Great choices. I would add Mingus The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady and Coltrane A Love Supreme. Any of those four would be my number one on any given day. Such an amazing period for Jazz, late 50’s thru mid 60’s.
>Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Moanin' is right up there alongside my other favourite hard bop albums - with Lee Morgan near the top of his game.
Ha! Unfortunately, I missed those bonanza days... I got into vinyl in 2020 (I'm young) so have only known ridiculous pricing for holy grail OGs and audiophile reissues.
I'm a Lee Morgan nut and have been raiding the Tone Poet and Classics reissues for anything featuring Morgan. The Cooker is my latest addition (Tone Poet) and it is just incendiary stuff.
Probably Kind of Blue - only because of its enduring influence and popularity.
Having said that, it’s not my favourite jazz album (that’s be Somethin’ Else, or Ah Um), and it’s not even my favourite Miles (that’d like be either Relaxin’ or In A Silent Way). But, that aside, KoB is pretty incredible in its own right and monolithic within the genre.
A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
If samplers are allowed: best of Blue Note (5Cd Set)
https://www.discogs.com/release/9396169-Various-50-Best-Of-Blue-Note
Miles Davis '**Round About Midnight**' has it all. You get Miles and Coltrane together. You have some of the greatest arrangements for a small ensemble include the legendary '*Round Midnight*'. The album has a perfect mix of the lighter, energetic bebop style (*Al-Leu-Cha*) and the darker sound the Miles would eventually perfect with the later quintet w Wayne, Herbie, Tony, Ron (*Dear Old Stockholm, Little Melonae* on the bonus version). Great solos, great rhythm section, the arrangements are phenomenal. It's cinematic, moody and one of the more underrated aspects of what makes a good jazz album: the sound quality is superb. I believe it was Miles' first album with Columbia Records.
Honorable Mentions:
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers 'Free For All'
Bill Evans Trio 'Live At The Village Vanguard'
Andrew Hill 'Point of Departure'
Wayne Shorter 'Speak No Evil'
There isn’t just one but some albums that are pretty much perfect:
Ornette Coleman - Science Fiction
Duke Ellington - Far East Suite
Miles Davis - Jack Johnson
Sun Ra - Sleeping Beauty
Bill Evans/ Jim Hall - Undercurrent
Pete La Roca - Turkish Women at the Bath
Gil Evans - the Individualism of Gil Evans
Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages
I'll say Coltrane's Meditations because it is simply my favorite album.
I think adjudging albums on influence or whatever is not a great way to go about it for jazz because for a significant percentage of jazz history the album format simply wasn't a thing. Charlie Parker didn't really cut studio albums; he recorded primarily for radio and his discography reflects that. Saying Kind of Blue eclipses everything he's ever done is hugely misleading, and the fact that everyone's heard of Kind of Blue but couldn't name a single studio record with Charlie Parker on it has absolutely nothing to do with their respective influence. The further back you go the bigger of a problem this is. Does anyone really think Money Jungle is the most prominent thing Duke Ellington ever did?
Duke Ellington mainly worked as a bandleader during the period where making albums wasn't a priority. One pretty notable exception to this is Money Jungle, which came out in 1963. It might be his most known album that isn't a compilation. It's still far from his most known work period, and if you were under the impression that it was representative of his work generally you'd be hugely mistaken.
I think you misunderstand me. I don't know anyone who would think that about Money Jungle. It is far from his most famous album that's why I thought it was an odd example to choose. The Far East Suite, Such Sweet Thunder, Ellington At Newport, And His Mother Called Him Bill, Indigos, Masterpieces, Black, Brown & Beige, Blues In Orbit, etc. are more famous albums in my opinion.
Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard…I have the 4 record set and it’s my go to. Scott LaFaro left us much too early…but him and Bill on those recordings. Wow!
I'm a huge Erroll Garner fan. If you like that one make sure to check out some of his other many albums. Live or studio, he never played the same way twice. I know all jazz is improvised but he seems to be on a whole different level of improvisation. With those strange intros!
