# Jazz albums: what are your ten favories? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887 "2014-10-20T02:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/1 "2014-10-20T02:26:50Z")
For me, in no particular order: The Dave Brubeck Quartet - _Time Out_ Vince Guaraldi Trio - _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ Weather Report - _Heavy Weather_ Fred Hersch Ensemble - _Leaves of Grass_ Esperanza Spalding - _Radio Music Society_ The Manhattan Transfer - _Vocalise_ Al Jarreau - _This Time_ Pat Metheny Group - _First Circle_ John Clark - _Song of Light_ The Sngers Unlimited - _A Capella_ ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/2 "2014-10-20T05:19:15Z")
Does Claude Bolling count? His Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano is wonderful, and his Picnic Suite for Flute, Classical Guitar, and Jazz Piano is delightful. I’ve heard people declare that these are “classical” albums, not “jazz” albums. Anyway, I love 'em! ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/3 "2014-10-20T05:36:30Z")
1. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue 2. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme 3. Louis Armstrong - Complete Hot Five & Hot Seven Recordings 4. Ornette Coleman - The Shape Of Jazz To Come 5. Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out 6. Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker On Dial 7. Thelonious Monk - Misterioso 8. Horace Silver Quintet - Song for My Father 9. Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity 10. Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Clifford Brown & Max Roach ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/4 "2014-10-20T07:58:47Z")
**Django Reinhardt** : _Accords Parfaits_ **Miles Davis** : \*Kind of Blue \* **Miles Davis** : _E.S.P._ **Cannonball Adderley** : _Somethin’ Else_ **Sonny Rollins** : _Volume 2_ **Stan Getz** : _Getz/Gilberto_ **Bill Evans** : _At the Village Vanguard_ **Jim Hall, Bill Evans** : _Intermodulation_ **Thelonious Monk** : _The Blue Note Years_ **Pat Metheny** : _Bright Size Life_ ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/5 "2014-10-20T09:22:47Z")
Miles Davis, **Kind of Blue** Dave Brubeck, **Time Out** Ben Webser, **Ballads** Norah Jones, **Come Away With Me** Lyle Lovett, **Lyle Lovett and His Large Band** Ella Fitzgerald, **The Very Best of Ella** Various Artists, **Manhattan Soundtrack** Various Artists, **Mo’ Better Blues Soundtrack** Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, **The Master Tapes** Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/6 "2014-10-20T09:35:51Z")
1. John Coltrane, Impressions 2. Clark Terry, Color Changes 3. Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil 4. Miles Davis, Kind of Blue 5. Charlie Parker, A Night in Tunisia 6. Keith Jarrett, Nude Ants 7. Kenny Barron, Wanton Spirit 8. Oscar Peterson and Milt Jackson, Very Tall 9. Sonny Rollins, Freedom Suite 10. Diana Krall, From This Moment On Honorable Mention: Troy Andrews Quintet featuring Trombone Shorty, The End of the Beginning ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/7 "2014-10-20T09:57:27Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Does Claude Bolling count? His Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano is wonderful, and his Picnic Suite for Flute, Classical Guitar, and Jazz Piano is delightful. > > I’ve heard people declare that these are “classical” albums, not “jazz” albums. Anyway, I love 'em! I don’t see why not. Jazz is pretty broad IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/8 "2014-10-20T11:37:53Z")
- Mile Davis - Kind of Blue - Thelonious Monk - Composer - Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives and Sevens - Grant Green - Matador; Sunday Morning - Dave Brubeck - Take Five - Bill Evans - Live at the Village Vanguard - Ben Webster - King of the Tenors - Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue - Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond But so many others… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/9 "2014-10-20T15:43:30Z")
1. **Giant Steps** , Coltrane; if for nothing else than “Naima”, one of the most beautiful tunes ever written 2. **Live at Carnegie Hall** , Dave Brubeck Quartet; an astoundingly perfect concert, with the best jazz drum solo in history by Joe Morello 3. **Time Out** , Brubeck Quartet; it introduced accessible jazz to an entire generation 4. **Kinda Blue** : Miles Davis 5. **Getz/Gilberto** , Stan Getz; introduced bossa nova to the world, and featured the gorgeous voices and guitar work of Joao and Astrud Gilberto 6. **King of the Tenors** , Ben Webster; but really, pretty much any of his albums 7. **Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section** , Art Pepper 8. **Blues in Time** , Mulligan/Desmond 9. **A Love Supreme** , Coltrane; revolutionary jazz 10. **Jazz at Massey Hall** , The Quintet: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach; 'nuff said. **Wordman** : a nitpick, Take Five was on the album Time Out, but you knew that, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/10 "2014-10-20T16:45:11Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > …Take Five was on the album Time Out, but you knew that, I’m sure. I think most lists by most jazz aficionados would be “My top nine along with _Time Out_.” Most even know why it’s titled that, with no cut of that name. