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[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!

Playlist

[Start Here] Jazz Masterpieces: A Must-Listen Album Selection
show_chartTitlePlaylistReview
1eastTake FiveThe Dave Brubeck Quartet
Take FiveThe Dave Brubeck Quartetplay_arrow
A pianist who epitomizes West Coast cool jazz…
2eastWaltz for DebbyBill Evans
Waltz for DebbyBill Evansplay_arrow
Jazz is also a very popular genre of music in Japan...
3eastSo WhatMiles Davis
So WhatMiles Davisplay_arrow
Called the “Emperor of Modern Jazz,” 194...
4eastPharaoh’s DanceMiles Davis
Pharaoh's DanceMiles Davisplay_arrow
Called the “Emperor of Modern Jazz,” jazz…
5eastMoanin’Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Moanin'Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengersplay_arrow
Above all, the cover of the album I’m introducing this time…
6eastYou Know, You KnowThe Mahavishnu Orchestra With John McLaughlin
You Know, You KnowThe Mahavishnu Orchestra With John McLaughlinplay_arrow
…to the history of jazz fusion in the 1970s
7eastLonely WomanOrnette Coleman
Lonely WomanOrnette Colemanplay_arrow
Also known by its Japanese title “Jazz: The Inevitable.”
8eastKöln, January 24, 1975, Part IKeith Jarrett
Köln, January 24, 1975, Part IKeith Jarrettplay_arrow
Mr. Keith Jarrett’s “The Köln…”
9eastSt. ThomasSonny Rollins
St. ThomasSonny Rollinsplay_arrow
“Saxophone Colossus” is a jazz...
10eastCool Struttin’Sonny Clark
Cool Struttin'Sonny Clarkplay_arrow
A masterpiece that shines in the history of jazz, Sonny Clark…
11eastFull HouseWes Montgomery
Full HouseWes Montgomeryplay_arrow
A legendary jazz guitarist and player...
12eastI’m a Fool to Want YouBillie Holiday
I'm a Fool to Want YouBillie Holidayplay_arrow
Legendary in the history of jazz vocals…
13eastAutumn LeavesCannonball Adderley
Autumn LeavesCannonball Adderleyplay_arrow
“Cannonball,” which is said to come from “big eater,” and…
14eastGhosts: First VariationAlbert Ayler
Ghosts: First VariationAlbert Aylerplay_arrow
"Spiritual Unity" is…
15eastTrack A- Solo DancerCharles Mingus
Track A- Solo DancerCharles Mingusplay_arrow
Not only as a bassist, but ahead of his time…
16eastLullaby of BirdlandSarah Vaughan
Lullaby of BirdlandSarah Vaughanplay_arrow
Known by the epithet “The Divine One”…
17eastAcknowledgementJohn Coltrane
AcknowledgementJohn Coltraneplay_arrow
Even just the Japanese title “The Supreme Love” has a sacred resonance…
18eastMaiden VoyageHerbie Hancock
Maiden VoyageHerbie Hancockplay_arrow
He began working professionally in 1960 at the young age of 20...
19eastSpeak No EvilWayne Shorter
Speak No EvilWayne Shorterplay_arrow
In Japan, it’s well known as the Three Wise Monkeys: “see no evil, speak no evil….”
20eastJust FriendsCharlie Parker
Just FriendsCharlie Parkerplay_arrow
Cha…, also known by the nickname “Bird,”
21eastRememberHank Mobley
RememberHank Mobleyplay_arrow
Born in 1930, a leading figure of hard bop…
22eastThe SidewinderLee Morgan
The SidewinderLee Morganplay_arrow
Hailed as a prodigy in Philadelphia, at the age of 18...
23eastSong For My FatherHorace Silver
Song For My FatherHorace Silverplay_arrow
Known as one of the founders of hard bop…
24eastHat And BeardEric Dolphy
Hat And BeardEric Dolphyplay_arrow
Alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and fl…
25eastRefugeAndrew Hill
RefugeAndrew Hillplay_arrow
With a complex, labyrinthine song structure and exceptional improvisation...
26eastStepsCecil Taylor
StepsCecil Taylorplay_arrow
A…one of the most important works of 1960s free jazz…
27eastSeven Come ElevenCharlie Christian
Seven Come ElevenCharlie Christianplay_arrow
Pushing the electric guitar into the realm of a solo instrument…
28eastImaginationArt Pepper
ImaginationArt Pepperplay_arrow
A leading figure of West Coast jazz, Art…
29eastRiseHerb Alpert
RiseHerb Alpertplay_arrow
Rand, the nephew of Herb Alpert…
30eastWork SongCannonball Adderley
Work SongCannonball Adderleyplay_arrow
Meticulous ensemble and sophisticated…
31eastCleopatra’s DreamBud Powell
Cleopatra's DreamBud Powellplay_arrow
Old-time jazz musicians had exceptional talent...
