Charlie Brown Christmas
Diana Krall, When I Look Into Your Eyes
Glenn Miller, The Popular Recordings
Weather Report, Heavy Weather

 

Not in any particular order for the most part, just some personal favorites:

1. Tina Brooks-True Blue
2. Charles Mingus-Tijuana Moods
3. Booker Little-Self Titled
4. Kenny Burrell-Midnight Blue
5. Jimmy Smith-Organ Grinder Swing
6. Kenny Dorham-Trompeta Toccata
7. Charles Mingus-Mingus At Monterey
8. Wes Montgomery-The Complete Smokin’ At The Half Note
9. The Nashville Allstars-After The Riot At Newport
10. Django Reinhardt-Peche A La Mouche

Best, Ed

 

Jazz is the smallest part of my vinyl/CD collection, but I'll give this list a go.

1. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
2. Dave Brubeck Quarter - Time Out
3. John Coltrane - Blue Train (Is the remaster worth getting? Tx.)
4. Bill Evans - Empathy / A Simple Matter of Conviction (Verve twofer CD)
5. Steve Tibbetts - Northern Song
6. Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
7.. Diana Krall - All For You-Dedication To Nat King Cole
8. Pat Metheny Group - As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls
9. Claire Martin - Take My Heart (wonderful version of Nick Drake's - Riverman on this album wich some may consider crossover "pop/jazz")
10. François Bourassa Trio avec André Leroux - Cactus
11. Ella Fitzgerald - Wishes You A Swinging Christmas

Bubbling under the top 10, er 11 are too many to list here but include a lot of artists you'd expect to see; no real suprises.
Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, early Lou is Armstrong, Basie/Sinatra at the Sands, Charlie Parker, Chet Baker, Blossom Dearie, Charlie Rouse, David Frishbeg, Cassandra Wilson (I love the song Death Letter), Django Reinhardt, Sun Ra Arkestra, Charlie Haden, Ornette Coleman, and more Miles.

I'm listening to the new Djangolgy as I write this. Very nice album.

Cheers.

 

Stan Getz | Jazz Samba - best sounding jazz recording ever
Duke Ellington | Black, Brown & Beige (live) - cool concept
Ella Fitzgerald | Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook (complete) - goes down like sugar
Miles Davis | Miles Smiles
Louis Armstrong | Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy - awesome!
Louis Armstrong | Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings - where it all started
John Coltrane | Live at Birdland - finest Coltrane live
Ornette Coleman | Skies of America - bizarre, and yet I love it. why? I still haven't figured out.
Carmen McRae | Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics - underrated
Charles Mingus | Mingus Plays Piano - fascinating, introspective, and fun.
Cannonball Adderley | Somethin' Else - it is.
Thelonious Monk | Monk's Dream - uncannily redefines intuition
Thelonious Monk | Straight, No Chaser - not his best, but I like it.
Thelonious Monk | Criss-Cross

 

Ella Fitzgerald-Sings the Cole Porter Songbooks
Duke Ellington-Ellington @ Newport 1956(Complete)
Count Basie- Satch and Josh
Bill Evans-Sunday at the Village Vanguard
Billie Holiday-The Commodore Master Takes(Only because Strange Fruit Is Not available)
Dave Brubeck-Time Out
Wynton Marsalis-Midnight Blues, Standard Time Vol. 5
John Coltrane- Lush Life
Clifford Brown-Clifford Brown & Max Roach
Louis Armstrong-Complete Hot 5 and 7

That is only ten and its not in a particular order of one being better then the other. This list really could change depending on the day of the week or my mood. There are of course many other artists that could be in the top ten at any given time. Jazz is so diverse and with so many possibilities of you hearing great recordings.

Of course your mileage may vary.

 

Attributed to Alfred Stieglitz - the transcript is online here

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/ansel/filmmore/pt.html

All the best - Andrew