top of page
Important Jazz Albums
compiled by Dr. Paul Haar
​
RAGTIME AND STRIDE:
Bunk Johnson and his Band-The Last Testament (Phillips)
Fats Waller-Fractious Fingering (RCA Victor)
Jelly Roll Morton-The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord (Circle)
Various Artists-Classic Jazz Piano Styles (RCA Victor)
Various Artists-Pianola Jazz (Saydisc)
Scott Joplin-Scott Joplin 1916 (Biograph)
James P. Johnson-Snowy Morning Blues (Decca/MCA)
Art Tatum-Solo Masterpieces (Pablo)
​
NEW ORLEANS STYLE:
The Original Dixieland Jazz Band-The Original Dixieland Jazz Band (RCA Victor)
King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band-The Complete 1923 OKEHS (EMI)
Freddie Keppard/Doc Cooke-The Legendary Freddie Keppard (Smithsonian)
Jelly Roll Morton-The King of New Orleans Jazz (RCA)
The Clarence Williams Blue Five-With Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet New Orleans Rhythm Kings-Volume Two (Village)
Louis Armstrong-The Complete Hot Fives and Sevens (Columbia)
Jelly Roll Morton-Mr. Jelly Lord (RCA Victor)
Sidney Bechet-The Luebird Sessions (Bluebird)
​
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
Earl Hines and His Orchestra-Swinging in Chicago (Coral)
Eddie Condon-The Definitive Vol. 1 (Stash)
Bix Beiderbecke-The Bix Beiderbecke Story (Phillips)
Bix Beiderbecke-The Bix Beiderbecke Legend (RCA Victor)
Henry Allen Jr. and His New York Orchestra-Treasury of jazz Series (RCA VICTOR)
​
SWING
Coleman Hawkins and His All Stars-Colman Hawkins All Stars (HMV)
Artie Shaw-The Early Artie Shaw (Ajaz)
Fats Waller-’34/’35 (RCA Victor) Count Basie-Count Basie and the Kansas City Seven (Decca)
Count Basie-Jumpin’at the Woodside (Ace of Hearts)
Duke Ellington-ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING!!!
Woody Herman-The Thundering Herds (CBS)
Lester Young/Count Basie-The Lester Young Memorial Album (Fontana)
Benny Goodman-Carnegie Hall Jozz Concert (Philips)
Jay McShann-Kansas City Memories (Brunswick)
Duke Ellington-Ellington at Newport (CBS)
Count Basie-The Atomic Mr. Basie (Columbia)
​
BEBOP
Al Haig-Jazz Will O’the Wisp (Esoteric)
Sonny Stitt-Stitt’s Bits (Prestige)
J.J. Johnson-The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson
Charlie Parker-Bird/The Savoy Recordings (Savoy)
Charlie Parker-Bird Lives-The Complete Dial Masters (Spotlight)
Bud Powell-The Amazing Bud Powell (Blue Note)
Thelonious Monk-Genius of Modern Music (Blue Note)
Fats Navarro-The Fabulous Fats Navarro (Blue Note)
Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra-Ol’ Man Bebop (HMV)
James Moody-Moody’s Workshop (Prestige)
Charlie Christian/Dizzy Gillespie-The Harlem Jazz Scene (Esoteric)
The Quintet-Jazz at Massy Hall (Debut)
Miles Davis-Miles Davis Volume 2 (Blue Note)
​
COOL JAZZ
Lee Konitz-Very Cool (Columbia)
Chet Baker-Chet Baker and Crew (Pacific Jazz)
Jimmy Giuffre-The Jimmy Giuffre 3 (Atlantic)
The Modern Jazz Quartet-One Never Knows (Atlantic)
Miles Davis-Birth of the Cool (Capitol)
Shorty Rogers-The Swinging Mr. Rogers (Atlantic)
Gerry Mulligan/Chet Baker-Mulligan/Baker (Prestige)
Art Pepper-Art Pepper Plus Eleven (Contemporary)
Dave Brubeck-Time Out (CBS)
HARD BOP Art Blakey-A Night at Birdland (Blue Note)
Sonny Rollins-Saxophone Colossus (Prestige)
Thelonious Monk/John Coltrane-MONK/TRANE (Milestone)
Miles Davis-Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige)
Theolonious Monk-Brilliant Corners (Riverside)
Cannonball Adderley-Somethin’ Else (Blue Note)
Horace Sliver-Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (Blue Note)
Johnny Griffin-Little Giant (Milestone)
John Coltrane-Blue Trane (Blue Note)
John Coltrane-Giant Steps (Atlantic)
Dexter Gordon-Our Man In Paris (Blue Note)
Wes Montgomery-The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (Riverside)
Lee Morgan-The Sidewinder (Blue Note)
Jimmy Smith-The Sermon (Blue Note)
​
POST BOP-FREE
Ornette Coleman-The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic)
George Russell-The Jazz Workshop (RCA Victor)
Charlies Mingus-Pithecanthropus erectus (Atlantic)
Eric Dolphy-Out to Lunch (Blue Note)
John Coltrane-Ascension (Impuse)
​
MODAL JAZZ
Miles Davis-Kind Of Blue (CBS)
Bill Evans-Every Digs Bill Evans (Riverside)
John Coltrane-My Favorite Things (Atlantic)
Herbie Hancock-Maden Voyage (Blue Note)
McCoy Tyner-The Real McCoy (Blue Note)
John Coltrane-A Love Supreme (Impulse)
​
FUSION
Herbie Hancock-Head Hunters (CBS)
John McLaughlin-The Mahavisnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame (CBS)
Miles Davis-Bitches Brew (CBS)
Weather Report-Heavy Weather (CBS)
bottom of page