12 albums to discover jazz

If only one were to remain, it would undoubtedly be this one! The classic of classics, the best-selling jazz album of all time and one of the most fascinating. In five tracks, Miles and his crack team (including John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley on saxophones, and Bill Evans on piano) invent modal music with a series of improvisations more inspired than the last— a discovery that proved revolutionary for everyone from jazz to the Grateful Dead to Hendrix. Every note is touched by grace, and with each re-listen you uncover new depth. Timeless and powerful— exceptional even within Miles’s towering discography.

In 1964, with a brand-new Selmer Mark VI in hand, Coltrane recorded the work that best defines his style. The four-part mystical poem A Love Supreme sits halfway between the hard bop of his early period (notably Blue Train) and the mesmerizing strangeness of his upcoming free jazz albums. Drummer Elvin Jones adds his percussive genius, which would deeply inspire Christian Vander (Magma). There are many Coltrane albums worth exploring (Giant Steps, My Favorite Things… he hardly ever made a bad record), but this one has that extra something— which is saying a lot.

Clearly, ’59 was a banner year for jazz… Pianist Dave Brubeck delivers his masterpiece here, featuring perhaps the closest thing to a “hit” the jazz world has ever known: the famous Take Five, which is anything but danceable in its 5/4 meter. In fact, the entire album is an exploration of asymmetric time signatures, like the famed “Blue Rondo à la Turk” in 9/8— adapted as “A Bout de Souffle” by Claude Nougaro.

Another masterpiece from 1959! This one comes from the brilliant bassist and composer Charles Mingus, who made many other compelling albums (Pithecanthropus Erectus, The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady…). This record stands out for the sheer quality of its compositions, including the standard “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” which became a rock classic in Jeff Beck’s hands. Ah Um is a kind of musical autobiography: Mingus surveys his major influences, track by track, in a true exploration of his complex personality.

In 1965, pianist Herbie Hancock was only 24. Yet fifty years on, Maiden Voyage still sounds remarkably mature. The writing is superb (“Maiden Voyage” and “Dolphin Dance” became bona fide standards) and Hancock is surrounded by a true dream team of musicians who each went on to stellar solo careers (Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, George Coleman on saxophone, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums). Hancock himself is at the top of his game here, conjuring a perfectly mesmerizing, oceanic atmosphere.

Most jazz albums were recorded live-in-the-room, with all the musicians together— so why not record in front of an audience and tap into that precious energy exchanged with the players? For this 1961 album, pianist Bill Evans chose New York’s Village Vanguard and teamed up with a powerhouse rhythm section featuring bassist Scott LaFaro (who penned two of the six tracks) and drummer Paul Motian. The trio’s interplay sparks fireworks, and every note feels deeply considered in its rightness.

Guess what year this album came out? Yep— 1959! Something special must have been in the air in New York that year… Saxophonist Ornette Coleman titled his record “the shape of jazz to come,” and he wasn’t kidding: for its time, this album was a true UFO. There are recurring themes across its six tracks, but most of the time the players improvise with complete freedom, and the lack of piano means there are no chords underpinning the music. With this single album, Coleman invents free jazz and blows apart the genre’s familiar landmarks. We still live in the post-Shape Of Jazz To Come musical world.

Pianist Thelonious Monk played with Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and Sonny Rollins, and even recorded an excellent duo album with John Coltrane— but he was never better than alone with his instrument. This 1965 record presents twelve tracks where Monk’s genius is laid bare. Nothing smooths the edges, and his deliberate “wrong” notes resonate with a special depth. His playing sounds like nothing else— it can feel blunt or rough at first, but just replay the incredible “Ruby, My Dear” here and you’ll hear the wild beauty beneath.

“Bird” was saxophonist Charlie Parker’s nickname; “Diz” short for trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Both are absolute benchmarks on their instruments, and their 1950 meeting in a New York studio remains a historic jazz moment. The competitive spirit between them is palpable— whenever one solos after the other, you can feel the urge to play the line that will make the difference. To sweeten the deal, there’s Buddy Rich (John Bonham’s chief influence) and Max Roach on drums, and Thelonious Monk on piano. And you can definitely hear it…

This 1963 album brings together three of the biggest names in the style, across all eras: pianist (and bandleader) Duke Ellington, bassist Charles Mingus, and drummer Max Roach. The Duke may have been twenty years older than his rhythm section, but their rapport yields interplay all the more beautiful for its precarious balance: the three express themselves with total freedom, and you sense that compositional constraints matter less than the joy of playing— yet they always find each other and lock into a true ensemble sound.

New decade (it’s 1978), new flavor: jazz folds in funk and even disco— in the drumming, the vocals, and the string arrangements. As the name suggests, the authors of this fusion classic are brothers: Michael Brecker on saxophone and Randy Brecker on trumpet. The lyrical side of their playing truly lights up a track like “Funky Sea, Funky Dew,” and the ultra-tight ensemble hits recall Blood, Sweat & Tears— a band Randy helped to found. The two siblings became true studio legends, their crisp, brilliant horns appearing on albums by countless artists, including Frank Zappa, Parliament, and Todd Rundgren.

Back in 1960, they didn’t bother with complicated titles. Here, the cover says it all: “The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery.” And it’s hard to name a jazz guitarist who’s had a greater impact on the wider musical world than Wes. The warm, fluid tone he drew from his Gibson L-5, played with his thumb (and his famous left-hand octaves), is both close to the human voice and envelops the listener in a plush sonic cushion. When he’s surrounded by bandmates as brilliant as on this stone-cold classic (his fourth album in two years!), six-string nirvana isn’t far away…