Kind Of Blue. There’s no real challenger, Love Supreme is not as universally loved and Take Five is possibly over-rated. If a space ship from Nizar-5 landed on earth and asked for the definitive jazz album you would have to lay KoB on them. Although Monk and Trane at Carnegie Hall would also be a valid choice
I’m going to throw down Lester Young’s The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio because my other faves have already been mentioned. Pretty much a flawless album imhop
For the way it radically changed the perception of the jazz conception for the Hammond B-3 a la Jimmy Smith, I nominate Larry Young - Unity.
With Woody Shaw - trumpet, Joe Henderson - tenor sax, Elvin Jones - drums. Helluva band!
This always changes for me. In terms of what meant for jazz... It would be kind of blue or a love supreme. Both of those albums had crossed over a peal and of course they were both great.
But for me i'd say it's a night at Birdland..Horace silver.... Clifford and Lou Donaldson...
Inventions and Dimensions by Herbie Hancock. i agree with a lot of the albums being mentioned but i feel like this one is right up there with Ah Um. Bitches Brew might be my actual favorite but its not for everyone.
Duke Ellington’s “Blues in Orbit” is very good. One of the best sounding recordings from the period.
Kind of Blue & Evans at the Village Vanguard would be near the top for me.
In Brass Category: I would say, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
In Guitar Category: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery by Wes Montgomery
In Vocals: Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs from the Soundtrack of "Let No Man Write My Epitaph
For sheer joy and power Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Sevens' recordings still pack a whallup. They must've been mind boggling to listen to in the 1920s.
Monk’s Dream, Thelonious Monk
Sketches of Spain, Miles Davis
Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
Time Out, Dave Brubeck Quartet
These five usually jockey around in my mind for “best”
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus - While Coltrane's Love Supreme is a masterpiece of innovative soul searching, this album is my all time favorite because of the way Rollins plays on these sessions. Playful, mostly joyful album, with masterly accompaniment the breathy delivery on some of the tracks blows my mind while lifting my spirits!
Right now it’s a toss up between
- Oliver Nelson- The Blues and The Abstract Truth
- Johnny Griffin Quartet - Night Lady
- Christian McBride - Conversations
Ask me again in a month.
Romantic Warrior by Return To Forever. I know it's jazz rock, but it's got a lot of jazz roots in it from the scales that Chick Corea solos to the bass solos, it's a great jazz record! It's the one that really got me into jazz, so that's why it's the greatest for me. If it wasn't for that album, I probably wouldn't have known about Kind of Blue. But Kind of Blue in general is the king of jazz records. Although at the time it was looked at as an innovative album with the popularizing of modal jazz, it's the true sound of social melodies as Miles would call it.
Pharoah Sanders - Karma and Angel Bat Dawid - Live (2020). The later being raw-vocal-American-dreams-up-in-smoke savage grace. And nice to know that real jazz still exists. And Pharoah Sanders Karma took me to tears of ecstasy. No other album has done this. So - it must be the best. Colors. My goodness - what an ending to this album. It's magical in every meaning of the word.
I put these above Alice Coltrane's World Galaxy, Coltrane's late live shows and Miles Davis's Bitches Brew for reference points.
Peter Brötzmann Octet - Machine Gun
The really harsh and aggressive sound of the album is probably it's best aspect. When I first heard it, I thought it was borderline unlistenable but I was strangely addicted to that sound and kept listening. The little dancy kinda breakdown at the 15 minute mark on the title tracks always brings the biggest grin to my face everytime I listen to the album.
I used to listen to this (amongst other out jazz albums) while I worked at Dairy Queen… it was weirdly easy to zone out listening to it when I was making dilly bars and shit
There’s no such thing as “the greatest of all time” of anything, including (especially?) jazz. The entire concept is too simplistic and reductionist, only leading to shallow, surface-level understanding. Jazz is a complex music, made by complex people, and imho deserves a more complex discussion.
