10. Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington
Artist: Thelonious Monk
Genre: Bebop
Thelonious Monk’s playing is visionary — blocky, offbeat chords that zig and zag where more conventional pianists might bip and bop. With the backing accompaniment of Oscar Pettiford (double bass) and Kenny Clarke (drums), Monk completely transforms these ageless Ellington standards into something new and prophetic. Continue reading…
9. Julie is Her Name
Artist: Julie London
Genre: Vocal Jazz
Her album’s just as good as her frame. Julie is Her Name, a remarkably mature debut, showcases her immense vocal talent. The sparse arrangements, led by Barney Kessel’s distinctive electric guitar, perfectly match London’s relaxed and unhurried pace. Continue reading…
8. Clifford Brown with Strings
Artist: Clifford Brown
Genre: Bebop
Clifford Brown and Strings makes for one of the trumpeter’s most original and most unlikely albums. His natural throwback sound works perfectly within the orchestral setting, which is never flashy and always complementary. Continue reading…
7. Blue Moods
Artist: Miles Davis
Genre: Cool Jazz
Blue Moods is one of the most underrated releases in Miles Davis’ extensive catalogue. A short EP at 4 songs, 26 minutes, the record boasts an all-star lineup that includes Charles Mingus and Elvin Jones. Yet all performers, Davis included, are upstaged by vibraphonist Teddy Charles, whose eerie presence brings a sense of unease not often heard in Davis’ early recordings. Continue reading…
6. Concert by the Sea
Artist: Erroll Garner
Genre: Stride
While diminutive in stature, Erroll Garner’s style is impossibly large — his thunderous piano swells are often as vast as the ocean itself, of which the 6-minute rendition of “Autumn Leaves” is a swelling instrumental benchmark. Continue reading…
5. In a Romantic Mood
Artist: Oscar Peterson
Genre: Bebop
Oscar Peterson’s piano is expressive yet quaint — never saying too much, yet never saying too little. And never enough is never a problem. In a Romantic Mood is, without a doubt, his finest studio LP and one of the more underrated hidden gems in the jazz catalogue. Continue reading…
4. Study in Brown
Artist: Clifford Brown & Max Roach
Genre: Hard Bop
While not as immediate as its predecessor, Study in Brown remains one of the defining works of early ‘50s jazz. In turn, Clifford Brown and Max Roach are, pound for pound, one of the greatest musical duos ever. Continue reading…
3. Dinah Jams
Artist: Dinah Washington
Genre: Vocal Jazz
By far the best female vocal jazz LP of 1955 is this searing live set recorded by Dinah Washington in Los Angeles. Opening with a fiery rendition of “Lover, Come Back to Me” and closing with an 11-minute “You Go to My Head,” Washington’s passionate vocal intensity is matched only by the hard bop fury of Clifford Brown & Max Roach, who provide stellar accompaniment throughout. Continue reading…
2. Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins
Artist: Thelonious Monk
Genre: Hard Bop
Sonny Rollins’ hard-bop saxophone commentary provides perfect counterpoint to Thelonious Monk’s askew piano phrasings, presenting a perfect mixture between two distinct styles of modern jazz. Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins is a bona-fide classic. Continue reading…
1. In the Wee Small Hours
Artist: Frank Sinatra
Genre: Vocal Jazz
In the Wee Small Hours floats by in a graceful manner, an album full of extreme depth and emotion. Frank Sinatra’s singing was never better — so much control and expression in his voice. Yet the thing that really makes the record so special is the musical accompaniment, which is a perfect match to the melancholy subject matter. Nelson Riddle’s lush, dreamlike arrangements recall Bernard Herrmann at his best. Continue reading…
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