There is a common unspoken knowledge among jazz lovers that live is always the best way to go when listening to jazz music. However, some claim that it’s much better to listen to jazz on vinyl.
The truth, of course, is that there is no right or wrong here and in fact, you can never go wrong with either of the two.
The following are the top 10 vinyl records for jazz lovers arranged in no particular order.
Charles Mingus’ Ah Um
The album completes what can be regarded as jazz’s fundamental building blocks. Belonging to a genre filled with diversity and innovation, Ah Um is filled with textural complexity since Mingus is mainly a bass payer.
This includes the iconic Goodbye Pork Pie Hat that has already become a standard in the jazz scene that almost everyone has already covered, including Jeff Beck, Joni Mitchell, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
This piece of jazz vinyl will give a nice, delightful and surprising workout to your system with its quick changes in mood and various subtleties.
John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme
A Love Supreme from John Coltrane, the legendary saxophonist is a suite with four parts full with innovation, highs, and lows. This true masterpiece was the biggest selling record of Coltrane and many even consider it as among the all-time best jazz albums although it continues to be extremely accessible. To make it even more interesting, the whole album was recorded by Coltrane in just one day at the
John Klemmer’s Barefoot Ballet
Some people might consider John Klemmer as smooth jazz but growing up in the jazz scene of Chicago, he had the skills for making serious music. Although Barefoot Ballet didn’t enjoy the same level of commercial success as some of his albums, it features the groundbreaking work of Klemmer using his sax’s echo effects to create a texture that can only be imitated but not duplicated. The album presents complexity, melody, and space that make it a real classic.
Miles Davis’ Bitches’ Brew
Bitches’ Brew is probably the most influential and controversial work of the long career of Miles Davis. This is completely different to Kind of Blue’s easy groove as it is more of difficult listening hour as well as a foundation of jazz fusion.
The record’s musicians don’t only play as they also attack their respective instruments in such a way that has never been done in the past or even since. It is an extremely roomy sonic exercise that is guaranteed to test your entire system, whether you’re listening on headphones or speakers.
Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue
Kind of Blue of Miles Davis is basically jazz’s Sgt. Pepper. A lot of people even refer to it as among the all-time best albums. Since it has a more melodic and modal style compared to the legendary trumpeter’s other records or most jazz records in general, it is also more approachable, which makes it among the best ways of getting into the jazz scene.
However, you will end up absorbing more complexity when you listen longer. There are numerous excellent vinyl pressings you can find and you can never go wrong with any of these.
Al DiMeola’s Land of the Midnight Sun
Land of the Midnight Sun is the first solo album of Al DiMeola after playing with Return to Forever of Chick Corea for several years. The guitarist released a prodigious work catalog but this extremely complex record highlights his ingenuity during his early years as a composer and a player.
Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke even backed him up on bass with the drums designated to the very young Lenny White. Just note that the early Sony or CBS pressings are a bit dull so you might want to look for a Japanese import instead.
Pat Metheny Group’s Offramp
Just like other great names in the jazz scene, the first two records of guitarist Pat Metheny with Pat Metheny Group adhered to a more traditional groove before deciding to branch out with Offramp. This is what established him as a more experimental and abstract composer.
Although you might get its present re-mastered version or as an original ECM pressing, the record is best played on vinyl from start to finish. The playing of Metheny is deliberate, sparse, and simple here and Are You Going With Me is still included in almost all live performances.
Sonny Rollins’ Saxophone Colossus
While Kind of Blue is huge, Saxophone Colossus is a close second when it comes to accessibility and playing. St. Thomas’ opening bars are equally enticing as the start of KoB. This is the kind of record you need to have a bookend.
The sax sound of Rollins is also huge here and once the unrivaled Hal Roach takes on a drum solo, you will feel like you’re being pushed back to your seat. This nonstop excitement that runs for 39 minutes is real joy on vinyl with a contagious groove guaranteed to invite you to let out some dance moves.
Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert
Lots were written about how The Köln Concert almost didn’t take place but it happened to be among the happier accidents of jazz. Listening to the masterpiece of texture improvisation is a true joy, recorded with the kind of ambiance that will highlight the fullest potential of your Hi-Fi system.
The sound Keith Jarrett creates using the dilapidated Rosendorfer piano that he had no choice by to play only shows his genius. Part 1’s opening might even leave you wondering if the young George Winston was not watching and taking down notes.
The Three’s The Three
While this vinyl piece is somewhat obscure, tracking it down is still worth it if you do find a copy. East Wind Records originally produced it in 1976 and is a direct to disk recording of Shelly Manne, Ray Brown, and Joe Sample on drums, bass, and keyboards respectively while performing several jazz standards.
Due to the D2D process, they went directly to the cutting lathe from the recording session with the need to get both sides of the album right on the initial take. The record’s dynamics and clarity are stunning, showing off what your setup can do.