RAG MusicJazz
Lovely jazz

[Start Here] Jazz Masterpieces: A Must-Listen Album Selection

What kind of impression do you have of the musical genre known as jazz?

You might think of it as somewhat stylish, or perhaps a bit intimidating and highbrow.

The history of jazz, which includes many subgenres, can’t be summed up easily—and of course, it’s not just music from a bygone era.

This time, for those who are interested but don’t know where to start, we’ve picked out a selection of classic, standard albums that have gone down in jazz history—perfect as your first listen.

Be sure to check them out!

[Start with this one] Jazz masterpieces: A must-hear album selection (81–90)

Getz/Gilberto

The Girl From IpanemaAstrud Gilberto & Stan Getz

In 1961, jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd, who had toured Brazil, introduced tenor saxophonist Stan Getz to Brazilian bossa nova, leading to the release of the smash hit Jazz Samba in 1962.

What is now a familiar meeting of jazz and bossa nova took shape through this very sequence of events.

The album we’re highlighting today, Getz/Gilberto, is renowned—alongside the aforementioned Jazz Samba—as an epoch-making work that fused jazz and bossa nova.

Credited jointly to Getz and bossa nova singer-guitarist João Gilberto, it was released in 1963, became a major hit reaching No.

2 on the Billboard chart, and won a Grammy Award.

Though it drew mixed reactions in some quarters, it undeniably helped bring widespread recognition of bossa nova to the United States.

From the moment the opening track—The Girl from Ipanema, the extraordinarily famous classic sung by Astrud Gilberto, João’s wife at the time whose career breakthrough it became—begins, you feel as if you’re tasting the atmosphere of South America you couldn’t possibly know firsthand.

It’s a highly recommended album for newcomers to both jazz and bossa nova.

KOH-1
Report a problem
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane

In a Sentimental MoodDuke Ellington & John Coltrane

The more you learn about jazz history and its musicians, the more you’re amazed at how often truly legendary pairings have produced lavish collaborations.

The album introduced here, Duke Ellington & John Coltrane, is exactly one of those works.

Duke Ellington, born in 1899, was the jazz pianist who ignited the swing era.

John Coltrane, the saxophonist who, in his short 40-year life, raced through jazz’s transformative phases—from hard bop to modal jazz and on to free jazz.

This 1962 recording by these generational giants is said to have been done all in single takes at Duke’s request.

Led by the Ellington-composed standard In A Sentimental Mood, the track list centers on Duke’s classic repertoire, yet both artists honor each other’s individuality to craft a refined, mature jazz statement.

If you’re interested in either of them, this is a beautiful album you absolutely should hear.

And the cover art is fantastic, too!

KOH-1
Report a problem

Relaxin’ at CamarilloCharlie Parker

A piece Charlie Parker wrote about the period he spent at Camarillo State Hospital in Ventura County, California.

He had damaged his mental and physical health through drugs and alcohol and was repeatedly hospitalized in psychiatric institutions.

The track was recorded in 1947 after his discharge, when he returned to Los Angeles.

Report a problem
Return to Forever

Return to ForeverChick Corea

On February 9, 2021, a great jazz pianist set off for heaven.

Born in 1941 in Massachusetts, USA, Chick Corea was an artist who vastly expanded the possibilities of jazz with his overwhelming skill and flexible approach.

Familiar with the piano from a young age, he entered the prestigious Juilliard School, but soon left his studies to pursue a professional career, performing with many renowned artists.

After joining Miles Davis’s group, he showcased his unique talent by releasing numerous ambitious works using the electric piano, the Fender Rhodes.

Crossing genre boundaries and remaining at the forefront throughout a career spanning over 50 years, Chick was also a key figure in electric jazz and fusion.

In that context, one album that must be mentioned is the classic Return to Forever, released under his solo name in 1972, which became an exceptional hit.

This work, which later inspired the formation of the band of the same name, is a gem that elevates the meticulously crafted band ensemble—created by players with outstanding technique—into melodious, accessible songs.

Its stylish flavor, imbued with the scent of Brazilian music, makes it perfect as café music as well!

KOH-1
Report a problem

In conclusion

Jazz is truly profound and, as mentioned at the outset, it’s a genre with many subgenres.

Once you step into it, there’s no turning back—you’ll sink into it like a bottomless swamp.

This time I focused mainly on classic, time-honored masterpieces that could be called the standards of standards, but if you feel you might come to love jazz, I encourage you to also turn your attention to today’s jazz musicians, who continue to evolve in real time.