This CD is the "desert island" CD of my collection. I simply couldn't live without it and can listen to it any time.

The epitome of vocal swing jazz, you can't question Mel's ability and his sense of rhythm and musical style. This is certainly one of the best vocal jazz recordings of all time.

Recently added to this list, this is also big band music but it is extremely varied and dynamic. Although Dedication, A Child is Born and the title track are all standouts, there isn't a bad song on this recording.

Some think Sonny goes overboard too often and others think it presumptuous that he calls this recording what he does, but he's every bit worthy of the title and this recording is a ton of fun with not a bad track in sight. Moritat (Mack the Knife) is worth the price of admission alone.

Tyner's music is just so unique and interesting and he makes musicians who play with him (Coltrane, Jones, et. al.) sound better. It's hard to narrow down to a best Tyner recording, but this one is a good as any.

No jazz list is complete without Oscar Peterson, and as prolific as he was, this is probably his best work. The extra tracks on the remastered version are a must have, because that's the only way you'll get one of the coolest, "Volare".

Miles Davis highlights this one, along with Sam Jones, Hank Jones, and Art Blakey. Along with Adderley, that's a lot of talent in one music studio, and this recording shows it.

One of the greatest jazz singers ever takes on one of the greatest jazz songwriters ever. Not everyone can appreciate what this pairing produces, but it spawned seven similar projects (available as a 16-CD set) and not one of them disappoints.

An exploration of modern and not-so-modern American music by one of the premier jazz guitarists of our time. I hated this thing the first two times I listened to it, but now I can't go more than a few weeks without giving it a spin. The remake of Madonna's "Live to Tell" is cutting edge and truly fantastic.

There has never been, nor will there ever be, another pianist like Art Tatum. So expert in everything he did, he's really not cut out for playing with a group. That occasionally showed in the other seven volumes of group recordings, but nothing but sweet jazz comes out of this one. Positively delightful.

I've never been head over heels in love with sax, but Lee makes you think about it in different terms. His handling of the standards becomes the bar that every other jazz musician must get over, and that bar is very, very high.