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So this is what I’m looking at.  It was hard to come up with a list of 100 albums so naturally I turned to the internet.  I cannot remember where I pulled this list from, so if you’re reading this and created this list….thank you!  Leave your information in the comments.

If you’re a jazz purist, I’m sure you will notice albums not on this list that you feel should be.  Feel free to recommend other albums that you believe I should listen to.  Jazz is a deep genre and 100 albums is really just the tip of the iceberg.  And by the way, if you’re not a jazz purist, you must be reading this as a favor to me. Thanks! If you are a jazz purist, you’ve probably checked out by now…so I guess I’m not really sure who my target audience is…oh well.

So, without further ado…

…THE LIST:

  1. Kind of Blue – Miles Davis, 1959
  2. A Love Supreme – John Coltrane, 1964
  3. Minus Ah Um – Charles Mingus, 1959
  4. Time Out – The Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1959
  5. Somethin’ Else – Cannonball Adderley, 1958
  6. Bitches Brew – Miles Davis, 1970
  7. Giant Steps – John Coltrane, 1959
  8. Saxophone Colossus – Sonny Rollins, 1956
  9. Moanin’ – Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, 1958
  10. Out to Lunch! – Eric Dolphy, 1964
  11. Black Saint & the Sinner Lady – Charles Mingus, 1963
  12. Getz/Gilberto – Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto, 1963
  13. The Shape of Jazz to Come – Ornette Coleman, 1959
  14. Maiden Voyage – Herbie Hancock, 1965
  15. Blue Train – John Coltrane, 1957
  16. Brilliant Corners – Thelonious Monk, 1956
  17. The Koln Concert – Keith Jarrett, 1975
  18. Waltz for Debby – Bill Evans Trio, 1961
  19. In a Silent Way – Miles Davis, 1969
  20. Head Hunters – Herbie Hancock, 1973
  21. Speak No Evil – Wayne Shorter, 1965
  22. The Sidewinder – Lee Morgan, 1963
  23. The Inner Mounting Flame – Mahavishnu Orchestra, 1971
  24. Song for My Father – The Horace Silver Quintet, 1964
  25. My Favorite Things – John Coltrane, 1960
  26. High Fives & Sevens – Louis Armstrong, 1928
  27. Heavy Weather – Weather Report, 1977
  28. Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club, 1997
  29. The Blues and the Abstract Truth – Oliver Nelson, 1961
  30. Naked City – John Zorn, 1990
  31. Karma – Pharoah Sanders, 1969
  32. The Savoy & Dial Studio Sessions – Charlie Parker, 1948
  33. Sunday at the Village Vanguard – Bill Evans Trio, 1961
  34. Go! – Dexter Gordon, 1962
  35. Incredible Jazz Guitar – Wes Montgomery, 1960
  36. Spiritual Unity – Albert Ayler Trio, 1964
  37. Ella & Louis – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, 1956
  38. Ellington at Newport – Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1956
  39. Midnight Blue – Kenny Burrell, 1963
  40. Sketches of Spain – Miles Davis, 1960
  41. Soul Station – Hank Mobley, 1960
  42. Idle Moments – Grant Green, 1963
  43. Night Train – The Oscar Peterson Trio, 1962
  44. The Real McCoy – McCoy Tyner, 1967
  45. Point of Departure – Andrew Hill, 1965
  46. The Best of Chet Baker Sings – Chet Baker, 1956
  47. Birth of the Cool – Miles Davis, 1950
  48. Birds of Fire – Mahavishnu Orchestra, 1973
  49. Jaco Pastorius – Jaco Pastorius, 1976
  50. Journey in Satchidananda – Alice Coltrane, 1971
  51. A Charlie Brown Christmas – Vince Guaraldi Trio, 1965
  52. Free Jazz – Ornette Coleman, 1960
  53. Columbia Recordings (1933-44) – Billie Holiday, 1944
  54. Return to Forever – Chick Corea, 1972
  55. The Complete Atomic Basie – Count Basie Orchestra, 1957
  56. Cool Struttin’ – Sonny Clark, 1958
  57. Elegant Gypsy – Al DiMeola, 1976
  58. Machine Gun – Peter Brotzmann Octet, 1968
  59. Study in Brown – Clifford Brown & Max Roach, 1955
  60. Astigmatic – Krzysztof Komeda, 1965
  61. At Carnegie Hall – Thelonious Monk w/ John Coltrane, 1957
  62. Les Stances a Sophie – Art Ensemble of Chicago, 1970
  63. Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus… – Charles Mingus, 1963
  64. Jazz in Silhouette – Sun Ra & His Arkestra, 1958
  65. Meets the Rhythm Section – Art Pepper, 1957
  66. Lady in Satin – Billie Holiday, 1958
  67. Sarah Vaughan w/ Clifford Brown – Sarah Vaughan w/ Clifford Brown, 1954
  68. Bright Size Life – Pat Metheny, 1975
  69. Best of Django Reinhardt – Django Reinhardt, 1940
  70. Eastern Sounds – Yusef Lateef, 1961
  71. Money Jungle – Duke Ellington w/Minus & Roach, 1962
  72. Blanton-Webster Recordings – Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1942
  73. ‘Round About Midnight – Miles Davis, 1957
  74. Unit Structures – Cecil Taylor, 1966
  75. Wave – Antonio Carlos Jobim, 1967
  76. The Best Of…with Chet Baker – The Gerry Mulligan Quartet, 1953
  77. Spectrum – Billy Cobham, 1973
  78. We Insist! Freedom Now Suite – Max Roach, 1960
  79. Body & Soul – Coleman Hawkins, 1956
  80. Page One – Joe Henderson, 1963
  81. Bird and Diz – Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie, 1950
  82. Songs for Swingin’ Lovers – Frank Sinatra, 1956
  83. With the Oscar Peterson Trio – Lester Young, 1952
  84. Pithecanthropus Erectus – Charles Mingus, 1956
  85. Unity – Larry Young, 1965
  86. The Time – Mozdzer, Danielsson & Fresco, 2005
  87. Legendary Sidney Bechet – Sidney Bechet, 1941
  88. Jazz Samba – Stan Getz & Charlie Bird, 1962
  89. Empryean Isles – Herbie Hancock, 1964
  90. Jazz at Massey Hall – The Quintet w/ Charlie Parker, 1952
  91. Blues & Roots – Charles Mingus, 1959
  92. The Sermon – Jimmy Smith, 1958
  93. Live in Paris – Diana Krall, 2002
  94. The Genius of the Electric Guitar – Charlie Christian, 1941
  95. Juju – Wayne Shorter, 1964
  96. At the Jazz Band Ball – Bix Beiderbecke, 1928
  97. Ask the Ages – Sonny Sharrock, 1992
  98. Django – Modern Jazz Quartet, 1955
  99. Reprise Studio Recordings – Frank Sinatra & Count Basie, 1964
  100. Dialogue – Bobby Hutcherson, 1965

