St Louis-born Nelson was a talented saxophonist who could play both the tenor and alto varieties, but who earned more fame during his relatively short career as a masterful arranger who could turn his hand to TV soundtracks and movie scores. Capturing Garner in an assembly hall in Carmel, California, in , Concert By The Sea began as an unofficial recording made by a local broadcaster for US armed forces radio.
Wayne Shorter has made many fine albums during his long career but this one, recorded on Christmas Eve , is extra special. In the following decade, he helped to stimulate interest in Brazilian music with his album Jazz Samba.
An edited version became a hit single and created a huge global audience for the seductive bossa nova sound. It also helped to transform Astrud Gilberto into a star who then launched her own successful career.
A virtuoso trumpeter from an impoverished background, Armstrong played with King Oliver and Fletcher Henderson before forming his own Hot Five Band in Earlier in the year, Trane had been fired from the Miles Davis Quintet for his heroin addiction, but by September he had quit drugs for good and began rebuilding both his life and reputation.
Eyeing new sonic horizons and showing an interest in rock and funk aesthetics, he began using electronic instruments and creating expansive grooves driven by a backbeat. A first major milestone in this development was the epochal Bitches Brew , a sprawling double-album released in Using a large ensemble that included British guitarist John McLaughlin and three electric keyboardists Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, and Larry Young , Davis set in motion the fusion movement that dominated jazz thinking in the 70s.
Now almost half a century old, it still sounds like the music of the future. Though for health reasons he no longer plays his beloved tenor saxophone, this seminal album — which gave Rollins his nickname — reminds us of his unparalleled brilliance as an improviser.
Rollins receives sterling support from pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins, and legendary bebop drummer Max Roach, and together the quartet created an alchemical synergy that results in pure magic. A must-own album for any serious jazz collector. Leading a quartet comprising trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins, Coleman shredded the bebop rulebook by jettisoning orthodox notions of what constituted melody and harmony. In the process, he created a brave new musical language of free-form collective improvisation that shook the jazz world to its core.
The Shape Of Jazz To Come was extremely divisive at the time, but its status as one of the best jazz albums in history is secure today; it gave birth to the free jazz movement that would gain momentum as a viable musical currency in the 60s. A Love Supreme was the first time that a musician had successfully used the language of jazz to explore deeper metaphysical concerns. He leaves the listener exhausted — the music can seem almost overwhelming due to its emotional intensity — but also blissfully contented after the final chord has sounded.
Though Coltrane recorded several landmark albums both before and after A Love Supreme , this game-changing LP sealed his immortality and sits rightfully among the best jazz albums of all time. It celebrates its 60th birthday in but still sounds as cool and hip as the day it was first recorded. The session found Miles leading an all-star sextet that included saxophonists John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley, as well as rising piano star Bill Evans. My first thought too.
Not a bad list! Jarrett for ECM in ! This is more if the 50 most popular than 50 greatest. Who can really argue with the 1, Kind of Blue? But I appreciate the attempt. Like MIles he is already well represented here. Kind of Blue is truly great, but A Love Supreme is celestial! Sonny Rollins — Saxophone Colossus 7. Miles Davis — Birth of the Cool John Coltrane — Giant Steps Herbie Hancock — Maiden Voyage Duke Ellington — Ellington at Newport Thelonious Monk Genius of Modern Music vol.
But the most glaring omission — where are the women!? You have left out many other greats. This list is totally NOT the 50 greatest!!!!! ALL of these artists had albums that whould fit into the list!!! They all furthered the art of jazz!!!!! This would have to be inclusive yet selective and objective!
I agree with most of the list, great choices! The foundation of all that followed. Important and essential pioneers among many others of early jazz. Well done — those and I wish they had simply pegged the Armstrong box set A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, for a fatter slice of the essential Louis of the 20s and 30s.
I myself could not be happy living without this chunk of music in the world. An impossible task certainly, but with the exceptions of the fusion stuff it is pretty admirable. Glad to see Brubeck near the top. Would also like to see some more adventurous material. There are several albums by Anthony Braxton that could have made the list. Not to mention A Spiritual Unity.
Major oversight. Also Big Fun by Miles Davis needs to be on there. Time Out by Brubeck is way too high up the list. Come on. Mahavishnu Orchestra not that high either. Good call on Out to Lunch by Dolphy tho, but that should actually be higher.
And Iron Man should be on there as well. Happy new year! This is a damn fine list. Usually music lists have me swinging immediately out of the gate! The San Francisco Jazz Collective comes to mind. This list is poorly ordered. These are all great albums but IMO most of them got their spots because of politics.
