![]() | Ella and Louis Again by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Buy new: $19.98 / Used from: $9.95 Not just two legends, but three, with Oscar Peterson (as part of his trio) providing sparkling accompaniment - music that radiates happiness. Underlying the good humour is equally radiant musicianship. Their other collaborations are equally memorable.
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![]() | Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note: The Complete Recordings by Keith Jarrett
Buy new: $107.98 / Used from: $83.29 Six sets over three nights, beautifully recorded in 1994. The trio at the height of their form, with tracks ranging from the concise to the hypnotically extended. A single set sampler exists.
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![]() | Live at the Village Vanguard: The Master Takes by John Coltrane
Buy used from: $6.47 Coltrane exemplifies the musician who is searching, rather than playing by routine - this recording combines power and lyricism. Accessible, yet challenging.
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![]() | John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman by John Coltrane with Johnny Hartman
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $3.80 Impossibly smooth vocals vie with Coltrane in seductive mode to create the perfect late night chill record.
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![]() | Complete Recordings by Helen Merrill
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $48.11 Langorous interpretations from a great singer, with the added genius of Clifford Brown on trumpet. Sensitive, emotional, with great phrasing - turn the lights down low and savour.
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![]() | Ahmad's Blues by Ahmad Jamal
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $5.00 Elegance, humour, understatement, and effortless virtuosity - Ahmad Jamal is endlessly listenable. Refined jazz at its best. Saw him live a few years ago - still amazing!
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![]() | Night Train by Oscar Peterson Trio
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $6.00 A great sense of swing, with the virtuoso Peterson in full control. His playing if full of surprises, and the interplay with his long-term trio a delight.
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![]() | Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $2.18 You can play this forever. A truly magical session that deserves all its accolades. Davis, Evans, Coltrane - and the sum is even greater than the parts.
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![]() | The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 by Miles Davis
Buy used from: $149.99 A boiling sea of music, with intuition between the players bordering on the supernatural. The energy and imagination in these sets is astonishing. Emotionally and intellectually explosive. A remaster is on the way, so avoid inflated 'used' prices.
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![]() | Jazz Giant by Bud Powell
Buy new: $18.98 / Used from: $7.86 A tornado sweeping across the keyboard, with a sense of rhythm that's invasive. Every track rings with the excitement of bebop.
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![]() | Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall by Thelonious Monk
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $5.46 Stunning interplay between the leaders, having played together solidly for several months prior to this recording. Rescued from the vaults, this is genuine buried treasure.
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![]() | Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $6.32 Lots of groove and lots of invention. The chemistry is just right on this album, universally regarded as one of Sonny Rollins' best.
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![]() | Somethin' Else by Cannonball Adderley
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $4.99 A premonition of Kind of Blue, with great interplay between Miles and Cannonball Adderley. Art Blakey's signature drive adds another element to the mix.
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![]() | Conquistador by Cecil Taylor
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $5.28 The mystique around Taylor can't disguise a certain craziness behind this music - it splinters, it thuds, it congeals and then bursts apart again. As an antidote to the saccharine it can't be beat.
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![]() | Rarum, Vol. 11: Selected Recordings by Egberto Gismonti
Buy new: $13.99 / Used from: $7.99 Playing twelve string guitar, as well as piano, Gismonti is a unique musician, influenced by South American traditions, Classical music and jazz.
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![]() | Whistle Stop by Kenny Dorham
Buy new: $8.97 / Used from: $4.80 A terrific set of compositions, with atmospheric performances. Hank Mobley shines on sax.
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![]() | Search for the New Land by Lee Morgan
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $5.99 The title track is lingering and explorative, each musician finding interesting moves - and what musicians! Morgan, Shorter, Hancock, Green, Higgins and Workman.
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![]() | Cool Struttin' by Sonny Clark
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $4.88 Sonny Clark is a pianist with that magic that keeps you listening. And listening. This great record is equalled by his "Leapin' and Lopin'" and "Sonny Clark Trio".
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![]() | Love Scenes by Diana Krall
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $1.49 Yes, the photos are a bit cheesy, but she's the real deal. Christian McBride on bass. Lively piano, distinctive vocals.
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![]() | Night Dreamer by Wayne Shorter
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $5.81 Without Miles, Wayne Shorter's muse takes a slightly different kind of flight. Beautiful but unconventional melodies, and relaxed telepathy between the players.
