 | The Hot Fives & Sevens by Louis Armstrong
Buy new: $25.99 / Used from: $18.00 this is the definition of early jazz at its finest. satchmo shows off his mighty playing extremely well. these recordings remain unmatched even today.
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 | Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy by Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars
Buy used from: $1.72 satchmo takes on classic blues music of w.c. handy, and the results are stellar. his trumpet playing is matched by his comical singing.
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 | What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $3.98 this shows satchmo's later career, covering "pop" jazz songs such as the title track. the songs are infectious and will stay in your head for awhile.
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 | Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $3.62 the birth of west-coast jazz music. miles's (unfortunately brief) solos are session highlights. this is a peak in miles's early career.
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 | Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $2.71 the album that everybody (including non-jazz-fans) should own. this album set the groundwork for all modern music. a true masterpiece.
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 | Miles Smiles by Miles Davis
Buy new: $7.98 / Used from: $3.98 this is when miles started moving into a more abstract form of music. the results are most impressive. this is miles's best playing from the 1960s.
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 | Bitches Brew by Miles Davis
Buy new: $15.98 / Used from: $7.42 the album that started the fusion jazz revolution. this is unquestionably one of miles's finest albums ever. its subtitle should be "improvisation restructured."
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 | Clifford Brown & Max Roach by Clifford Brown
Buy new: $18.98 / Used from: $9.67 clifford brown is in his element on this recording session. brownie's masterful technique is equally matched by his stylistic ability. this is his best recording by far.
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 | Study in Brown by Clifford Brown
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $5.51 this one contains innovative takes on classic tunes like "take the a train" and "cherokee." i still have no idea how brownie could keep up with the blazing speed of the latter track.
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 | At Basin Street by Clifford Brown
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $2.90 this album shows a different side of brownie. he's a bit more laid back and casual in his playing, but it's still fantastic.
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 | Birk's Works: Verve Big Band Sessions by Dizzy Gillespie
Buy new: $22.98 / Used from: $14.00 dizzy's big band impresses on this album. dizzy's fantastic solos, however, steal the show from the wonderful band.
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 | Sonny Side Up by Dizzy Gillespie
Buy new: $18.98 / Used from: $8.39 this is dizzy at his most rambunctious. his solos are fiery and comical at the same time, and he works real well with the two sax players.
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 | The Sidewinder by Lee Morgan
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $4.92 lee morgan was one of the most soulful players to pick up the trumpet. this album secured him a spot as one of the trumpet giants of jazz.
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 | Taru by Lee Morgan
Buy used from: $12.42 this is when lee began to stretch into new musical directions. it still maintains the soul of his earlier work while bringing new life to his work.
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 | Hub-Tones by Freddie Hubbard
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $4.69 freddie hubbard successfully combined free jazz with hard bop on this album. his playing is stellar and extremely soulful.
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 | Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard
Buy new: $7.98 / Used from: $3.99 while this album is somewhat commercial in nature, the playing is still fantastic. this is freddie's best album yet.
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 | Unity by Larry Young
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $5.99 this album is when woody shaw started to develop his own style and come out from freddie hubbard's shadow. his compositions are great too.
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 | Rosewood by Woody Shaw
Buy used from: $6.37 this is woody shaw's finest hour. his playing on this album is simply phenomenal, as are his compositions/arrangements.
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 | Whistle Stop by Kenny Dorham
Buy new: $8.97 / Used from: $4.89 it's unfortunate that kenny dorham isn't as well-known as he should be. this album contains some of his best playing and composing.
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 | Cool Struttin' by Sonny Clark
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $4.88 art farmer's silky-smooth trumpet is a great addition to this hard bop classic. he's sort of an east-meets-west kind of player, and he plays great.
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 | Marsalis Standard Time ~ Vol.1 by Wynton Marsalis
Buy new: $7.98 / Used from: $0.98 this is (comparatively speaking) some of wynton's earlier stuff, but he still plays wonderfully on it. his arrangements of standards are truly innovative.
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 | The Infinite by Dave Douglas
Buy used from: $1.84 this is a wonderful example of experimentation gone right. dave douglas is one of the best and most uniuque players on the scene today.
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 | The RH Factor: Hard Groove by Roy Hargrove
Buy new: $18.98 / Used from: $3.47 roy hargrove successfully blends jazz with R&B on this superb recording. it's a little hard to get into, but it's great when you do.
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 | New Beginnings by Terell Stafford
Buy new: $17.98 / Used from: $6.99 this is the latest release from my good friend mr. terell stafford, and it's simply superb. he plays fantastic, and his new beginnings suite is great.
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 | Bounce by Terence Blanchard
Buy new: $17.98 / Used from: $4.87 terence blanchard's playing on this album is sure to get your blood pumping. this album is exciting and innovative at the same time.
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