More than any other genre, jazz really benefits from the unique vinyl sound.
It enhances the sound of any good jazz album.
Of course, this is most true for the best jazz records on vinyl.
These are albums that are great on their own, but that shine even more when you listen to them on a vinyl record player.
What are those albums? Keep reading to find out.
Best Jazz Records On Vinyl
The following 6 jazz albums are ones that sound even better on vinyl than they do in other music formats. There is just something extra special when you hear these classic jazz records on vinyl
Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis
Kind of Blue was the fifth studio album prodigious American jazz legend Miles Davis released on Columbia, and his twenty-eighth album overall. It was released in August 1959 and has since gone on to become the best-selling jazz album of all time.
Similar to Davis’ 1958 release, Milestones, Kind of Blue is a modal jazz composition, with the stellar line-up of musicians being given a set of scales rather than chords to indicate the parameters of their improvisations.
The line-up in the studio included several now-legendary musicians at the height of their musical powers, including John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley.
With such creative geniuses contributing, it’s no wonder Kind of Blue has received numerous accolades over the years.
These include being certified five times platinum in the US, being included at number 12 on Rolling Stones magazine’s 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and being ranked number one in Colin Larkin’s Top 100 Jazz Albums, with Larkin describing it as “the greatest jazz album in the world.” If you’re going to buy only one jazz album, Kind of Blue will not disappoint.
Time Out by Dave Brubeck Quartet
Released in 1959 on Columbia Records, Time Out is a subtle blend of cool and West Coast jazz. After peaking at number 2 on the Billboard pop albums chart, it became the first jazz album to sell a million copies, despite initially garnering negative reviews from critics.
The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA in 2011, and it also spawned the first jazz single to sell a million copies, Take Five.
Time Out was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009 and is noted for the use of time signatures that were unusual for jazz at the time. The album also features Paul Desmond on alto sax and the superb drumming of Joe Morello.
Columbia Records were initially skeptical of the uncommon time signatures on the tracks—Blue Rondo á la Turk in 9/8, Pick Up Sticks in 6/4, and Take Five in 5/4—and only agreed to record Time Out if Brubeck agreed to first record a more conventional album (Gone With The Wind). Thankfully for Columbia, Brubeck agreed, and the rest is history.
Blue Train by John Coltrane
Famed American jazz label Blue Note Records issued Coltane’s Blue Train album in January 1958. Saxophonist Coltrane was joined on the recording by some of his former Miles Davis bandmates, as well as trumpeter Lee Morgan and trombonist Curtis Fuller, who were members of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.
Blue Train was Coltrane’s first release as session leader, featuring many of his own compositions. He recorded it as a side project while he was a member of Thelonious Monk’s quartet.
Coltrane later became a pioneer of free jazz, but his early work, including Blue Train, was more associated with bebop and hardbop. In 2000, Blue Train was voted number 339 in Colin Larkin’s All-Time Top 1000 Albums, with the respected music writer stating, “Coltrane may have made more important albums, but none swung as effectively as this one.”
Chet Baker In New York by Chet Baker
Dubbed the “Prince of Cool” for his innovations in cool jazz, American jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker cut this record in 1958, and released it early the following year on the Riverside label.
Chet Baker in New York is seen as a great introduction to the much-celebrated trumpeter’s work, and it boasts an eclectic mix of tracks, from the serene Blue Thoughts to the more frenetic Hotel 49.
Backed by an ensemble of East Coast musicians—Philly Joe Jones on drums, Al Haig on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin—the album marked a change from Baker’s West Coast cool jazz beginnings and is heavily influenced by Miles Davis.
In New York is a playful, exploratory blend of West Coast and East Coast jazz. Luckily, it was released before Baker’s heroin problems and incarceration halted his career somewhat.
Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz And João Gilberto
Before teaming up with Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto, American saxophonist Stan Getz had discovered and become obsessed by the rhythmic feel of South American samba.
Released in March 1964 by Verve Records, Getz/Gilberto is seen as a jazz and bossa nova fusion album and includes acclaimed tracks such as Desafinado and Corcovado.
Getz/Gilberto became the first jazz record to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1965, a feat not repeated until Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters 43 years later
The album was also included at No. 447 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2012. One reason for its success is its inclusion of the Grammy-winning The Girl From Ipanema, one of the most famous songs in jazz history, which featured vocals by Joao’s wife, Astrud.
Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus
Featuring the classic Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, Mingus Ah Um was released in October 1959 by Columbia Records. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013, and also ranked number 380 in the 2020 edition of Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All-Time.
As well as Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, which is a tribute to saxophonist Lester Young, who passed before the album was recorded, the album also features the politically charged Fables of Faubus, which is named after Orval E. Faubus.
Faubus was the Governor of Arkansas, who stood against racial integration in Little Rock schools. However, Columbia Records refused to allow the lyrics to the song to be included.
When Mingus Ah Um was first released, six of the album’s nine tracks had to be shortened in order to fit them on the LP. Later reissues contain the full versions.
The album is vaunted for its subtleties and rapid mood changes. In addition to delighting your ears, Mingus Ah Um will give your audio system a great workout, as it continues to surprise and delight audiophiles the world over.
Best Jazz Vinyl Records Of All Time: Final Thoughts
What did you think of my choices for the best jazz records on vinyl? Do you agree that these albums should top the list, or do you feel one, or more, don’t belong here? And are there any other records I should add to the list in a future update?
Please let me know your thoughts in a comment below. I will be adding any good suggestions to this list in a future update. And if you want some more records in other genres that sound amazing on vinyl, check out my article listing the best engineered records ever.
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