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![]() | A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2 by Art Blakey
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $4.98 Clifford Brown's trumpet is on fire...and the blaze is stoked by Blakey and co. Imagination competes with adrenalin, in this, one of the greatest live jazz recordings.
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![]() | Happenings by Bobby Hutcherson
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $4.97 The liquid sound of Hutcherson's vibes creates the perfect synergy with Herbie Hancock's infinitely variable keyboard forms. All the experimentation respects both pulse and melody. A stunner.
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![]() | Mosaic Select: Grachan Moncur III by Grachan Moncur III
Buy used from: $38.27 Includes remastered "One Step Beyond" by Jackie Mclean & Moncur's "Some Other Stuff" - superb jazz balanced on the edge of tonality. See more on the Mosaic website.
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![]() | Breaking Point by Freddie Hubbard
Buy new: $8.97 / Used from: $6.94 Aside from the talent of Hubbard, there's James Spaulding's under-appreciated invention. The grooves verge on the funky. A fantastic adventurous jazz outing.
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![]() | Inner Urge by Joe Henderson
Buy new: $8.97 / Used from: $6.98 Thunderous runs, braying, howls, a glistening cascade of notes - and that's just the first track. Possibly Henderson's most intense record, with spectacular support from Tyner and Elvin Jones.
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![]() | Astigmatic by Krzysztof Komeda
Buy new: $24.99 / Used from: $48.66 Revered as Komeda's masterwork, this angular set melds well with 60's jazz in the US. Komeda provided soundtracks to several Roman Polanski films. A great artist, sorely missed.
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![]() | Blues in Orbit by Duke Ellington
Buy used from: $5.84 Hard to choose from the innumerable Ellington recordings, but this is loads of fun, and my most played.
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![]() | Bitches Brew by Miles Davis
Buy new: $15.98 / Used from: $7.32 Threatening, incisive, and clouded with a true cauldron of emotions, this widely-lauded work broke new ground, while building on established jazz strengths.
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![]() | Idle Moments by Grant Green
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $5.89 The title track is superb - it's easy to immerse in the hypnotic mood. Extended solos by Green, Henderson and Hutcherson.
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![]() | Feelin' the Spirit by Grant Green
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $5.95 Gospel tracks infused with Herbie Hancock's funk and Grant Green's blues. A fantastic extension of the jazz idiom.
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![]() | Down with It! by Blue Mitchell
Buy used from: $9.99 A rhytmic romp, with great contributions from a young Chick Corea on piano. Lyricism and groove combine for an album with an upbeat feel.
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![]() | Live at Club Mozambique by Lonnie Smith
Buy new: $11.98 / Used from: $7.90 Watch out! This is seriously funky. George Benson on guitar, and the infectious organ of Lonnie Smith. Includes a cover of a Sly Stone track, so that's a clue to what you're in for.
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![]() | Suspended Night by Tomasz Stanko Quartet
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $11.90 The haunting broken tone of Stanko is counterbalanced by the finesse of his backing trio. Saw them live, and this record captures their spirit.
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![]() | The Sermon! by Jimmy Smith
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $3.22 A huge jam session with Smith an orchestra in himself. Terrific summation of many of the Blue Note label's strengths.
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![]() | Jam Session by Charlie Parker
Buy new: $14.98 / Used from: $6.99 Charlie Parker alongside a stellar line up - extended performances with a real sense of collective invention. Needless to say, other Parker recordings deserve attention too.
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![]() | A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $5.93 A journey into darkness and light - Coltrane was leaving ordinary world of jazz for somewhere new. The challenge is there, but the music is open and accessible too.
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![]() | Empyrean Isles by Herbie Hancock
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $5.02 Herbie Hancock has a raft of excellent records, and this is one of the finest. The playing is virtuosic, but retains clarity. The impossibly catchy Canteloupe Island appears here.
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![]() | Now He Sings Now He Sobs by Chick Corea
Buy new: $11.94 / Used from: $6.16 Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes join Corea for an engaging workout. Most of the tracks push traditional structures, but remain melodic and arresting.
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![]() | Passing Ships by Andrew Hill
Buy new: $13.98 / Used from: $34.69 Hill continues to follow his own path. His approach to the keyboard and arrangements is unique, and fascinating. This resurrected session showcases the extent of his talent.
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![]() | Mosaic by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers
Buy new: $8.94 / Used from: $7.38 Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter, both young and full of fire, spur Blakey's messengers to the heights. Excellent compositions add to the insistent drive that propels this album.
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