Whoever wrote this list is was trying to keep as many people happy. It looks like they used the bracket system to decide lol. Hank Mobley: Soul Station 42 seriously? Frank A. Jelly Roll. Duke and Basie are there as is Goodman. That man could do on one guitar what it takes three ordinary professional guitarists to do.
Weather Report before many many many more.. Nothing at all by Kieth Jarrett Standards Trio?? A lot of the people mentioned have all made great music, worthy of any jaz list, but they made it in the pre-album age where EPs and 78s where the medium. This list has some of the best music ever made! James henriot. The list is pretty lacking. What about the Cti label? This is a list compiled by a hifi hobbyist and not a music lover.
Are you joking? And Dizzy Gillespie? But Ole was more like what he actually played live in clubs. Well done on what is not an easy task.
My gripe tho would be the non inclusion of something by the great Sun Ra and his Arkestra. Agreed on how absurd it is to leave off the Sun Ra Arkestra! Hard to believe. Also, no Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, and only one listing for Bird though it includes multiple recordings. And what about drummer Shelly Manne, who set up one of the best jazz bands, and whose records at the Black Hawk are amongst the best jazz records ever? A fine list indeed, some contentious ommissions e.
Of course there will always be omissions, but … no Oscar Peterson? OK, I said it. Getz is the only American on the recording. All others were, I believe, Brazilian. Not to mention multiple members of the Mahavishnu Orchestra were not American, with only Goodman being American among the original members.
Some musicians on Bitches Brew were also not American. But I do agree there is a lack of recordings by other significant jazz artists from outside of the States. Same is true for Mahavishnu and even more so for Bitches Brew.
Brazilians are Americans too since Brazil is also part of America. The Continent of America that is. Many years ago a jazz critic in Chicago told me that Latin jazz was not serious jazz……. So let me share this information with you. Most people do not know the work of Laurindo Almeida, and of course we know Sergio Mendes.
Some of us know. I always enjoy these lists despite disagreements…. I should be consulted to provide such insight. Not to mention numerous others they have listed above him. Lester Young? Paul Desmond? Chet Baker? Well, of all the omissions, Ella Fitzgerald seems the most glaring to me. Billie and the other biggies mentioned above too.
Pharoah Sanders too. Those and the old stuff from the 20s and 30s as someone else said. I wish they had simply pegged the Armstrong box set A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, for a fatter slice of the essential Louis of the 20s and 30s.
What misogynists you are. No Billie Holiday? No Ella Fitzgerald. No Sarah Vaughn? You also are bebop centric. No Bix Beiderbecke? No Bunny Berigan? No Fats Waller, etc, etc. How can that possibly be??? Johnson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Sure great stuff. For me also Top 20 all-time classics. And as many others before said.
No Ella……. Kind of Blue will be hard to beat — ever. I know the Coltrane buffs want to disagree, but when those guys were together on Kind of Blue, it was magical. Two of my favorite quotes:. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom…In its beginnings, the United States of America spawned certain ideals of freedom and independence through which, eventually, jazz was evolved, and the music is so free that many people say it is the only unhapmpered, unhindered expression of complete freedom yet produced in this country.
Kenny Burrell — Midnight Blue? Jimmy Smith. Good list. A good list … I would include some albums that made important contributions in the evolution of Jazz …. I would place the singers — male and female in their own grouping — Stan Kenton certainly had some historic music: Kenton in Hi Fi was exceptional. Double the list and not rank them for more harmony among Jazz lovers.
I just wish a Chick Corea album was in there somewhere. Chick Corea. The greatest trio album ever. Still fresh and exciting today. Innovative and influential. The all-time best 50 list should have a wide scope for inclusion.
Oh look, another top 50 list no different than any other. Thanks for mentioning some of my jazz heroes. Thanks again! Where is Lady Day Quoting from your website — With a few exceptions every major pop singer in the US during her generation has been touched in someway by her genius. You have to have some Ray Brown on Bass guys. No way you could leave him out. Solar Energy is one that comes to mind but he has so many. But the woeful Ayler and Dolphy are in there?
I suppose subjectivity is inevitable when it comes to taste and naming the best 50 albums is impossible. Vast amounts of great stuff omitted and the phenomenal broadening of jazz in the last 30 years is nowhere to be seen. This probably is a very good guide to the ages of the compilers. Please re-think your statement. WTF is that??? No Billy Holliday? Queen Latifah??