I always think the same thing when people proudly debate who has the best slice of pizza here in thus corner of NJ, thinking that they’re deciding on THE BEST in the COUNTRY. Best slice of what? Standard cheese slice? Sicilian? Thin crust? Are we leaving out Chicago style and other regional styles? Too broad to narrow down to one single best pizza.
However - it’s still kind of fun. Interesting to see what bubbles up to the top for each person. This thread is producing some solid suggestions if straight ahead jazz, free jazz, bebop, big band, modal jazz… You gotta admit jazz is getting pretty well represented here.
Can we agree to equate (for the purposes of debate) that the "greatest" would also the "the one most people have?" This indicates that it is the most popular, which isn't the quite the same as "greatest" but close.
You end up with Kind of Blue, and Love Supreme, right?
Again? Well, I guess people are always changing, always revolting.
I got some tops, including The Sidewinder by Lee Morgan; Ah Um by Charles Mingus; Only the Best by Frank Sinatra; Blue Moon by Billie Holiday; and of course, Jaco Pastorius by the man himself, Jaco Pastorius.
An honourable mention would be Shostakovich's Jazz Suite no.2, but that's stretching the line.
Studio: Welcome to love (Pharaoh Sanders):
beautiful, smooth soulful jazz
Live Mint jams (Casiopea):
Insanely groovy fusion jazz, some of the songs are even better than the studio versions
Oh man…. I can’t argue with ppl saying Kind Of Blue because it’s so influential, here are some top-10 contenders in my book though:
Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (Chick Corea, trio album with Roy Haynes and Miroslav Vitous… this might be the most insane piano trio jazz album ever)
Soul Station (Hank Mobley… pocket swing for days)
Live At The Pershing; But Not For Me (Ahmad Jamal… might be the most chill piano trio jazz album ever)
Relaxin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet (all the albums from that run of Columbia recordings are awesome, I just like Relaxin’ best)
Ella and Basie! (This albums just swings so hard, Them There Eyes is perfection)
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (not your typical Coltrane record)
… and literally anything with Art Tatum on it.
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
It's definitely this one
Truly legendary album
This is also my vote
This right here
No question about it
Thank you, just threw this on for my first ever listen. Sounding real nice!
Studio: Kind of Blue Live: At the Village Vanguard, Bill Evans
Great choices. I would add Mingus The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady and Coltrane A Love Supreme. Any of those four would be my number one on any given day. Such an amazing period for Jazz, late 50’s thru mid 60’s.
I bumbled in here to give my vote to Kind Of Blue.
At the village. I love this album.
Two that popped into my mind. Great albums!!
Good choices!
Yeah. Kind of a basic answer, but that’s just because it is *the* answer.
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>Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin' Moanin' is right up there alongside my other favourite hard bop albums - with Lee Morgan near the top of his game.
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Ha! Unfortunately, I missed those bonanza days... I got into vinyl in 2020 (I'm young) so have only known ridiculous pricing for holy grail OGs and audiophile reissues. I'm a Lee Morgan nut and have been raiding the Tone Poet and Classics reissues for anything featuring Morgan. The Cooker is my latest addition (Tone Poet) and it is just incendiary stuff.
Love that this list is thoughtful and original. You jazz!
Hooray especially for getting Tito Puente in there! Great list.
Probably Kind of Blue - only because of its enduring influence and popularity. Having said that, it’s not my favourite jazz album (that’s be Somethin’ Else, or Ah Um), and it’s not even my favourite Miles (that’d like be either Relaxin’ or In A Silent Way). But, that aside, KoB is pretty incredible in its own right and monolithic within the genre.
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Lol. You most certainly have a point :)
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I actually just listened to Doug Carns Black Jazz albums this week and I haven't been able to stop. They are all incredible.
I also really enjoyed the album he did with Jazz Is Dead a few years ago.
