[Rob Babcock]

Or rather, I could say, what are your favorites.  I'm not a big jazz guy, and a lot of my faves probably wouldn't be called true jazz by a real jazz enthusiast (eg, Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr, Micheal Franks).  So take my opinion with a grain of salt (like I have to tell anyone that! )

My favorites:
1)  The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
2)  Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
3)  Thelonius Monk - Straight, No Chaser.

I know those are pretty "safe" choices, but as a non-enthusiast, these are some of the only vintage jazz albums I really dig.  Is there anything, in the vein of "classic Jazz", that's better than these albums?  I'd be interested in the input of any "Jazz Snobs" out there!

[Greg Marberry]

Hi Rob,

You've certainly made some safe choices but they are still quite good regardless.  Along those lines, I would like to add John Coltrane's Blue Train and Giant Steps to your list.

[jackman]

Don't know if they are the best because I'm about as far from an authority as you can get but these are among my favorites:

1.  Miles Davis Kind of Blue (how can I not pick this one)
2.  Sunday at the Village Vanguard [LIVE] Bill Evans  (inspirational)
3.  Grant Green Idle Moments (Grant's playing is the definition of subtlety)
4.  Coltrane's Love Supreme (may take a couple listenings but it's an amazing piece).
5.  Wes Montgomery Smokin' at the Half Note.   (my intro to Wes' playing.  He defined jazz guitar as far as I'm concerned).  

Okay, this list may change if I think about it.  I love Ella and find myself loving vocals as much as anything and Ella's my absolute favorite.  I also like Sara Vaughn live at the Tivoli.  She was as operatic as any "real" opera singer.  Maybe my list will change but one and two are pretty solid.

[myoung]

Some others to consider that are very accessible and very good:

Hank Mobley -- Soul Station
McCoy Tyner -- The Real McCoy
Jimmy Smith -- The Sermon
Jimmy Smith -- Bashin'
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers -- Moanin'
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers -- The Big Beat
Art Pepper -- Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
Paul Demond and Gerry Mulligan -- Two of a Mind
Count Basie -- Atomic Basie
Duke Ellington -- Uptown
Duke Ellington -- At Newport (1956)
John Coltrane -- My Favorite Things
Sonny Clark -- Sonny's Crib
Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster
Jimmy Guiffre -- Trav'lin Light
Miles Davis -- Round About Midnight
Dave Brubeck Quartet -- At Carnegie Hall
Thelonious Monk -- Brillliant Corners

This is only the tiniest tip of the iceberg. If you like Time Out, you'll probably like Time Further Out and some of the other Brubeck "time" LPs, not to mention things like Gone With the Wind and some others featuring the classic quartet of Brubeck, Desmond, Wright and Morello. For more Miles, consider the stuff he did right around Kind of Blue -- Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain.

[jackman]

Hey!  Way to give props to Jimmy Guiffre!  My cousin!

Jack G

[PhilNYC]

I agree with a bunch of those listed here.  A couple of others that I rank up there:

Wes Montgomery - Full House
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Collosus
Stan Getz - Jazz Samba
Oscar Peterson Trio - At Zardy's
Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery - The Dynamic Duo

[Rob Babcock]

I've always heard that Sonny Rollins "Way Out West" is a great recording; has anyone here heard it?

Most vintage jazz bores the hell out of me (eg Louis Armstrong, Ornette Coleman, Benny Goodman- blech! ).  I guess I'm more drawn to the "artier" later stuff.  Any recommendations along those lines would be appreciated.

To me, Brubeck's Out of Time is the most fascinating 'real jazz' disc I've ever heard, just pure genius.  I'll check out some of is other time-based stuff.

[PhilNYC]

I've always heard that Sonny Rollins "Way Out West" is a great recording; has anyone here heard it?

Yep...I've got both the XRCD version and a K2 remaster by another label.  Both masterings are superb, and the music is IMHO outstanding (although I like Saxophone Collassus better, even though it is a mono recording).