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/11 "2014-10-20T16:51:41Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > 1. **Giant Steps** , Coltrane; if for nothing else than “Naima”, one of the most beautiful tunes ever written > 2. **Live at Carnegie Hall** , Dave Brubeck Quartet; an astoundingly perfect concert, with the best jazz drum solo in history by Joe Morello > 3. **Time Out** , Brubeck Quartet; it introduced accessible jazz to an entire generation > 4. **Kinda Blue** : Miles Davis > 5. **Getz/Gilberto** , Stan Getz; introduced bossa nova to the world, and featured the gorgeous voices and guitar work of Joao and Astrud Gilberto > 6. **King of the Tenors** , Ben Webster; but really, pretty much any of his albums > 7. **Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section** , Art Pepper > 8. **Blues in Time** , Mulligan/Desmond > 9. **A Love Supreme** , Coltrane; revolutionary jazz > 10. **Jazz at Massey Hall** , The Quintet: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach; 'nuff said. > > **Wordman** : a nitpick, Take Five was on the album Time Out, but you knew that, I’m sure. :smack: Of course. And I like your choices, sir. ---
**Author:** ![Mllz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Mllz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mllz)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/12 "2014-10-20T18:44:56Z")
No particular order… and probably rather different from what I’d come up with a few weeks from now when I finally get through re-ripping my CD collection at a higher bitrate. [ul] [li]Ornette Coleman - _Shape of Jazz to Come_[/li][li]Roland Kirk - _Rip, Rig and Panic_[/li][li]Miles Davis - _Kind of Blue_[/li][li]John Coltrane - _The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings_ [/li][li]Thelonious Monk - _Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane_[/li][li]Charles Mingus - _Mingus Dynasty_[/li][li]Miles Davis - _Miles Smiles_[/li][li]Masada - _Live at Tonic 2001_[/li][li]Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - _Getz/Gilberto_[/li][li]William Parker and the Little Huey Orchestra - _Sunrise in the Tone World_[/li][/ul] Coltrane’s _Giant Steps_ and _My Favorite Things_ barely miss the cut, as does Roland Kirk’s _Inflated Tear/Please Don’t You Cry Beautiful Edith_. _Mingus Ah Um_. And c’mon Mllz! There’s no Art Blakey/Jazz Messengers on there. Or Wes Montgomery. And all slots are somehow _not_ occupied by Miles Davis albums or Thelonious Monk albums. This list is flawed, damnit! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/13 "2014-10-20T20:11:13Z")
> [@Mllz](#): > > No particular order… and probably rather different from what I’d come up with a few weeks from now when I finally get through re-ripping my CD collection at a higher bitrate. > > [ul] > [li]Ornette Coleman - _Shape of Jazz to Come_[/li][li]Roland Kirk - _Rip, Rig and Panic_[/li][li]Miles Davis - _Kind of Blue_[/li][li]John Coltrane - _The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings_ [/li][li]Thelonious Monk - _Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane_[/li][li]Charles Mingus - _Mingus Dynasty_[/li][li]Miles Davis - _Miles Smiles_[/li][li]Masada - _Live at Tonic 2001_[/li][li]Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - _Getz/Gilberto_[/li][li]William Parker and the Little Huey Orchestra - _Sunrise in the Tone World_[/li][/ul] > > Coltrane’s _Giant Steps_ and _My Favorite Things_ barely miss the cut, as does Roland Kirk’s _Inflated Tear/Please Don’t You Cry Beautiful Edith_. _Mingus Ah Um_. And c’mon Mllz! There’s no Art Blakey/Jazz Messengers on there. Or Wes Montgomery. And all slots are somehow _not_ occupied by Miles Davis albums or Thelonious Monk albums. This list is flawed, damnit! I agree on Art Blakey, not so much on Wes Montgomery, talented as he was. Ten picks isn’t nearly enough, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Mllz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Mllz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mllz)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/14 "2014-10-20T21:31:24Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I agree on Art Blakey, not so much on Wes Montgomery, talented as he was. Ten picks isn’t nearly enough, of course. I’m a guitarist myself\*and that gives me a special place for Wes–who was one of the few Jazz guitar players, in a group with Django Reinhardt, Joao Gilberto and maybe Marc Ribot, whose playing really spoke to me at a deep musical level. I’ve always felt that the guitar–while tremendous in its versatility, and possibly my favorite instrument for that!–runs into some serious limitations in specific aspects of Jazz performance (especially bop, hard bop and early avant garde). \*admittedly, my own Jazz playing is rather sub par, regardless of instrument! So take this with an appropriate grain of salt… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/15 "2014-10-20T21:53:13Z")