There are some great albums and I have got a lot of them, but everybody seems to have been listening in the other direction. Stan Tracey and George from Battersea! All great jazz musicians playing jazz in the UK.
You just have to realize that there are hundreds of great jazz artists through the ages. We all like what WE like and disagree sometimes on what others are digging. If each and every one of you compiled your top 50, it would be a beautiful and diversified list.
The best part of these lists are the comments. Gives people like me all sorts of new ideas to fill in the collection! Can never have too many great jazz albums….
I am surprised that Milestones is not on this list. Not a lot of modern stuff on this list either. Nothing from Freddie Hubbard or Woody Shaw? Cassandranite and Love Dance are both really solid albums. Interesting list overall though. I disagree with a lot of the picks, but at least it got a bunch of jazzheads talking.
Good music, not the 50 I would have chosen, but then every jazz fan is liable to have a very different list. Not sure which I would pick for the particular recording, but a couple of jazz musicians that are among my top 5 that I think need to be represented on that list are McCoy Tyner and Michael Brecker.
Great list! Generally astute list, with a few debatable entries and omissions. OP for goodness sakes. And one of my personal faves would have been in my top Jazz Samba. Probably a thankless task, unless the objective was to get some discussion going! And as for women, surely Carla Bley would qualify as well as all the great singers already mentioned?
Hard to believe that nobody has complained about the omission of the great Benny Carter. And guitar forms Kenny Burell. Wow what a great list! The fact that it has stimulated so much discussion is fantastic. It is a bit disturbing that there was nothing after and that very few post 77 albums were mentioned in the replies. What does that say for the future? Here are some albums I like. You are absolutely right. The list and the comments thread has been a great learning curve for me.
Thanks for giving a list of albums I have not come across earlier. Maybe not Top 10 in many eyes, but at least Top One of MY faves. I know my comment will offend many, but the cold hard truth is that John Coltrane played out of tune. None of his albums belong on this list, in my opinion. From early ragtime to international modernism, Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology a update of the milestone Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz lets you enjoy this uniquely American musical genre through its legendary innovators, including Armstrong, Ellington, Basie, Gillespie, Fitzgerald, and Marsalis.
Box Set; 6 CDs with tracks; soft cover companion book, pages. But, no Billie Holliday? Just Wrong. No Dizzy or Oscar Peterson? Wrong again. How about Phineous Newborn Jr. Now that is completely wrong. On any given day my top 50 might be different. Of course I have my favorites that are not listed, but this is truly a list of recordings every jazz fan should know. I knew the minute this was posted it would draw controversy. These are nice choices. The vest album for me is ALS.
Ithink ,anyway, that 50 are too few. No Ella and Billie in top 50??? I play in a latin jazz band. What should be my next album? Guess not Michael Kroll. Must have. Fantastic: better than Coltrane I thought — had lots of him, too! They were my house Gods those days. Coltrane was more like a sheep, I thought? Its a disgrace to menchen a word like that in this context with these geniouses.
Cause of that, his artist name?? Dont know how he ended, but he made a mess of his music after some time? I might be wrong. Somewhere on the limmit to free form jazz?
He never did; they were full of sand cause of a dog…………. Must have sacrified a lot to be able to buy them! I quess it was a hard task to name the 50 greatest Jazz albums of all time! Should have expanded to the top !!! Great selections; however representation of female artists is blindingly small.
What about Alice Coltrane?!?!? A good job compiling this list as I have almost all of them. This is a great list for those who are new to jazz to start out with. Bless you all jazz lovers. A thankless task , but a commendable effort , if one only likes Modern Jazz which I do , very much so.. And a Fletcher Henderson and 3 or 4 Traditional Jazz titles from the 20s and 30s too? Call me crazy but…for the best selling jazz record of all time…I think it is also the most overrated.
As for Monk.. Monks Dream is a top 5 for me. Finally…if you are including fusion here. I truly think Kind of Blue is overrated.
There are certainly 50 best for each decade or sub-genre, style, composer, voice, instrument and geographic region USA and World-Wide. And, certainly older pieces carry more weight because of their influence on everything that followed. Check out YouTube. Lots of film and video of these and many other GOAT jazz artists.
Great choices anyway. I feel that it gets overlooked, being sandwiched between Live at Birdland and A Love Supreme, the latter of which I also believes deserves to top this list over Kind of Blue. Jaco Pastorius…. Just saying.
Love Supreme I think — possibly the greatest recording of the 20th Century in any genre! James P. Is it by historical importance, best performance, best compositions, best improvisor, etc.
