[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!
- The Royal Road of Jazz: Classic modern jazz masterpieces. Popular tracks you should listen to at least once.
- Hall of Jazz: Classic Blue Note Records. Recommended jazz albums.
- [For Beginners] Classic Modern Jazz Albums: Recommended Records to Start With
- [Jazz Intro] Classic Jazz Tracks Recommended for First-Time Listeners
- [Western Music] Classic jazz guitar albums: recommended records you should listen to at least once
- A roundup of classic Western jazz-funk albums—from staples to the latest releases
- [BGM] Delicious Jazz Classics You’d Want to Hear in a Restaurant [2026]
- A roundup of famous jazz standards featured in the hugely popular jazz manga BLUE GIANT
- [2026] Jazz piano masterpieces: from standards to recent favorites
- Introduction! A collection of recommended masterpieces and standard numbers for jazz beginners
- Classic swing jazz tunes. Recommended popular songs.
- Jazz Piano Masterpieces: From Classic Essentials to Contemporary Favorites
- Classic Dixieland jazz tunes. Recommended popular songs.
[Start with this one] Jazz masterpieces: A must-listen album selection (41–50)
What’s NewHelen Merrill
Helen Merrill is a jazz singer who has been active from the 1950s to the present day.
Known for her cool, sophisticated vocal style, she is beloved by many jazz fans.
Released in 1954, “With Clifford Brown” is celebrated as a masterpiece from the early part of her career.
This album, which brought her together with Clifford Brown, is highly regarded as a work that symbolizes the golden age of jazz.
Centered on jazz standards, it showcases the exquisite harmony between Merrill’s lustrous vocals and Brown’s virtuosic trumpet.
It’s a highly recommended album for everyone from jazz beginners to seasoned listeners.
You’d Be So Nice to Come Home toArt Pepper
Alongside Chet Baker, alto saxophonist Art Pepper became an idol of West Coast jazz.
Possessing the intellectual elegance of the West Coast while mastering the evolved improvisational solo techniques of East Coast jazz, Pepper rose to stardom on the West Coast.
Lush LifeBilly Strayhorn
A jazz standard originally called “Life is Lonely.” Billy Strayhorn was 16 when he worked on this piece.
Having been drilled in books and sheet music by his mother from an early age, Strayhorn was not a typical teenager; there’s an anecdote that his classmates nicknamed him “Dictionary.”
Night And DayCole Porter
Cole Porter also lived through the Jazz Age and left behind numerous standard numbers.
He created so many masterpieces of vocal music that many of jazz’s greatest singers have recorded albums devoted to his works.
“Night and Day” is a song that depicts his own forbidden love.
At LastEtta James
A song written by the songwriting team of Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the 1941 film Sun Valley Serenade.
It was rearranged the following year and used in the film Orchestra Wives.
The version by Etta James, an elegant ballad singer, was recorded in 1961.
StardustHoagy Carmichael
Jazz’s first golden age fell between the two World Wars, coinciding with a period when the United States prospered without suffering the ravages of war.
This era is even sometimes called the Jazz Age, and one of the era’s most popular composers was Hoagy Carmichael.
Stardust has since become a major jazz standard.
Left AloneMal Waldron
Known as a classic of jazz, this album is Mal Waldron’s tribute to Billie Holiday.
Recorded in New York on February 24, 1959, the title track stands out for Waldron’s delicate piano touch and Jackie McLean’s wistful alto saxophone.
Steeped in memories of Holiday, the piece sinks deeply into the listener’s heart.
Widely cherished in the jazz world and covered by many artists, it can rightly be called a landmark in jazz history.
It’s perfect for those seeking a subdued, intimate album to enjoy alone on a quiet night.