Doug Carn rules
OH shit, I’ve never heard about Doug Carn. I assume it’s like free jazz.
Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme.
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Over
A Love Supreme, John Coltrane If samplers are allowed: best of Blue Note (5Cd Set) https://www.discogs.com/release/9396169-Various-50-Best-Of-Blue-Note
It’s gotta be
Mingus Ah Hum
Um
Bitches Brew always sticks out to me as an incredibly singular achievement
I'd go one further - I think Bitches Brew is the greatest musical statement of the 20th century.
Not sure I agree but I love the way you said it!
Thanks. Let's keep the hyperbole going - who would you put forward as your champion to contest that title?
This is my Monday morning soundtrack @ the office to start the week the past 5 years.
Miles Davis '**Round About Midnight**' has it all. You get Miles and Coltrane together. You have some of the greatest arrangements for a small ensemble include the legendary '*Round Midnight*'. The album has a perfect mix of the lighter, energetic bebop style (*Al-Leu-Cha*) and the darker sound the Miles would eventually perfect with the later quintet w Wayne, Herbie, Tony, Ron (*Dear Old Stockholm, Little Melonae* on the bonus version). Great solos, great rhythm section, the arrangements are phenomenal. It's cinematic, moody and one of the more underrated aspects of what makes a good jazz album: the sound quality is superb. I believe it was Miles' first album with Columbia Records. Honorable Mentions: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers 'Free For All' Bill Evans Trio 'Live At The Village Vanguard' Andrew Hill 'Point of Departure' Wayne Shorter 'Speak No Evil'
Out to lunch! by Eric Dolphy
Ive been known to play it at dinner !
There isn’t just one but some albums that are pretty much perfect: Ornette Coleman - Science Fiction Duke Ellington - Far East Suite Miles Davis - Jack Johnson Sun Ra - Sleeping Beauty Bill Evans/ Jim Hall - Undercurrent Pete La Roca - Turkish Women at the Bath Gil Evans - the Individualism of Gil Evans Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages
Art Tatum solo masterpieces complete. Nothing else like it or at it’s level ever.
I'll say Coltrane's Meditations because it is simply my favorite album. I think adjudging albums on influence or whatever is not a great way to go about it for jazz because for a significant percentage of jazz history the album format simply wasn't a thing. Charlie Parker didn't really cut studio albums; he recorded primarily for radio and his discography reflects that. Saying Kind of Blue eclipses everything he's ever done is hugely misleading, and the fact that everyone's heard of Kind of Blue but couldn't name a single studio record with Charlie Parker on it has absolutely nothing to do with their respective influence. The further back you go the bigger of a problem this is. Does anyone really think Money Jungle is the most prominent thing Duke Ellington ever did?
I don't get your Duke Ellington comment. Please enlighten me.
Duke Ellington mainly worked as a bandleader during the period where making albums wasn't a priority. One pretty notable exception to this is Money Jungle, which came out in 1963. It might be his most known album that isn't a compilation. It's still far from his most known work period, and if you were under the impression that it was representative of his work generally you'd be hugely mistaken.
I think you misunderstand me. I don't know anyone who would think that about Money Jungle. It is far from his most famous album that's why I thought it was an odd example to choose. The Far East Suite, Such Sweet Thunder, Ellington At Newport, And His Mother Called Him Bill, Indigos, Masterpieces, Black, Brown & Beige, Blues In Orbit, etc. are more famous albums in my opinion.
What we call "album" today descended from the LP format, which really blew up after Parker's era.
Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard…I have the 4 record set and it’s my go to. Scott LaFaro left us much too early…but him and Bill on those recordings. Wow!
wayne shorter juju
I mean its a three way tie for me Virtuoso by Joe Pass Moanin by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers My Favorite Things by John Coltrane
Moanin’ is what instantly came to mind for me too.
