Jazz has had the broadest perspective of all genre's in music since it's first note to the present day. It is for that reason that this list is presented in the same manner, with respect to all the myriad forms & interpretations of Jazz that exist today.
Criteria: - These Jazz Albums were chosen to showcase the artists musical vision through
their originality, influence, instrumental quality and creative inspiration. This list does not include 'compilations', 'greatest hits', or 'live' albums... or albums by those artists who were primarily jazz vocalists.
Last Updated 7-23-08
Newly added names are in RED
Edited By: Rick Varner
1. Kind Of Blue - Miles Davis 2. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane 3. Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus 4. Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk 5. Time Out - Dave Brubeck 6. The Blues & The Abstract Truth - Oliver Nelson 7. The Incredible Jazz Guitar - Wes Montgomery 8. Song For My Father - Horace Silver 9. Out To Lunch - Eric Dolphy 10. The Shape Of Jazz To Come - Ornette Coleman 11. Virtuoso - Joe Pass 12. Giant Steps - John Coltrane 13. In A Silent Way - Miles Davis 14. Somethin' Else - Cannonball Adderley 15. Idle Moments - Grant Green 16. Bitches Brew - Miles Davis 17. Sax Colossus - Sonny Rollins 18. Speak No Evil - Wayne Shorter 19. Inner Mounting Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra 20. Sidewinder - Lee Morgan 21. Birth Of The Cool - Miles Davis 22. Black Codes (From The Underground) - Wynton Marsalis 23. Conference Of The Birds - Dave Holland 24. Monk's Dream - Thelonius Monk 25. Bright Size Life - Pat Metheny 26. Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock 27. My Favorite Things - John Coltrane 28. Milestones - Miles Davis 29. Percussion Bitter Sweet - Max Roach 30. Return To Forever - Chick Corea 31. Midnight Blue - Kenny Burrell 32. Birds Of Fire - Mahavishnu Orchestra 33. Go - Dexter Gordon 34. Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto 35. And His Mother Called Him Bill - Duke Ellington 36. The Real McCoy - McCoy Tyner 37. Romantic Warrior - Return To Forever 38. Elegant Gypsy - Al DiMeola 39. Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius 40. Moanin - Art Blakey 41. Night Hawk - Coleman Hawkins 42. Django - Modern Jazz Quartet 43. Now He Sings, Now He Sobs - Chick Corea 44. Spectrum - Billy Cobham 45. Supersonic Jazz - Sun Ra 46. Bird & Diz - Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie 47. Blue Train - John Coltrane 48. The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus 49. Mister Magic - Grover Washington Jr. 50. One Of A Kind - Bill Bruford 51. Bumpin' - Wes Montgomery 52. Miles Ahead - Miles Davis 53. Heavy Weather - Weather Report 54. Headhunters - Herbie Hancock 55. Where Have I Known You Before - Return To Forever 56. Empyrean Isles - Herbie Hancock 57. Cool Struttin' - Sonny Clark 58. The Great Summit - Duke Ellington/Louis Armstrong 59. Blues & Roots - Charles Mingus 60. Invitation To Openness - Les McCann 61. Rip, Rig & Panic - Rahsaan Roland Kirk 62. Soul Station - Hank Mobley 63. For Django - Joe Pass 64. Open Sesame - Freddie Hubbard 65. Hand Jive - John Scofield 66. Ezz-thetics - George Russell 67. Point Of Departure - Andrew Hill 68. Living Legend - Art Pepper 69. Byrd In Flight - Donald Byrd 70. Life Time - Tony Williams 71. Solo Flight - Charlie Christian 72. Takin' Off - Herbie Hancock 73. Karma - Pharoah Sanders 74. Back At The Chicken Shack - Jimmy Smith 75. Study In Brown - Clifford Brown & Max Roach 76. Black Unity - Pharoah Sanders 77. Breezin' - George Benson 78. Solo Guitar - Ted Greene 79. Gateway - Dave Holland 80. Electric Guitarist - John McLaughlin 81. Infinity - McCoy Tyner 82. Play - Mike Stern 83. The Far East Suite - Duke Ellington 84. We Free Kings - Rahsaan Roland Kirk 85. Timeless - John Abercrombie 86. Secret Story - Pat Metheny 87. Out Of The Cool - Gil Evans 88. Pure Desmond - Paul Desmond 89. Upfront - David Sanborn 90. Arbour Zena - Keith Jarrett 91. Blues Dream - Bill Frisell 92. Return - Bill Connors 93. Mosaic - Art Blakey 94. Unit Structure - Cecil Taylor 95. Crossing - Oregon 96. Snide Remarks - Bill Stewart 97. Thembi - Pharoah Sanders 98. Plays W. C. Handy - Louis Armstrong 99. Spaces - Larry Coryell 100. Unity - Larry Young 101. Blowin' Session - Johnny Griffin 102. The Elektric Band - Chick Corea 103. 