32eastChameleonHerbie Hancock
ChameleonHerbie Hancockplay_arrow
A funk-jazz track by a four-piece led by Herbie Hancock.
33eastA Night In TunisiaArt Blakey
A Night In TunisiaArt Blakeyplay_arrow
Art Blakey served as the leader...
34eastIn the MoodGlenn Miller
In the MoodGlenn Millerplay_arrow
Recorded in 1939, and in 1940...
35eastBetter Git It in Your SoulCharles Mingus
Better Git It in Your SoulCharles Mingusplay_arrow
Bassist and composer Charles, who was active as both a performer and a composer, ...
36eastSomeday My Prince Will ComeBill Evans
Someday My Prince Will ComeBill Evansplay_arrow
A master of classical piano, and also Bud …
37eastTake the A TrainDuke Ellington & John Coltrane
Take the A TrainDuke Ellington & John Coltraneplay_arrow
Written by Billy Strayhorn…
38eastMoonlight SerenadeGlenn Miller & His Orchestra
Moonlight SerenadeGlenn Miller & His Orchestraplay_arrow
With the powerful presence of a large-ensemble big band jazz...
39eastSing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)Benny Goodman
Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)Benny Goodmanplay_arrow
Also known as so-called prewar jazz, in 1930…
40eastGiant StepsJohn Coltrane
Giant StepsJohn Coltraneplay_arrow
An American who rewrote the history of modern jazz...
41eastMy Favorite ThingsJohn Coltrane
My Favorite ThingsJohn Coltraneplay_arrow
To the saxophone player, Mr. John Coltrane...
42eastOld Devil MoonAnita O’Day
Old Devil MoonAnita O'Dayplay_arrow
A white female jazz bo—more than Helen Merrill...
43eastWhat’s NewHelen Merrill
What's NewHelen Merrillplay_arrow
Ms. Helen Merrill has been active since the 1950s...
44eastYou’d Be So Nice to Come Home toArt Pepper
You'd Be So Nice to Come Home toArt Pepperplay_arrow
Together with Chet Baker, on the West Coast…
45eastLush LifeBilly Strayhorn
Lush LifeBilly Strayhornplay_arrow
Originally, “Life is Lonely”…
46eastNight And DayCole Porter
Night And DayCole Porterplay_arrow
Cole Porter also lived through the Jazz Age...
47eastAt LastEtta James
At LastEtta Jamesplay_arrow
Mack Gordon and Harry Wa…
48eastStardustHoagy Carmichael
StardustHoagy Carmichaelplay_arrow
The first golden age of jazz was between the two world wars, a...
49eastLeft AloneMal Waldron
Left AloneMal Waldronplay_arrow
Known as a classic jazz album, this work is Mal...
50eastFeverPeggy Lee
FeverPeggy Leeplay_arrow
Originally, Little Willie Jo…
51eastWhat a wonderful worldLouis Armstrong
What a wonderful worldLouis Armstrongplay_arrow
Bob Thiele and George We...
52eastI’ve got you under my skinFrank Sinatra
I’ve got you under my skinFrank Sinatraplay_arrow
Written by Cole Porter in 1936...
53eastLotus BlossomKenny Dorham
Lotus BlossomKenny Dorhamplay_arrow
An album called 'Quiet Kenny'...
54eastStormy WeatherLena Horne
Stormy WeatherLena Horneplay_arrow
At the Cotton Club in Harlem, “St…
55eastRoute 66Nat King Cole
Route 66Nat King Coleplay_arrow
Originally, he married the actress Julie London...
56eastGeorgia On My MindRay Charles
Georgia On My MindRay Charlesplay_arrow
Composed by Hoagy Carmichael in 1930…
57eastGiant Steps LiveJohn Coltrane
Giant Steps LiveJohn Coltrane
Saxophonist John Coltrane is, in bebop…
58eastDonna LeeCharlie Parker
Donna LeeCharlie Parkerplay_arrow
Jazz, which was a form of popular music performed by professionals, …
59eastEpistrophyEric Dolphy
EpistrophyEric Dolphyplay_arrow
Even jazz, which originally was a form of entertainment, has also…
60eastBirdlandWeather Report
BirdlandWeather Reportplay_arrow
Even within the genre of jazz, there are various kinds of music…
61eastI’ve Got RhythmGeorge Gershwin
I've Got RhythmGeorge Gershwinplay_arrow
George Gershwin also contributed a great deal to jazz...