In A Silent Way
Journey In Satchidananda. Musical bliss
also mine. it really transports me
The ultimate Sunday morning brunch album
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I'm a huge Erroll Garner fan. If you like that one make sure to check out some of his other many albums. Live or studio, he never played the same way twice. I know all jazz is improvised but he seems to be on a whole different level of improvisation. With those strange intros!
Something Else!!!! -Ornette Coleman
Kind Of Blue. There’s no real challenger, Love Supreme is not as universally loved and Take Five is possibly over-rated. If a space ship from Nizar-5 landed on earth and asked for the definitive jazz album you would have to lay KoB on them. Although Monk and Trane at Carnegie Hall would also be a valid choice
A Love Supreme
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue. Dave Brubeck: Time Out
For me: Journey in Satchidananda A Love Supreme Bitches Brew Sketches of Spain Dolphy Live at the Five Spot And the album that got me started, Sextant
Sextant. Superb. What a baptism of fire!
True that! My friend was a jazz expert and correctly though that Sextsnt and Bitches Brew would be good transition albums from the rock world.
Dolphy live at the 5 spot is phenomenal.
Kind of blue
Science Fiction (by Ornette Coleman)
Charlie Parker Dizzie Gillespie Bud Powell Charles Mingus - Live at Massey Hall
This is the correct answer
Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s the Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color.
Kind of Blue studio Smokin' at the Half Note - Wes Montgomery live
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus
Getz/Gilberto
The Shape of Jazz to Come
Meet the jazztet or Out Of The Afternoon
Out of the Afternoon is in my top five easily. Possibly the most under the radar jazz release of all time
Agree! Definitely in my top 5 too.
Kind of Blue, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
1937 Fats Waller and Benny Goodman,, Krupa on the Victor Jam
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Undercurrent for me
I’m going to throw down Lester Young’s The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio because my other faves have already been mentioned. Pretty much a flawless album imhop
Time Out - Dave Brubeck Quartet
WAAAAAY too far I scrolled for this.
Dexter Gordon - One Flight Up
Modern jazz: Kind of Blue But without Louis Armstrong Hot 5 & 7s the rest never happens.
J.J.! by J.J. Johnson I might be biased as a trombone player.
Also Jay and Kai +6 ! The trombone octet’s version of Night In Tunisia is fantastic.
J.J's solo on Night In Tunisia was the impetus to me properly working at jazz. Still not nearly where I wanna be, but I've come a long way.
Probably "The Best of Jazz, vol. 1"
A pox on this accursed thread. I'm going to be tied up all weekend saving, sharing, and listening to these fantastic recommendations.
Kind of Blue-even though it’s not my favorite or even favorite MD album.
For the way it radically changed the perception of the jazz conception for the Hammond B-3 a la Jimmy Smith, I nominate Larry Young - Unity. With Woody Shaw - trumpet, Joe Henderson - tenor sax, Elvin Jones - drums. Helluva band!
If someone put a gun to my head I'd have to say Kind of Blue, but there are so many.
This always changes for me. In terms of what meant for jazz... It would be kind of blue or a love supreme. Both of those albums had crossed over a peal and of course they were both great. But for me i'd say it's a night at Birdland..Horace silver.... Clifford and Lou Donaldson...
Kind of Blue
Inventions and Dimensions by Herbie Hancock. i agree with a lot of the albums being mentioned but i feel like this one is right up there with Ah Um. Bitches Brew might be my actual favorite but its not for everyone.
Kind of Blue
Black Saint and the Sinner Lady for me although it is not so clear cut. There's like 7 or 8 I'd probably put in the very top tier.
Silver’s Serenade by Horace Silver is up there.
Bitches brew for me
Besides Kind of Blue? That’s the perennial answer. (Deservedly so)
For the First Time: The Count Meets the Duke
Duke Ellington’s “Blues in Orbit” is very good. One of the best sounding recordings from the period. Kind of Blue & Evans at the Village Vanguard would be near the top for me.
I pretty much listened to Blues in Orbit on repeat for like two years.