1+1 - Wayne Shorter & Herbie Hancock 104. Hub Tones - Freddie Hubbard 105. Swing, Swang, Swingin' - Jackie McClean 106. This One's For Blanton - Duke Ellington & Ray Brown 107. Our Man In Paris - Dexter Gordon 108. I Can See Your House From Here - Pat Metheny & John Scofield 109. Straight No Chaser - Thelonious Monk 110. Chet - Chet Baker 111. Moonlighting - The Rippingtons 112. Sketches Of Spain - Miles Davis 113. Extrapolation - John McLaughlin 114. Caliente - Gato Barbieri 115. Aurora - Jean-Luc Ponty 116. The Next Step - Kurt Rosenwinkel 117. Ascension - John Coltrane 118. The Akoustic Band - Chick Corea 119. Bass On Top - Paul Chambers 120. Zawinul - Joe Zawinul 121. Jazz In Silhouette - Sun Ra 122. Undercurrents - Bill Evans & Jim Hall 123. Thrust - Herbie Hancock 124. Soapsuds - Ornette Coleman & Charlie Haden 125. School Days - Stanley Clarke 126. Workout - Hank Mobley 127. The Clown - Charles Mingus 128. Matador - Grant Green 129. El Hombre - Pat Martino 130. No Mystery - Return To Forever 131. Quiet - John Scofield 132. As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls - Pat Metheny 133. Out There - Eric Dolphy 134. Cabin Fever - Lenny Breau 135. Room For Squares - Hank Mobley 136. Characters - John Abercrombie 137. Timeagain - David Sanborn 138. You Must Believe In Spring - Bill Evans 139. Quartet - Gerry Mulligan 140. If Summer Had It's Ghosts - Bill Bruford 141. Letter From Home - Pat Metheny 142. Joes Blues - Joe Pass & Herb Ellis 143. Gateway - John Abercrombie & Dave Holland 144. Tenor Madness - Sonny Rollins 145. Trio 99-00 - Pat Metheny 146. Starfish & The Moon - Bill Evans 147. Tales From The Hudson - Michael Brecker 148. Journey To Love - Stanley Clarke 149. Crossings - Tom Saviano 150. The Sixteen Men Of Tain - Allan Holdsworth 151. Oh! - John Scofield 152. Prime Directive - Dave Holland 153. Avenue Blue - Jeff Golub 154. Time Is Of The Essence - Michael Brecker 155. Two Of A Mind - Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond 156. Magic Touch - Stanley Jordon 157. Seven & Seven - George Van Eps & Howard Alden 158. One Step Beyond- Jackie McLean 159. Their Time Was The Greatest - Louis Bellson 160. Whims Of Chambers - Paul Chambers 161. Sketchbook - John Patitucci 162. Stolen Moments - Lee Ritenour 163. Night Dreamer - Wayne Shorter 164. Barefoot Boy - Larry Coryell 165. Offramp -Pat Metheny 166. Hearsay - David Sanborn 167. Tom Cat - Tom Scott 168. Gateway 2 - John Abercrombie & Dave Holland 169. A Go Go - John Scofield 170. Enigmatic Ocean - Jean-Luc Ponty 171. Sonny Side Up - Sonny Rollins 172. Is What It Is - Mike Stern 173. Blowin' The Blues Away - Horace Silver 174. Step It - Bill Connors 175. Eastern Sounds - Yusef Lateef 176. Configuration - Sam Rivers 177. Round Midnight - Kenny Burrell 178. Hawk Flies High - Coleman Hawkins 179. Party Time - Arnett Cobb 180. Soliloquy - George Van Eps 181. Third Floor Richard - Ed Bickert 182. Inner Urge - Joe Henderson & McCoy Tyner 183. Left of Cool - Bela Fleck & The Flecktones 184. Feels Good To Me - Bill Bruford 185. Alone Together - Joseph Patrick Moore 186. King Of The Tenors - Ben Webster 187. Captain Fingers - Lee Ritenour 188. Haunted Heart - Charlie Haden 189. Multikulti - Don Cherry 190. Freedom Book - Booker Ervin 191. Between The Lines - Mike Stern 192. Nocturnal - Charlie Haden 193. A Show Of Hands - Victor Wooten 194. Page One - Joe Henderson 195. Ju Ju - Wayne Shorter 196. Combustication - Medeski, Martin & Wood 197. Blue & Sentimental - Ike Quebec 198. Thonk - Michael Manring 199. Show Me What You Can Do - Frank Gambale 200. Plectrist - Billy Bauer
West End Blues - Louis Armstrong
"Teen Town" Weather Report
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"My Favorite Things" John Coltrane
Disclaimer: There is nothing 'Official' about these lists. They are compiled by the 'editor' using the
stated criteria, and revised considering the competent suggestions of visitors to this website only.
