The Best Jazz Albums of All Time 

Three albums I would recommend also that are masterpieces in my eyes are Ready For Freddie - Freddie Hubbard Backlash - Freddie Hubbard Backatown - Trombone Shorty I’m a sucker for the big brass, soulful, New Orleans feel that Trombone Shorty brings to Backatown, and Ready For Freddie and Backlash are both fun and beautiful albums

Rosenwinkel sticking out like a sore thumb…

People in the comments complaining but I respect someone making jazz content. It's worth talking about. I'm not entirely new to jazz but some of these I haven't heard of - I'll give 'em a listen thanks to you :)

Man this is actually a really solid list of fantastic recommendations

John Coltrane My favorite things.

You missed the key figures that shaped jazz , Thelonious Monk , Dizzy Gillespie,lester young ,Ramsey lewis , herbie Hancock

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady has to be on there for me

I only today learned of Shape of Jazz to Come. Excited to learn it

Wes Montgomery - Incredible Jazz Guitar

Bix Biderbeck, Count Basie, Cole Porter, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins. So many. Coletrane is great but its kind of experimental. IDK if it embraces the beauty of the melody as much as others. Usually embraced by the players for its technique...

Miles Davis Kind Of Blue, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker

Sad to say I only had three of those saved to my library. Always exciting adding new music to my life.

i also recommed undercurrent by bill evans/jim hall , smoking at the half note by wes montgomery, crescent by coltrane, pat metheny questions and answers, oviously virtuous by joe pass, chet baker sings, duke ellington john coltrane, wayne shorters speak no evil

no Wes montgomery?

Sorry but any list is incomplete without Coltrane's masterpiece: A LOVE SUPREME

To Add to this to really understand what modern jazz is: Jaco Pastorius and weather report's heavy weather and listen to snarky puppy

Trying to make picks like this is opening up a Pandora's box. I agree with about half. I mean there are so many greats to pick from. For example, Oscar Peterson, Zoot Sims and the like. There are the likes of jazz players that stray so far from the changes and there are ones that are true to the changes. It all depends. I feel for the newer jazz fans it is easier to explain what jazz is all about it might be best to listen to the likes of Benny Goodman Quartet for the early jazz. Which might be best to explain what playing within the changes are, then go on from there.

How about night lights by Gerry Mulligan ? It’s flawless.

Jack Wilkins - Windows A jazz guitar masterclass

Billie Holiday : Songs for Distingue Lovers

Top jazz song of all time in my opinion is hello dolly for louis armstrong❤

i would've liked to hear your reasoning, but i can't really argue your picks either, they're super duper solid lol

1. My favorite things *2. giant steps* *3. soul station* 4. bird with strings 5. Coltranes sound 6. jazz in orbit 7. Sonny side up *8. Blue train* 9. Moanin’ *10. kind of blue*

Sarah Vaughan & Clifford Brown

I'll go with Thelonious Alone in San Francisco. One of my favorites albums ever

You forgot an album by Oscar Peterson and band, greatest jazz pianist there was !!!!

Ornete Coleman...the shape jazz to come...genial...

We insist by max roach is still a banger

Bro that jump to shape of jazz to come hahaha

Why even try to reduce this to 10 albums

I'd like to add Oscar Peterson's Night Train

“Time Out” got me super into jazz when i was 19, “Time Further Out” is another great one by him that was released shortly after. Chick Coreas another amazing artist

Jaco Pastorius 1976?

Most picks great but no Wes or Pat Martino? 🤔

What about modern jazz?

I think tony bennet and count Basie “ in person “ has to be on this list

No Mingus?

That last album is him, yes?

Mingus?Wes?Django?Monk?

No Charlie Christian?

whers bill whithers?

Not sure about #10…. Lots of notable omission that could’ve taken that spot… Headhunters?

What about Miles Davis, “Someday My Prince Will Come”, it should be at the top of your list, and you missed a plethora of Duke Ellington!

Paulhard castle is fire

Where is A love supreme?

The best jazz is "nothing but the best" frank sintra

Keith Jarret - the koln concert

I prefer my jazz with a female vocalist but Ill check these out.

What are the best jazz guitar centric albums ?

I’m left a little perplexed, not one Bill Evans and there’s way too many to list.

best jazz album is TPaB

Metheny albums too. I can't pick just one

Not sure about Ornette Coleman ..

Stan Getz ?

Queen's "Jazz" album didn't make the list?

I would have picked more with standards on than stuff like bitches brew for when learning.

Nice

No Thelonious Monk? he may be a bit better than Rosenwinkel.

Rosenwinkel? Really? Yeah..

Number 10. WHO?

EVERYTHING you need to know about JAZZ is in the Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers discography. You don't need to listen to anything else ( But should ).

Frank Sinatra ? 🤔

Not a single woman, L. Literally Billie Holiday was genre defining in her time

bro, did you just put kurt rosenwinkell over the entire discography of bill evans and others??? kurt rosenwinkel??? hahahaha whatever "guitarists"

Bruh, Kurt Rosenwinkle seemed insanely out of place in this lineup.

Wait, what...? Kurt who?

Loowee not loowiss

rosenwinkle did nothing innovative or fresh. terrible pick for "top 10" anything like wtf

A really generic, and too oft-repeated list :/

Only Parker and maybe Armstrong are worth listening to if you’re looking to learn to play jazz. Every other album here is jazz artists actively trying not to play the jazz that taught them jazz… Jazz.