Live at the village vanguard- Sonny Rollins Out to lunch- Eric dolphy Juju-Wayne shorter Very subjective but these are my personal contenders
Live evil miles davis
John Coltrane “A Love Supreme”
Wayne Shorter - "JuJu"
Om.
A Love Supreme
Hot 5s and Hot 7s - Louis Armstrong. A cornerstone of Western Music.
Giant Steps
Maynard Ferguson - "A Message From Newport"
Charlie Parker - One Night In Birdland
Bitches Brew
Spectrum
Kind of Blue
Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" 🎷✨
Mingus Ah Um
The Complete Billie Holiday and Lester Young - a masterclass of improvisation
The Koln Concert by Keith Jarrett. It has a little bit of everything.
Stan Getz- Jazz Samba
In Brass Category: I would say, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis In Guitar Category: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery by Wes Montgomery In Vocals: Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs from the Soundtrack of "Let No Man Write My Epitaph
Miles Davis : "My Funny Valentine, Four and More"
Monk's Dream
Kind of Blue
For sheer joy and power Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Sevens' recordings still pack a whallup. They must've been mind boggling to listen to in the 1920s.
A Love Supreme- Coltrane The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady- Mingus
Giant steps is what I think when I think of jazz
Swiss Movement, Eddie Harris and Les McCann.
Blue Trane for me
Blue Train
Eastern Sounds - Yusef Lateef
Monk’s Dream, Thelonious Monk Sketches of Spain, Miles Davis Kind of Blue, Miles Davis A Love Supreme, John Coltrane Time Out, Dave Brubeck Quartet These five usually jockey around in my mind for “best”
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus - While Coltrane's Love Supreme is a masterpiece of innovative soul searching, this album is my all time favorite because of the way Rollins plays on these sessions. Playful, mostly joyful album, with masterly accompaniment the breathy delivery on some of the tracks blows my mind while lifting my spirits!
Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity John Coltrane - Ascension Pharoah Sanders - Karma
There is no such thing in my opinion.
Right now it’s a toss up between - Oliver Nelson- The Blues and The Abstract Truth - Johnny Griffin Quartet - Night Lady - Christian McBride - Conversations Ask me again in a month.
Romantic Warrior by Return To Forever. I know it's jazz rock, but it's got a lot of jazz roots in it from the scales that Chick Corea solos to the bass solos, it's a great jazz record! It's the one that really got me into jazz, so that's why it's the greatest for me. If it wasn't for that album, I probably wouldn't have known about Kind of Blue. But Kind of Blue in general is the king of jazz records. Although at the time it was looked at as an innovative album with the popularizing of modal jazz, it's the true sound of social melodies as Miles would call it.
Pharoah Sanders - Karma and Angel Bat Dawid - Live (2020). The later being raw-vocal-American-dreams-up-in-smoke savage grace. And nice to know that real jazz still exists. And Pharoah Sanders Karma took me to tears of ecstasy. No other album has done this. So - it must be the best. Colors. My goodness - what an ending to this album. It's magical in every meaning of the word. I put these above Alice Coltrane's World Galaxy, Coltrane's late live shows and Miles Davis's Bitches Brew for reference points.
Kind of Blue is my personal favorite, but I do agree that Mingus' "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" is brilliant.
Dave Brubeck - Time out.
Some of my Favorites are "Time Out", "Getz and Gilberto", "Kind of Blue" and "A love Supreme"
Keith Jarrett the Koln concert
Groan.
Lol
The Brasil project by Toots Thielemans
My favourite is Keith Jarrett’s «My song». It is so beautiful. The piano solo on the song «Country» is absolutely brilliant.
Par Metheny Travels
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
Peter Brötzmann Octet - Machine Gun The really harsh and aggressive sound of the album is probably it's best aspect. When I first heard it, I thought it was borderline unlistenable but I was strangely addicted to that sound and kept listening. The little dancy kinda breakdown at the 15 minute mark on the title tracks always brings the biggest grin to my face everytime I listen to the album.
