Best Jazz Albums

Audiotomb is right ... Chris Potter deserves both attention and recognition. Rather than name the same names, try Marcus Miller, and some of the Dulfer work is exquisite, too.

anything by Chris Potter - especially Gratitude
MIngus - mid 60's
Monk mid 60's
MIles 60's quintet boxset

ok. Here are a FEW:

John Coltrane: A love supreme
John COltrane: Crescent
Miles Davis: In a silent way
Pat Metheny: 80/81
Pat Metheny: New Chautagua
Pat Metheny: One quiet night
Ed Blackwell Project: WHat it is

My personal favorites out of my cd collection, I would say Patricia Barber's Modern Cool and Campanion; Big Phat Band Swinging For The Masses"; Diana Krall "The Girl In The Other Room"; Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" and "Porgy and Bess"; Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald "Porgy and Bess"; John Coltrane "The Ultimate Blue Train"; Getz/Gilberto "Jazz Samba"; John McLaughlin, Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola "Guitar Trio";

Amhad Jamal - At The Pershing

Try the link http://www.allmusic.com/. You might want to check out Scott Yanow's books on Swing and Bebop. He is selective in what albums he recommneds and rates each on a 1 to 9 scale. Yanow is one of the main reviewers in the All Music Guide. I generally find his ratings to be very accurate.

There is also the 101 Best Jazz Albums by Len Lyons. It's where I got my first recommendations.

I liked the Scaruffi list. He obviously has a penchant for avante garde music. But everyone has their own slant on jazz. It's an art, not a science.

Randy

"My favorite is All Music Guide to Jazz. Reissued in 2004" - Elizabeth

Do you have a link to this. I can't find it on allmusic.com. I am interested in checking it out.

Thanks,
Rob

For the 70's he has alot of Creed Taylor and Don Sebesky arranged crap. Blah! This ain't jazz it's schlock.

I think jazz is too big a category to get into 'best' lists. everyone has their preferred area - big band, swing, dixieland, bebop, free jazz, vocals etc. It makes more sense to figure out what pulls your chain, then find others who are into that particular area, then get their 'best' list. a free jazz fan's 'best' llist is going to be a very different animal than a big band affecianado!

Can't say I agree with his picks for "best of the decade".
Not one of Miles' comeback titles in the 80's?? for best of the 70's he picks Weather Report's "I sing the body electric"... my LEAST favorite Weather Report (after Mr. Gone) recording. Not one Keith Jarrett? Checking his 60's list I think I see where he's coming from: Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders and George Russell.

For info about Scaruffi, click here: http://www.scaruffi.com/service/about.html

For info about the best jazz albums, I'd refer to the annual "best" lists on Downbeat and Jazziz.

George Benson - Bad Benson is one of my favs.

Happy Listening.