HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT RECORDINGS
If you want to learn to play jazz you have to listen, listen, listen. But many times students don’t have any idea what record-
ings to buy. So we have created this list of many of the most important recordings in jazz.
Most of the recordings listed are from the 40’s, 50’s & 60’s Bebop era. This is due to the strong influence this particular
period of music has had on our current "jazz” scene today. We have purposely omitted a number of very early recordings
because 1) many of those early recordings had very poor sound quality, 2) the artists recorded lots of material, and so they
are represented by later recordings elsewhere on this list, and/or 3) the early recordings are not currently available on CD.
If you have a turntable, you should start checking out yard sales and thrift stores—often you can find classic jazz recordings
on vinyl for next to nothing.
For each record listed, you can see the artist name followed by the name of the album.
• CANNONBALL ADDERLEY - SOMETHIN’ ELSE • MILES DAVIS - COOKIN’
• HERBIE HANCOCK - MAIDEN VOYAGE • RED GARLAND - GROOVY
• CLIFFORD BROWN - STUDY IN BROWN • MILES DAVIS - STEAMIN’ WITH MILES DAVIS
• JOHN COLTRANE - BLUE TRAIN • JOHNNY GRIFFIN - A BLOWIN’ SESSION
• CANNONBALL ADDERLEY - & COLTRANE • JOHN COLTRANE - BALLADS
• WAYNE SHORTER - SPEAK NO EVIL • CARL FONTANA - THE GREAT FONTANA
• HORACE SILVER - SONG FOR MY FATHER • ART BLAKEY - UGETSU
• DIZZY GILLESPIE - SONNY SIDE UP • ART BLAKEY - A NIGHT AT BIRDLAND VOL. 2
• MILES DAVIS - KIND OF BLUE • FREDDIE HUBBARD - HUB TONES
• JOHN COLTRANE - GIANT STEPS • BUD POWELL - THE GENIUS OF
• J.J. JOHNSON - THE EMINENT, VOLUME 1 • MILES DAVIS - BITCHES BREW
• ERIC DOLPHY - OUT TO LUNCH • JOHN COLTRANE - COMPLETE VANGUARD
• OLIVER NELSON - BLUES & THE ABSTRACT TRUTH • LEE KONITZ - SUBCONSCIOUS-LEE
• LEE MORGAN - THE SIDEWINDER • STAN GETZ - STAN GETZ & BILL EVANS
• HANK MOBLEY - SOUL STATION • MILT JACKSON - BAGS MEETS WES
• MILES DAVIS - MILESTONES • JIMMY SMITH - BACK AT THE CHICKEN SHACK
• WES MONTGOMERY - SMOKIN AT THE HALF NOTE • SONNY ROLLINS - PLUS FOUR
• LEE MORGAN - CORNBREAD • JOE HENDERSON - INNER URGE
• LARRY YOUNG - UNITY • WOODY HERMAN - KEEPER OF THE FLAME
• SONNY ROLLINS - SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS • BUD POWELL - THE AMAZING - VOL 1
• JOHN COLTRANE - MAINSTREAM 1958 • CLIFFORD BROWN - BROWN/ROACH INC.
• MCCOY TYNER - THE REAL MCCOY • JOE HENDERSON - MODE FOR JOE
• JOHN COLTRANE - A LOVE SUPREME • HORACE SILVER - BLOWIN’ THE BLUES AWAY
• DIZZY GILLESPIE - JAZZ AT MASSEY HALL • CLIFFORD BROWN - MORE STUDY IN BROWN
• ART BLAKEY - A NIGHT AT BIRDLAND VOL. 1 • SONNY CLARK - LEAPIN’ AND LOPIN’
• BILL EVANS - UNDERCURRENT • MILES DAVIS - MY FUNNY VALENTINE
• GENE AMMONS - BOSS TENORS • CHICK COREA - LIGHT AS A FEATHER
• MILES DAVIS - ‘ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT • HERBIE HANCOCK - EMPYREAN ISLES
• ERROLL GARNER - CONCERT BY THE SEA • SONNY ROLLINS - NEWK’S TIME
• MILES DAVIS - RELAXIN’ WITH MILES • HORACE SILVER - CAPE VERDEAN BLUES
• WES MONTGOMERY - INCREDIBLE JAZZ GUITAR • HERBIE HANCOCK - THE PRISONER
• JOE HENDERSON - PAGE ONE • MILES DAVIS - SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN
• FRANK ROSOLINO - FREE FOR ALL • BILLIE HOLIDAY - LADY DAY: BEST OF VERVE YRS
• WES MONTGOMERY - FULL HOUSE • CHARLES MINGUS - MINGUS AH UM
• ART FARMER - MODERN ART • DEXTER GORDON - HOMECOMING, LIVE AT V.V.
• SONNY ROLLINS - TENOR MADNESS • ART BLAKEY - THE BIG BEAT
• ART BLAKEY - MOANIN’ • CANNONBALL ADDERLEY - IN SAN FRANCISCO
• MILES DAVIS - IN A SILENT WAY • MILES DAVIS - MILES SMILES
• THELONIOUS MONK - WITH JOHN COLTRANE • JOHN COLTRANE - LIVE AT BIRDLAND
• CHICK COREA - NOW HE SINGS, NOW HE SOBS • MILT JACKSON - BAGS MEETS WES
• BILL EVANS - SUNDAY AT VILLAGE VANGUARD • FREDDIE HUBBARD - STRAIGHT LIFE
• CHARLIE PARKER - NOW’S THE TIME • MILES DAVIS - BAG’S GROOVE
• STAN GETZ - FOR MUSICIAN’S ONLY • ORNETTE COLEMAN - SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME
• CHARLIE PARKER - BIRD & DIZ • STANLEY TURRENTINE - UP AT MINTON’S
• JOE HENDERSON - LUSH LIFE, STRAYHORN MUSIC • JOHN COLTRANE - MY FAVORITE THINGS
• BILL EVANS - WALTZ FOR DEBBY • MILES DAVIS - NEFERTITI
• KENNY DORHAM - UNA MAS • WOODY SHAW - LITTLE RED’S FANTASY
• LESTER YOUNG - THE PRESIDENT PLAYS • ELLINGTON, MINGUS, ROACH - MONEY JUNGLE
W/THE OSCAR PETERSON TRIO • DIZZY GILLESPIE - ROY AND DIZ
• JOE HENDERSON - IN ‘N OUT • BENNY CARTER - FURTHER DEFINITIONS
• JOHN COLTRANE - & JOHNNY HARTMAN • JOHNNY GRIFFIN - TOUGH TENOR FAVORITES
• NANCY WILSON - WITH C. ADDERLEY • COUNT BASIE - THE COMPLETE ATOMIC BASIE