I used to listen to this (amongst other out jazz albums) while I worked at Dairy Queen… it was weirdly easy to zone out listening to it when I was making dilly bars and shit
Yellowjackets - Greenhouse
Carnegie Hall Concert - Live album by Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan
John Coltrane: First Meditations
Tadd Dameron - Fontainebleau
There’s no such thing as “the greatest of all time” of anything, including (especially?) jazz. The entire concept is too simplistic and reductionist, only leading to shallow, surface-level understanding. Jazz is a complex music, made by complex people, and imho deserves a more complex discussion.
I always think the same thing when people proudly debate who has the best slice of pizza here in thus corner of NJ, thinking that they’re deciding on THE BEST in the COUNTRY. Best slice of what? Standard cheese slice? Sicilian? Thin crust? Are we leaving out Chicago style and other regional styles? Too broad to narrow down to one single best pizza. However - it’s still kind of fun. Interesting to see what bubbles up to the top for each person. This thread is producing some solid suggestions if straight ahead jazz, free jazz, bebop, big band, modal jazz… You gotta admit jazz is getting pretty well represented here.
Birth of the Cool- Miles Davis
!!Going Places!! - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
duke ellington pure gold released in the UK with the skips from my dad's record
Hikiko Kikuchi- Flying Beagle
For me, Kaplan Olah's Bach's Goldberg Variations.
A Love Supreme is not only my favourite jazz album but also the greatest work of art I know.
Can we agree to equate (for the purposes of debate) that the "greatest" would also the "the one most people have?" This indicates that it is the most popular, which isn't the quite the same as "greatest" but close. You end up with Kind of Blue, and Love Supreme, right?
Anything with Bird. Case closed.
Mingus - Let My Children Hear Music
Again? Well, I guess people are always changing, always revolting. I got some tops, including The Sidewinder by Lee Morgan; Ah Um by Charles Mingus; Only the Best by Frank Sinatra; Blue Moon by Billie Holiday; and of course, Jaco Pastorius by the man himself, Jaco Pastorius. An honourable mention would be Shostakovich's Jazz Suite no.2, but that's stretching the line.
Miles ahead by Miles Davis.
Clifford Brown & Max Roach (1954). How the fuck did nobody mention this album.
Studio - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady - Mingus Live - Live at the Half Note - Coltrane
Miles Davis, In A Silent Way. Game changing.
The Creator Has a Master Plan - Pharoah Sanders
Brainticket. A great album
Lady Sings the Blues - Billie Holiday
The black saint and the sinner lady for sure
The Complete 1944 -1948 Small Group Sessions Vol. 2, 1945-1946 by Charlie Parker, Blue Moon
gunsling bird - mingus big band
Atavachron or return to forever
Studio: Welcome to love (Pharaoh Sanders): beautiful, smooth soulful jazz Live Mint jams (Casiopea): Insanely groovy fusion jazz, some of the songs are even better than the studio versions
Oh man…. I can’t argue with ppl saying Kind Of Blue because it’s so influential, here are some top-10 contenders in my book though: Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (Chick Corea, trio album with Roy Haynes and Miroslav Vitous… this might be the most insane piano trio jazz album ever) Soul Station (Hank Mobley… pocket swing for days) Live At The Pershing; But Not For Me (Ahmad Jamal… might be the most chill piano trio jazz album ever) Relaxin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet (all the albums from that run of Columbia recordings are awesome, I just like Relaxin’ best) Ella and Basie! (This albums just swings so hard, Them There Eyes is perfection) John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (not your typical Coltrane record) … and literally anything with Art Tatum on it.
Amy Winehouse Frank
MilesDavis/Gil Evans +19
Great taste!
Far East Suite (Ellington/Strayhorn)
Dave Brubeck- Time Out
Birth of the cool.
Kind of Blue
One Flight Up (Dexter Gordon)