Jazz Discography

With the pianists excepted, the artists listed below are identified by the instrument they play(ed). My all-time favorite recordings appear in bold-face type. (If the musician is indicated, that means that I recommend all of the recordings that follow.) Bear in mind that this list is a sampling and represents a tiny tip of the jazz iceberg; it is also subject to regular updating.

Dave Brubeck: Time Out, Time Further Out, Time In, Brubeck Plays Brubeck (solo piano), Just You, Just Me (solo piano), 1975: The Duets (with Paul Desmond on alto sax)

Laura Caviani (Minneapolis pianist): As One, In Your Own Sweet Way

Ornette Coleman (alto sax): The Shape of Jazz to Come

John  Coltrane (tenor sax): Giant Steps, Lush Life

Chick Corea: Now He Sings, Now He Sobs

Miles Davis (trumpet): Relaxin’/Cookin’/Steamin’/Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (four separate recordings), ‘58 Sessions, Miles Ahead, Kind of Blue

Duke Ellington: Money Jungle, This One’s for Blanton, Piano Reflections

Bill Evans: Everybody Digs Bill Evans, Portrait in Jazz, Explorations, Waltz for Debby, Sunday Afternoon at the Village Vanguard

Herbie Hancock: Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter: 1 + 1, Gershwin’s World, The Piano

Ahmad Jamal: The Awakening

Keith Jarrett: any recent trio recordings with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette

Mahavishnu Orchestra (fusion group): Birds of Fire

Charles Mingus (bass): Mingus Ah Um, Oh Yeah

Modern Jazz Quartet: Blues on Bach

Thelonious Monk: Monk Alone (solo piano), Live at the It Club, Thelonious Monk (title of recording on the Prestige label), Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane

Charlie Parker (sax): Yardbird Suite: The Ultimate Charlie Parker Collection

Art Pepper (alto sax): Thursday/Friday/Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard (three separate recordings)

Oscar Peterson: Nigerian Marketplace, Oscar Peterson and Clark Terry, Great Connection

Bud Powell: Jazz Giant

Sonny Rollins (tenor sax): Saxophone Colossus

John Sheridan: They Can’t Take That Away from Me

Wayne Shorter (tenor sax): Juju

Horace Silver: The Horace Silver Trio

Art Tatum: any solo recording

Lennie Tristano: Lennie Tristano/New Tristano (on the Rhino label)

McCoy Tyner: The Real McCoy

Weather Report (fusion group): Mysterious Traveler, Heavy Weather