62eastCherokeeClifford Brown and Max Roach
CherokeeClifford Brown and Max Roachplay_arrow
His talent has been recognized by many top-tier musicians...
63eastStrange FruitBillie Holiday
Strange FruitBillie Holidayplay_arrow
On August 7, 1930, in Marion, Indiana...
64eastLullaby Of BirdlandBud Powell
Lullaby Of BirdlandBud Powellplay_arrow
Jazz after Charlie Parker is modern...
65eastLilac WineEartha Kitt
Lilac WineEartha Kittplay_arrow
James Alan Sheltonによ…
66eastLullaby of BirdlandElla Fitzgerald
Lullaby of BirdlandElla Fitzgeraldplay_arrow
In 1952, Anglo American's Ja...
67eastOne for My BabyFred Astaire
One for My BabyFred Astaireplay_arrow
The 1943 film “The Sky’s t…”
68eastReal Ugly WomanJimmy Witherspoon
Real Ugly WomanJimmy Witherspoonplay_arrow
Jerry Leiber and Mike St…
69eastBakaiJohn Coltrane
BakaiJohn Coltraneplay_arrow
Released under John Coltrane’s own name...
70eastThe Days of Wine and RosesOscar Peterson Trio
The Days of Wine and RosesOscar Peterson Trioplay_arrow
Among the many jazz pianists, one of the foremost…
71eastMistySarah Vaughan
MistySarah Vaughanplay_arrow
A female jazz vocalist alone is a kind of...
72eastMinnie the MoocherCab Calloway
Minnie the MoocherCab Callowayplay_arrow
Band leader and jazz composer…
73eastPithecanthropus erectusCharles Mingus
Pithecanthropus erectusCharles Mingusplay_arrow
A jazz combo with beautifully rendered ensemble work
74eastMy Funny ValentineChet Baker
My Funny ValentineChet Bakerplay_arrow
Composer Richard Rodgers and…
75eastBlue SandsChico Hamilton
Blue SandsChico Hamiltonplay_arrow
Likewise, an excellent ensemble of West Coast jazz...
76eastWhat Difference A Day MakesDinah Washington
What Difference A Day MakesDinah Washingtonplay_arrow
The first to succeed as a Mexican songwriter...
77eastJust The Two Of UsGrover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers
Just The Two Of UsGrover Washington Jr. & Bill Withersplay_arrow
Grov, who died of a heart attack in 1999…
78eastBroken Hearted MelodySarah Vaughan
Broken Hearted MelodySarah Vaughanplay_arrow
Hal David said that the composer She…
79eastBrilliant CornersThelonious Monk
Brilliant CornersThelonious Monkplay_arrow
They were active in any music genre...
80eastStraight No ChaserThelonious Monk
Straight No ChaserThelonious Monkplay_arrow
Another genius pianist from the bebop era…
81eastAutumn Leavesjim hall
Autumn Leavesjim hallplay_arrow
Among harmonic instruments in jazz, alongside the piano, the guitar…
82eastMack the KnifeBobby Darin
Mack the KnifeBobby Darinplay_arrow
Kurt Weill and Bertolt B...
83eastAll the Things You AreJoe Pass
All the Things You AreJoe Passplay_arrow
A master of jazz guitar alongside Jim Hall, ...
84eastFeeling GoodNina Simone
Feeling GoodNina Simone
Anthony, a songwriter from the United Kingdom...
85eastThe Girl From IpanemaAstrud Gilberto & Stan Getz
The Girl From IpanemaAstrud Gilberto & Stan Getzplay_arrow
In 1961, the jazz musician who toured Brazil …
86eastIn a Sentimental MoodDuke Ellington & John Coltrane
In a Sentimental MoodDuke Ellington & John Coltraneplay_arrow
The more you learn about the history of jazz and its musicians...
87eastRelaxin’ at CamarilloCharlie Parker
Relaxin’ at CamarilloCharlie Parkerplay_arrow
Charlie Parker was in Califo…
88eastReturn to ForeverChick Corea
Return to ForeverChick Coreaplay_arrow
On February 9, 2021, the great jazz pianis...