[Tonto Yoder]

Rob,
if you put Sonny Rollins and Kind of Blue in a blender, you get

Oliver Nelson's "Blues & the Abstract Truth" is high on my list (and generally makes the Top 100 jazz albums lists.

You might try Brad Mehldau's Art of the Trio series---Brad is a pianist more in the Bill Evans tradition.

[JoshK]

First off, I am no big fan of Jazz although I can appreciate some jazz.  Brandon (Hantra) sold me his beloved Monty Alexander LP when he bailed from vinyl.   I have to say this is the funnest jazz album I have ever listened to so it gets my vote for best jazz alb of all time.

Allmusic.com's description of the alb

[bob82274]

Miles Davis is easily my favorite Jazz musician...  and while I love Kind Of Blue, my favorite is 'Round Midnite.  Straight, No Chaser and Blue Train are also excelent albums... Now who here likes Kenny G.

[jqp]

For non-traditional, try one of my favorite fusion jazz albums, Dis is Da Drum    by Herbie hancock It will give your low end a real workout. Cool vocals too.  Also there is the classic Head Hunters

There is a new one by Ron Carter I want to get, The Gold Striker - bass (Carter) , piano, and guitar - thats all  

[Carlman]

Wow... everything that's been posted is great.

I'll add a couple of my faves:

Gover Washington Jr. "Then and Now" Classic Jazz, not like any of his other albums.... and the ONLY GW album I would recommend.

Herbie Hancock plays Gershwin.  Mellow yet melodic, excellent recording.

[boxhead]

For Fusion Jazz I like Return to Forever-Romantic Warrior. I got a Maxell Jazz Sampler LP from Listen Up in Denver when I bought my Heresy's in 78. It has the Mark Almond version of New York State of Mind that is soooo smooth.

[PhilNYC]

For fusion, my favorites are:

Black Market - Weather Report
Friday Night in San Francisco - McLaughlin/De Lucia/Dimeola
Herbie Hancock - Man-Child
Herbie Hancock - Headhunters

[lonewolfny42]

There's so much great jazz out there !! Here are a few I think people should listen to that have not been mentioned: Charlie Mingus , "Mingus Ah Um" ; Freddie Hubbard , "Red Clay" and "Straight Life" ; Kenny Burrell , " Midnight Blue". All excellent - check out some sound samples. For info on artists I always use allmusic.com , great site! (As a side note: Seems as one gets older, your taste in music changes, eg. from Punk to New Wave to Hard Rock to Metal to Jazz to Classical, ect. Hey, Its all music , and I happen to enjoy it all !)  

[boxhead]

Woody Hermann and His Thundering Herd.
Jean Luc Ponty- Imaginery Voyage
Mahavishnu Orchestra- Between Nothingness and Eternity
Liquid Tension Experiment

to many to list

[lcrim]

a few that I think should make the short list:
Somethin' Else- Cannonball Adderly, Miles  If you like "Kind of Blue" you owe it to yourself to hear this.
Getz/Gilberto-A classic, "Girl from Ipanema" bossa nova always calms me.

[natman]

Oscar Peterson Trio - West Side Story
Oscar Peterson Trio - We Get Requests
Oscar Peterson Trio
w/ Milt Jackson        - Too Tall
Oliver Nelson           - The Blues and the Abstract Truth
Milt Jackson             - Memories of Theonious Sphere Monk
Diana Krall              - Live in Paris DVD  (Wow!)
John Coltrane          - My Favorite Things
John Coltrane          - Giant Steps
Miles Davis              - Sketches of Spain
Miles Davis              - Kind of Blue

[natman]

Oscar Peterson Trio - West Side Story
Oscar Peterson Trio - We Get Requests
Oscar Peterson Trio
w/ Milt Jackson        - Too Tall
Oliver Nelson           - The Blues and the Abstract Truth
Milt Jackson             - Memories of Theonious Sphere Monk
Diana Krall              - Live in Paris DVD  (Wow!)
John Coltrane          - My Favorite Things
John Coltrane          - Giant Steps
Miles Davis              - Sketches of Spain
Miles Davis              - Kind of Blue