| Ten Favorite Jazz Albums |
| 1 |  | Charles Mingus
Cornell 1964 with Eric Dolphy
My favorite jazz composer (Mingus) together with my favorite soloist (Dolphy). Mingus has a talent for kicking his players into high gear. His yelling, screaming and prodding in the background becomes integral to the performance. Dolphy is doing the best work of his life here, which is one of the last recordings he made before tragically dying. This is not a good entry to jazz but nevertheless is essential to any serious collection. |
| 2 |  | Miles Davis
In A Silent Way
Miles changed music 3 or 4 times but he never did it as well as with this album. In A Silent Way is the most funky, laid back in your face shit that you will ever hear. The arrangements Miles gave the songs is perfect, especially with the title section which is stripped down to McLaughlin's guitar backing his trumpet, even though the songwriter was Zawinul. Any music fan would love this album. |
| 3 | | Joe Pass with Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen
Northsea Nights
Do you think you have seen an incredible bass player? I posit that if you have never heard NHOP then you don't know what great bass is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI-1sq5dFD4 That performance, incredible as it is, did not make the album. Enough said. |
| 4 |  | John Coltrane
A Love Supreme
Often named as one of the greatest, if not the greatest jazz albums of all time, Coltrane unloads his soul on A Love Supreme, making his sax scream, cry, shout in jubilation, whither in agony and most importantly glorify God. A stunning achievement that will not be matched soon. |
| 5 |  | Grant Green
Idle Moments
The title track is the best slow, laid back, dark mood jazz song I've ever heard. You want a song to play while throwing back whiskey trying to forget? This is it. |
| 6 |  | Charles Mingus
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
Mingus's greatest compositional achievement. In four parts Mingus tells the story of African Americans in a way no one else could hope to match. |
| 7 |  | Eric Dolphy
Out to Lunch
Dolphy is my favorite free jazz writer and player. Even when he launches off the planet with his playing he always keeps part of himself grounded, even if it is just his big toe. He never lets go of the songs on this album which is why it is so good and stands the test of time. |
| 8 |  | Freddie Hubbard
Red Clay
The live performance of Red Clay bonus track on the cd re-release is incredible. |
| 9 |  | Oliver Nelson
The Blues and the Abstract Truth
With a lineup like this it's no surprise the album is a classic. |
| 10 |  | Miles Davis
Kind Of Blue
Perhaps the most accessible jazz album of all time, it is no surprise it is the best selling. Even if you have never listened to it before I guarantee you would recognize at least half the songs. Often called the best jazz album ever alongside A Love Supreme and rightly so. |
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