Happy New Year, everyone.
A current student of mine is preparing to head of to a music conservatory next year and asked for a list of important jazz records to listen to over Christmas break. So, I put this list together. Given the extra time we all have on our hands at the moment, I think some deep, active listening could do us all some good.
I've broken it down into two sections, roughly by style and time period. The first list covers mostly bebop and hard bop of the late 40's and 1950's. The second is the more modern sound that developed the 1960s, covering mostly the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Both lists are organized by band leader to make them easier to find. But be aware that different albums by the same band leader may have different drummers, so whatever you listen to be sure to look up who the drummer is.
Obviously, there is a ton of great music that is not on this list, including material from before and after these periods, as nothing on here is from the 20's and 30's, or 90's and 2000's. Also, there's no mention here of "Latin" styles, etc. But the albums on this list cover the styles that have been canonized as "jazz drumming", and have had some of the biggest impact on the way we play now. Also, the music on this list probably best represents that which one would most likely be spending a considerable amount of time with in jazz school.
This is not a “best” list. As I said, there are countless other records that could easily be included, but I wanted it to be a manageable size, so I’ve chosen albums that are historically important, can be found easily, and that I’m personally very familiar with and/or have meaning to me.
Happy listening.
Bebop/Hard bop
Clifford Brown and Max Roach
Clifford Brown and Max Roach
Art Blakey
Moanin’
We Three
We Three
Miles Davis
Workin’
Cookin’
Steamin’
Relaxin’
Milestones
Bag’s Groove
Kind of Blue
Dizzy Gillespie
The Giant
Sonny Side Up
Art Pepper
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
Art Pepper +11
Thelonios Monk
Monk’s Dream
Brilliant Corners
Hank Mobley
Soul Station
Roll Call
No Room for Squares
Wynton Kelly
Smokin’ at the Half Note
Wes Montgomery
Full House
Ahmad Jamal
Live at the Pershing
John Coltrane
Blue Trane
Giant Steps
Bill Evans
Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Sonny Rollins
Way Out West
Saxophone Colossus
Freedom Suite
Oscar Peterson
Affinity
“Modern” - 60s, 70s, early 80s
Miles Davis
Four & More
My Funny Valentine
ESP
Miles Smiles
Nefertiti
Filles de Kilimanjaro
In a Silent Way
Bitches Brew
McCoy Tyner
The Real McCoy
Ornette Coleman
The Shape of Jazz to Come
John Coltrane
A Love Supreme
Herbie Hancock
Maiden Voyage
Empyrean Isles
Cecil Taylor
Conquistador
Joe Henderson
Inner Urge
The Kicker
Kenny Dorham
Una Mas
Eric Dolphy
Out To Lunch
Chick Corea
Now He Sings Now He Sobs
Return to Forever
Light As A Feather
Keith Jarrett
Standards vol 1 & 2
Changes
Dave Holland
Conference of the Birds
Pat Metheny
Bright Size Life
80/81
Question & Answer
Wayne Shorter
Night Dreamer
Speak No Evil
Wynton Marsalis
Standard Time vol. 1
Larry Young
Unity
Bill Evans
Sunday at the Village Vanguard
Trio 64
Trio 65
Waltz for Debby
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