[For Beginners] Classic Modern Jazz Albums: Recommended Records to Start With

AcknowledgementJohn Coltrane

A Love Supreme, Pt. I – Acknowledgement

A giant of the jazz world, saxophonist John Coltrane is known for expressing his spiritual quest through music in the work A Love Supreme.

Released in 1965, this album is a four-part suite imbued with gratitude and prayer to God.

It achieved great commercial and critical success and is highly praised by Rolling Stone magazine as well.

Marked by a tension and sacred atmosphere that belie its one-take recording, the performance—like a dialogue of souls among the band members—is breathtaking.

It’s the perfect record for those who want to experience the depth of jazz improvisation or immerse themselves fully in music.

Listen closely to this epic sonic story.

Waltz for DebbyBill Evans

Waltz for Debby (take 1) (Alternate Take)

This album features recordings of the sessions Bill Evans performed at the Village Vanguard, a jazz club in Manhattan, in 1961.

The title track, “Waltz for Debby,” is a piece dedicated to Evans’s niece and became widely known through the performance on this album.

It has been especially beloved in Japan and has been certified as a Gold Disc by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

Moanin’Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers – Moanin’

Art Blakey is a jazz drummer.

“Moanin’” is an iconic Blue Note track and is considered to have established the genre of hard bop–style funky jazz.

The studio album of the same title that includes this track was released in 1958.

Kind of BlueMiles Davis

Miles Davis – So What (Audio) (Official Audio)

This album, released in 1959 by Miles, a trumpeter renowned as an emblem of jazz history, is sometimes referred to in Japan as the work of the “Emperor of Jazz.” It is regarded as a masterpiece that holds an unshakable place in modern jazz.

From its release to the present day, it has remained an exceptional long-selling work in the jazz genre.

Blue TrainJohn Coltrane

John Coltrane – Moment’s Notice

With the inclusion of the classic ‘Moment’s Notice,’ this album likely became more famous and gained more devoted listeners, and it stands as one of Coltrane’s signature records.

The title track, ‘Blue Train,’ features a beautifully harmonized theme by John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, and Curtis Fuller.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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St. ThomasSonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins – St. Thomas (Official Audio) from Saxophone Colossus

This is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded in New Jersey and released in 1956.

It quickly earned acclaim in Europe and America after its release, catapulting him to fame.

It is still regarded as one of his signature works, characterized by bright, warm performances.

Cool Struttin’Sonny Clark

Cool Struttin’

This album is invariably cited as one of the quintessential Blue Note masterpieces.

It’s especially popular in Japan, and its cover photo—showing the legs of a woman in a tight skirt striding down the street—is also famous.

It’s recommended as an entry-level recording for beginners to modern jazz.

It was recorded in 1958.