You could argue that one of the greatest improvisors and most important figures in the history of jazz ever, Charlie Parker, only comes on 20, is a bit strange — but again it depends on the definitions. He was all over the place. The problem with many of these albums is of course the very poor sound quality. But the artistic quality is unsurpassed.
No Sonny Clark???? Thelonious Monk does not show up until number 26? Genius of Modern Music should be placed at number 6 then just back up the list from there. Great selection otherwise. Ten years from now their work may be re-considered.
To do jazz justice you should compile a list of 50 greatest albums by instrument , there are glaring omissions here. I would suggest doing it to show evolutions from beginning to present day,and yes include big bands,and vocalists. This being said ,no list is going to please everyone but my suggestion might be an interesting way to please most people.
A daunting task. While those on the list are great, The Crusaders have always been and always will be 1 on my list. Red G. Paul C. And Philly J.
I was Jazz Albums! I must say , hell what y want? West Coast? So callled cool or any kind later? It seems that only in the USA are outstanding jazz-performances! But I can garantee you that in Europe the most beautiful music has been made that never reached the shores of America. Just check You Tube so you can blow your mind!! The following are influenced by thrills only as imagined by the author, and it has no significant whatsoever to the work of the artists.
Weather Report! I stop at the soul station just to see Hank Mobley I went to St. On the top of the Hill is the Point of Departure for Andrew. Here comes the Head Hunter Herbie Hancock Dexter Gordon — Go Dexter Go Whenever I listen to Sarah, I have Vaughan The people were thrill at Massey Hall when we see the Quintet. Bill Evans — Sunday school professor at the village Vanguard. Voyage with Herbie Hancock was made smoothly. The only Duke that matters to me is— Ellington All Structures designed by Cecil Taylor are well reinforced.
We all know that Mr. Albert said to Ayler , no unity is better that Spiritual Unity Eric Dolphy possesses the best Table manner; see him— Out to Lunch To Abstract the Truth, you must apply the law of Oliver Nelson Erroll Garner holds the Tide at one of his Concert by the Sea It is always a pleasant day when Mr.
Louis Armstrong came to my Town. I tasted Miles Davis Bitches Brew before, it was great. When Ornette told Mr. Coleman about the Shape of Jazz to come, he meant business. It was in wonderful Copenhagen when Mr. Brubeck gave no Time Out, and the audience loves it. Here you have it, Mr. How about the Sachal Jazz Ensemble? Not sure how well known they are Stateside — they arose from the Lahore-based film industry, a group of veteran musicians who had fallen foul of conservative anti-western sentiments, interpreting western jazz standards.
But they are so much more than that. Check out their eponymous debut album They have been compared to the Buena Vista Social Club — that rare and welcome push to re-evaluate a genre and in this case to revisit some favourite jazz standards as well as listen to fresh material from an unlikely and unexpected source.
Try them. There is always some crazy nutter adding all the albums to a spotify-list with other great jazz-albums. I guess the most important person in Jazz is Louis Armstrong, because he had the most influence and made jazz as popular as it is unfortunetly was! So where are all the great recordings? Louis plays W. Django would be great to! He is the only european artist, who belongs to top 50 of Jazz!
Que hay de Chick Corea?. Nice effort, but why is there no Freddy Hubbard or Donald Byrd on it. In mho great influential artists….. Its a perfect record. The Song for My Father title track dominates that album, but Cape Verdean is a 45 minute masterpiece. Please try it all. No Gerry Mulligan? No Modern Jazz Quartet? Glad to see Erroll Garner and Stan Getz for sure. But if you are going to include Miles, especially Birth of the Cool, then it is silly to leave out John Lewis or Mulligan, who were there from the start.
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue 2. Bird and Diz: Last recording on verve 3. Duke Ellington — Hot Summer Dance 4.
Dave Brubeck: Take Five 5. Billie Holiday : Stange Fruit. Thank you for this list. My jazz collection of records went from ten to one hundred. Of course it is just silly: nothing by David Murray! On the other hand, if it promotes interest in the music, all well and good.
There are one or two other superb Monk albums not listed here. Duke Ellington has been mentioned in many comments, and I agree. I think Blue Trane is overrated and I find much of Weather Report difficult to swallow particularly in terms of the smooth production. Art Tatum should be there, more Rollins too…. So many……. Maybe I missed it but at least one of them should be on here?
This is a great list. The important thing to remember is that it is just a opinion, and not a shot at your favorite record. I bet the author even had second thought after publishing the list. Lots of great stuff mentioned, both on and off the list. Nice try, but no cigar. Great list. Thank you. I even named one of my rescue dogs after him. Best dog ever.