 

THE PROCESS:
To knock this baby out in one year, I need to listen to roughly 2 albums per week.  To most music aficionados, that’s no big deal, but with a full time job and three children under the age of 6, this list looks like the Mount Everest of finding spare time.  I’ll most likely be listening when I’m washing dishes, rocking my daughter to sleep, and while my boys are arguing.  That sounds about right.

Now presumably this list is in order from what the author thought were the best albums of all time, to the albums that they still thought were fantastic, but not as great, after all, it’s still 100 of the best jazz albums of all time (subjective of course, let’s not argue), so let’s assume they are all pretty decent.  With that in mind, I have decided not to go from worst to first, or first to worst, for fear that it wouldn’t provide enough balance.  Instead, I’ve decided to start smack in the middle and work outward until I’m listening to #1 and #100 in the last week of my experiment.  Sound good?  No?  Moving right along.

I should also make it known that I have listened to some of the music on the list already.  Kind of Blue, A Love Supreme, The Sermon, Django Reinhardt, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and perhaps a few others.  Seeing as this project represents a much deeper, comprehensive dive into jazz than ever before for me, I will re-listen to anything that I’ve already heard before and give it the same honest feedback without bias. Fair enough? No? Moving right along.

Lastly, let me reinforce the fact that I am a JAZZ NOVICE and therefore any analysis will be exactly that.  Please save your classically trained jibber jabber for someone else. Additionally some of these albums illicit ZERO intrigue for me.  “Live in Paris” by Diana Krall? (#93)  I feel like skipping that one and doing taxes.  “Eastern Sounds” by Yusef Lateef? (#70)  Unless that’s Mos Def’s newest stage name, I’m not interested.  Please understand that this blog is completely self serving and is intended as a way for me to document and hold myself accountable. If I wanted to gather thousands of followers, I wouldn’t be reviewing jazz.  If I wanted millions of clicks in order to monetize my blog with advertisers, I wouldn’t be reviewing jazz.  If I wanted to do those things I’d be reviewing kids toys and acting like a 9 year old (which I do for free in the privacy of my own home). BUT, alas, a deal’s a deal, even if it’s a deal made between me and myself, and I’m going to make myself listen to all music on this list, cover to cover, and see what comes out.

Best Regards,

Still just a version of Pete Campbell (but now with a list of jazz music to talk about, and a cool picture of Thelonious Monk…immediate progress being made)

Appendix of Links in case you’re too lazy:
1. Quick explanation of the sinking of the Titanic
2. DJ Honda ft. Mos Def – Travellin Man
3. Youtube Kids

Explanation of random Links:
So, two posts in and you may have noticed I like to drop in random links, mostly to youtube videos.  This is just for fun and added content where I think a nice diversion would be appreciated.  These are in no way advertisements for these youtube channels or content providers.  Just a portal to things other than jazz…because honestly…it’s hard for me to stick with just jazz at this point.