GrailVinyl

Jazz Cornerstones

The DownBeat Hall of Fame and NPR jazz canon.

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  1. John Coltrane
    A Love Supreme
    A deeply spiritual and structurally ambitious work from 1965, A Love Supreme stands as a landmark in post-bop and modal jazz, defined by Coltrane’s intense improvisational focus and profound thematic cohesion.
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  2. Miles Davis
    Kind of Blue
    Miles Davis' 1959 jazz landmark — a modal masterpiece that redefined cool jazz and remains one of the most influential albums in music history.
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  3. Duke Ellington
    Ellington at Newport
    Duke Ellington's legendary 1956 Newport Jazz Festival performance — a defining moment in jazz history, capturing his band at peak power with a transcendent rendition of 'Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue'.
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  4. Charlie Parker
    The Charlie Parker Story
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  5. Thelonious Monk
    Brilliant Corners
    Thelonious Monk's 1957 masterpiece — a landmark of avant-garde jazz, blending complex harmonies and angular phrasing, recorded during his peak creative period at Riverside Records.
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  6. Charles Mingus
    Mingus Ah Um
    Charles Mingus's 1959 jazz masterpiece — a bold fusion of bop, gospel, and avant-garde sensibilities, it remains a cornerstone of modern jazz.
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  7. Count Basie
    The Atomic Mr. Basie
    Count Basie's 1958 landmark — a fiery big band showcase from the peak of his swing era, featuring Neil Hefti's sharp arrangements and a legendary live-in-studio energy.
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  8. Billie Holiday
    Lady in Satin
    Billie Holiday's final studio album, recorded in 1958 with a full orchestral arrangement — a haunting, intimate masterpiece born from her declining health and artistic peak.
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  9. Ella Fitzgerald
    Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book
    Ella Fitzgerald's 1956 masterpiece — a definitive vocal jazz interpretation of Cole Porter's greatest songs, recorded in Los Angeles with lush orchestral arrangements and unmatched lyrical precision.
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  10. Dizzy Gillespie
    A Night in Tunisia
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  11. Sarah Vaughan
    Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown
    Sarah Vaughan's 1955 debut — a landmark in jazz vocal artistry, recorded in New York with a tight-knit group of top session players, it established her as a leading voice of the era.
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  12. Sonny Rollins
    Saxophone Colossus
    Saxophone Colossus is Sonny Rollins' 1957 jazz bop album released on Prestige Records in the US.
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  13. Art Tatum
    The Tatum Group Masterpieces
    A 1956 session featuring legendary pianist Art Tatum and saxophonist Ben Webster, recorded in Los Angeles and later released by Pablo Records in 1977 as a reissue of the original performance.
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  14. Coleman Hawkins
    Body and Soul
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  15. Lester Young
    The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio
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  16. Dexter Gordon
    Go!
    Dexter Gordon's 1962 Blue Note classic — a hard bop masterpiece recorded at Van Gelder Studio, showcasing his commanding tenor sax and lyrical depth during his prime.
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  17. Ornette Coleman
    The Shape of Jazz to Come
    Ornette Coleman's 1959 landmark — a radical departure from traditional harmony, it redefined jazz and launched the free jazz movement.
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  18. Wes Montgomery
    The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
    The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is a 1960 hard bop jazz album by Wes Montgomery, released in the US on Riverside Records.
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  19. Herbie Hancock
    Maiden Voyage
    Herbie Hancock's 1965 Blue Note masterpiece — a modal jazz landmark with haunting compositions and a deep, introspective groove, recorded just months after his debut.
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  20. Wayne Shorter
    Speak No Evil
    Wayne Shorter's 1966 album Speak No Evil is a post-bop jazz record released on Blue Note in the US.
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  21. McCoy Tyner
    The Real McCoy
    McCoy Tyner's 1967 Blue Note debut — a cornerstone of post-bop jazz, recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio and featuring his signature modal intensity and harmonic depth.
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  22. Keith Jarrett
    The Köln Concert
    Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert, released in 1975 on ECM Records in Germany, is a jazz album spanning post bop and free improvisation.
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  23. Pat Metheny
    Bright Size Life
    Pat Metheny's 1976 debut — a landmark fusion jazz record recorded at Tonstudio Bauer, blending lyrical guitar work with avant-garde textures and intimate ensemble writing.
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  24. Dave Brubeck
    Time Out
    Dave Brubeck's 1959 jazz landmark — the first major album to use unusual time signatures like 5/4 and 9/8, it remains a cornerstone of cool jazz and a timeless studio achievement.
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  25. Bill Evans
    Sunday at the Village Vanguard
    Bill Evans' legendary 1961 live performance at the Village Vanguard — a cornerstone of jazz piano trio recordings, capturing the trio's intimate, spontaneous artistry in real time.
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  26. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
    Moanin'
    Art Blakey's 1959 hard bop landmark — a definitive session from the Jazz Messengers' golden era, recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's famed Hackensack studio.
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  27. Eric Dolphy
    Out to Lunch!
    Eric Dolphy's Out To Lunch! is a 1964 avant-garde jazz album released on Blue Note in the US.
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  28. Mahalia Jackson
    Newport 1958
    Mahalia Jackson's Newport 1958 is a gospel album released in 1958 in the US on Columbia Records.
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  29. Robert Johnson
    King of the Delta Blues Singers
    Robert Johnson's legendary 1936–37 recordings — raw, haunting Delta blues that shaped the foundation of modern American music.
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