In no particular order:[ul]Allan Holdsworth - Road Games[/ul] [ul]Eric Dolphy - Out To Lunch[/ul] [ul]Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters[/ul] [ul]HEX - HEX[/ul] [ul]John Coltrane - Blue Train[/ul] [ul]Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Postizos - The Prosthetic Cubans[/ul] [ul]Universal Congress Of - Prosperous & Qualified[/ul] [ul]Sun Ra - When Sun Comes Out[/ul] [ul]Bola Sete - Shambhala Moon (this was originally released as _Jungle Suite_; I still have to look up the songs to see what the new album name is)[/ul] [ul]Sonny Sharrock - Ask The Ages[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/16 "2014-10-20T21:57:02Z")
> [@Mllz](#): > > I’ve always felt that the guitar–while tremendous in its versatility, and possibly my favorite instrument for that!–runs into some serious limitations in specific aspects of Jazz performance (especially bop, hard bop and early avant garde). My feelings, pretty much. It starts to sound the same after awhile, which is why somebody like Mimi Fox causes my ears to perk up. She’s not your typical jazz guitarist. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/17 "2014-10-20T22:05:41Z")
I agree with both of you. That is one reason I have come to love Grant Green - I love his tone and phrasing on guitar more than anyone else. He is one of the few guitar players I pick consistently to listen to alongside my favorite horn players… ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/18 "2014-10-21T20:53:12Z")
More than you asked for, but here are selections from my Top Ten albums: The Art Blakey Percussion Ensemble - Oscalypso https://www.youtube.com/embed/cvXrqHTtVfo?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=FLr5Z9EbNm-xwrQfLOvIzt1A TINA BROOKS, Miss Hazel https://www.youtube.com/embed/AHEzyqhDASw?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=FLr5Z9EbNm-xwrQfLOvIzt1A Miles Davis - Solea https://www.youtube.com/embed/la7oJj2QwaA?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=FLr5Z9EbNm-xwrQfLOvIzt1A Shelly Manne - Checkmate https://www.youtube.com/embed/FU1hm7KlfT8?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=FLr5Z9EbNm-xwrQfLOvIzt1A Ahmad Jamal - Poinciana https://www.youtube.com/embed/AdsKNqeJ3eQ?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=FLr5Z9EbNm-xwrQfLOvIzt1A Chega de Saudade Dizzy Gillespie https://www.youtube.com/embed/30FTr6G53VU?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=FLr5Z9EbNm-xwrQfLOvIzt1A Giant Steps https://www.youtube.com/embed/P2xLyxPuRgY?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=FLr5Z9EbNm-xwrQfLOvIzt1A Stan Getz/Eddie Sauter- “Her” from “Focus” https://www.youtube.com/embed/_SXb7ckjcZU?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=FLr5Z9EbNm-xwrQfLOvIzt1A Booker Ervin, Charles Mingus - No Private Income Blues Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue [Full Album] (1959) ==================================== The albums may not be mentioned on every clip, so of you need more details on the album(s) just say so. Otherwise, listen and share the joy. Many of my Top X-Number have already been mentioned so I tried to avoid dupes, except for Miles! _Kind of Blue_ is definitely #1! ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/19 "2014-10-23T18:29:52Z")
I’m surprised it took 18 posts for Ahmad Jamal to show up. I don’t have a big enough jazz collection (yet) to play, but _Legendary Okeh & Epic Sessions_ is definitely in my top 10. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887/20 "2014-10-23T20:15:32Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I’m surprised it took 18 posts for Ahmad Jamal to show up. I don’t have a big enough jazz collection (yet) to play, but _Legendary Okeh & Epic Sessions_ is definitely in my top 10. 🆒 I love Ahmad Jamal - I got to see him a few years ago. Wonderful. But I think he is maybe 2 to 3 tiers deep into jazz piano know-how. Wish it weren’t true. Same with Grant Green off my list - these days he’s pretty obscure, but enjoying a bit of a comeback in guitar circles. To me, he is the best combo of ability, phrasing, tone and songs of jazz guitars. He’s no Joe Pass or Wes Montgomery, but he’s who I wish I could play like the most. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-albums-what-are-your-ten-favories/701887.md?page=2)