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

Take FiveThe Dave Brubeck Quartet

Dave Brubeck, The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Take Five (Audio)

Led by pianist Dave Brubeck, a leading figure of West Coast cool jazz, the quartet’s 1959 release Time Out is a masterpiece that rewrote jazz history through its experimental use of odd time signatures.

Inspired by the rhythms of folk music encountered on tours around the world—including Turkey and India—the album boldly incorporates meters like 5/4 and 9/8, which were unusual in jazz at the time.

Despite the label’s concern that it “wouldn’t sell,” it became the first jazz album to achieve million-seller status.

Paul Desmond’s composition Take Five was also a major hit single, and is known as a miraculous classic that swings comfortably despite its complex meter.

Its intelligent, refined sound—blending the harmonic sensibilities of classical music with the rhythms of world folk traditions—makes it a must-hear, especially for those just getting into jazz.

Waltz for DebbyBill Evans

Bill Evans – Waltz For Debby

Jazz is a highly popular genre in Japan, but Japanese jazz fans have an exceptional passion for piano trio recordings where the piano leads.

Somehow, lyrical piano phrases seem to resonate with the Japanese sensibility.

When asked to recommend jazz albums that feature beautiful piano, the first name that comes to mind is the body of work by Bill Evans, known as the poet of jazz piano.

In the jazz world, which grew out of Black music, Evans was an uncommon figure in the 1960s as a white pianist, and he remains one of the most famous and important jazz pianists.

One of his landmark works, “Waltz for Debby,” is a masterpiece recorded live in 1961—a true monument of the piano trio format.

Its popularity in Japan is especially remarkable; it was a huge hit and has been a long-selling album.

Beyond Evans’s lyrical phrasing and delicate touch, the performance by bassist Scott LaFaro—who possessed genius-level talent but tragically died in a car accident at just 25—is also outstanding.

If you want to understand the fundamentals of the piano trio, this is the album you should listen to—an undisputed classic.

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So WhatMiles Davis

Miles Davis – So What (Official Video)

Nicknamed the “Emperor of Modern Jazz,” Miles Davis was a genius trumpet player who, from the 1940s through the early 1990s, continually explored the possibilities of jazz with an ever-advancing style.

It would be impossible here to fully convey the overwhelming impact and influence he had not only on jazz but on all music.

He created many works indispensable to understanding the history of jazz, including numerous provocative albums that shook that very history.

This time, let’s look at Kind of Blue, a masterpiece among modern jazz masterpieces and one of Davis’s definitive works that is always mentioned.

Employing the modal jazz approach, which is not bound by traditional chord progressions, the album was released in 1959 and, for a jazz record, achieved the extraordinary milestone of 10 million copies sold worldwide.

Featuring artists who left their mark on the jazz world—John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, and others—it feels as if every element converged to create a historically iconic album.

The music born from the free improvisations of these top-tier musicians is endlessly beautiful, brimming with a charm that makes you want to listen forever.

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Pharaoh’s DanceMiles Davis

Pharaoh’s Dance

Miles Davis, known as the “Prince of Darkness” and a trumpeter who continually pushed the boundaries of jazz, released Bitches Brew in 1970—a provocative work that fully embraced electric instruments and rock elements.

It is widely recognized as a historic turning point that solidified the genre of jazz fusion.

The densely layered sound produced by an ensemble of up to twelve musicians unfolds like a swirling vortex, resulting in an experimental work that far exceeds the conventional framework of jazz.

Although it sparked mixed reactions upon release, it won a Grammy Award and became Davis’s first Gold record, achieving commercial success as well.

Experience this groundbreaking album that opened up a new horizon for jazz!

Moanin’Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers – Moanin’

Above all, the sheer coolness of “Moanin’,” the title track of the album I’m introducing here and one of the most popular pieces in the funky jazz genre, is something even jazz beginners can immediately appreciate.

Released in 1958 by the celebrated jazz drummer Art Blakey—famous for the rapid-fire “Niagara roll” technique—leading his own band, the Jazz Messengers, “Moanin’” is a masterpiece that proudly sits within Blue Note Records’ much-loved 4000 Series.

The title track, composed by pianist Bobby Timmons, has even been used in commercials in Japan, so many listeners may already recognize its funky groove and cool, light-touch piano phrases.

The album as a whole is packed with tracks that distill the very essence of swinging, bouncy-beat jazz, and simply listening to it puts you in a suave, uplifting mood.

By the way, Art Blakey was a great Japanophile with many heartwarming stories to his name, so if you’re interested, be sure to look them up!

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You Know, You KnowThe Mahavishnu Orchestra With John McLaughlin

You Know, You Know

Led by guitarist John McLaughlin—who left a revolutionary mark on the history of 1970s jazz fusion—the Mahavishnu Orchestra forged a singular musical vision by blending the spirituality of Indian music with jazz and rock.

Known for his work with Miles Davis as well, McLaughlin crafted a distinctive sound world.

Released in 1971, their debut album The Inner Mounting Flame delivers a shock of condensed virtuosity and explosive energy, driven by Billy Cobham’s polyrhythmic drumming, Jan Hammer’s keyboards, and the unusual addition of electric violin.

From breakneck, odd-meter pieces to moments of meditative stillness, the innovative sound—seamlessly uniting jazz’s improvisational spirit with rock’s power—has transcended genre boundaries and continues to influence countless musicians.

It’s a landmark of jazz fusion that fans of rock and progressive music should experience.

Lonely WomanOrnette Coleman

Lonely Woman (Mono)

Also known in Japan under the title “Jazz: What Is to Come,” The Shape of Jazz to Come is a landmark work often hailed for laying the groundwork of free jazz.

Released in 1959 by saxophonist and free-jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman, the album contains no covers of standards; every track is an original composition by Coleman.

With cornetist Don Cherry, drummer Billy Higgins, and bassist Charlie Haden, the quartet—fronted by two horns—created a sound entirely unlike the piano-centered jazz of the time.

By deliberately departing from fixed chord progressions and conventional song structures, it forged a music in which the uncanny displacements of dissonance coexist with beautiful melodies—a truly high-freedom, avant-garde sound that deserves to be called the origin of free jazz.

That said, to modern ears it isn’t necessarily impenetrable; it can be appreciated as a jazz masterpiece that showcases Coleman’s gifts as a composer.