Yet Bitches Brew is the worst album that Miles ever put out. Self indulgent BS. And I love Miles. I would rather see one of Trains blues records on the list. One woman on the list. My dad grew up in the South, used to sneak into all-black venues to hear the early jazz artists. He would shake his head at your list. They were also released in and are in the Top 5 according to this list. As mentioned, Joe Henderson is missing as a leader. Are there no new Records?
Concert by the Sea is not Garners best. And Hutcherson is great with barron In The Vanguard. No Phineas Newborn here. I would not include reissue compliations in the list. I would stick with original issues.
And as Waltz for Debbie is an original issue taken from the Sunday at Village Vanguard sessions why list both? Thanks for this list and all the others. Suggestion: Compile a list of the greatest jazz albums of all times by relatively unknown artists. I am a senior, and compile bibliography as a avocation. And so it is with jazz.
Have been a jazz buff all of my life. Many great players do not chose a public life on the road. Such a list would take years to compile, and would take the combined efforts of many jazz buffs, but could be extraordinary, and a great gift to prosperity.
What a nice post….. While I am familiar with many on this list, I cannot honestly say I have listened to them all nor can I respond to many of the comments above this. I would suggest two other albums for consideration. I can honestly say that was the single most talented band I have ever seen put together.
Having seen them live in Rotterdam and then purchasing the recording, it is in my personal top A entire band of great band leaders! Second is Offbeat of the Avenues by Manhatten Transfer. There are a few incredible cuts on that album that still blow me away after all this time.
I consider that album full blown jazz as opposed to a popular label. Several of the arrangements are truly magnificent. Indeed a terrific bunch of music, perhaps academic. So the Hot Fives and Sevens, which were never thought of as a unit, should be disqualified.
Insatiable ME. I am a Miles man, but with miles to spare……. Too silly for words. Define what you mean by a jazz album. Support The Music. Gosh, to even attempt a list like this. I love seeing this type of stuff because it invariably requires a lot of effort by the author, it will literally completely please no one, yet it always calls out one or two albums that probably deserve more attention. Sometimes just throwing a list out there to get the discussion going is just as helpful as actually making the list.
No Freddie Hubbard on this list? You clearly state in your 1st paragraph you will attempt to create a list. Thank you for a great source for me that continues the conversation. But i Miss Nefertiti, i think is the best of his quintet albums whatever quintet he played in. And of course newer stuff. But 50 records are only 50 records. What a great comments section. I will be able to spend the rest of the year listening to some of your recommendations.
There was a fellow called Jelly Roll Morton that made some pretty significant recordings. And of course Bechet. And it shows: there are 3 Coltrane albums on a 50 record list…. In my opinion the one above is pretty narrow-minded, sticking just to 50sss stuff.
Make your own list and publish it here. These lists are always subjective and reflect the personal taste of compiler. On that note, if I had compiled this list, it would include some Gerry Mulligan.
No Grover Washington Jr? Especially Inner City Blues? I am disappointed with the list overall…:. There are sooooo many great jazz albums I can think of, and some are on this list. But the 1 jazz album that stands heads above the rest in my opinion is not even listed here….
Are Roy Elridge an Dizzy G. And Sinatra — listen to him as if he were a sax! Billie H. Bessi S. Sara V. Where is Billie? What about pre jazz? Is Armstrong really the only early recording that makes the list?
Time to broaden your listening horizons folks. Nat King Cole only played swing? Too many free jazz and avantgarde to my taste. Missing Tete Montoliu as a one of the top pianists. What about John Klemmer? The ignorance expressed on this list is representative of our time. What a ton of wasted effort on this inadequate list. The exact order is not so important. But what gets me about top jazz lists is that almost always the majority of the albums are more than 50 years old.
Nevertheless, there are a whole lot of great jazz albums recorded in the past 50 years. I own 4, of them! A few of the greats include:. Soft Machine — Fourth. Tanjah and Spirit of our Ancestors — Randy Weston. Afro-Eurasian Eclipse — Duke Ellington. Timeless — John Abercrombie. New Directions — Jack DeJohnette.
Lenox Avenue Breakdown — Arthur Blythe. Offramp — Pat Metheny. African Exchange Student — Kenny Garrett. Night Bird Song — Thomas Chapin. Blue Sun — Mark Isham. Dark Starr — David Murray. Angel Song — Kenny Wheeler. Joey Barron — Down Home. Marc Cary — Listen. The Art of Rhythm — Tom Harrell.
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