Jazz Records

NOTE: This site is currently under re-construction and is in need of some editing and additions. Nevertheless, I've decided to keep it online for reference purposes.

This is a list of jazz records. They are all garded with numbers 1-10 with the maximum score being 10. The criteria and the way I rate records is similar to the style of Robert Christgau and Tom Hull, even if I use numbers instead of letter grades. If I feel a more elaborate explanation of the grading system is needed, I'll add one later. For now, all you need to know is this:

Any record rated 7 or higher I feel is well worth owning; Any record rated 8 - 10 is strongly recommended.

(The grades are liable to change. Records marked n/a are records I for whatever reason have not given a grade yet). Records by groups without any clear leader may be listed twice. The dates and labels are taken from various sources. Compilations have recording dates, regular records have year of release. If you find any mistakes do not hesitate to let me know by sending me an e-mail at perfectsounds.chrismonsen@[REMOVETHIS]gmail.com.

Artists (leaders sorted by last name)

D - G

Davis, Anthony:
- Past Lives (Red Records, 1978) n/a
- Episteme (Gramavision, 1981) 8
- Hemispheres (Gramavision) n/a

Davis, Miles:
- Complete Birth of the Cool (Blue Note, 1948-50) n/a
- Bags' Groove (Prestige, 1954) n/a
- Miles Davis and The Modern Jazz Giants (Original Jazz Classics, 1954-56) n/a
- 'Round About Midnight (Columbia, 1955) 9
- Cookin' (Prestige, 1956) 8
- Relaxin' (Prestige, 1956) n/a
- Miles Ahead (Columbia, 1957) n/a
- Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959) 7
- Sketches of Spain (Columbia, 1959) n/a
- E.S.P (Columbia, 1965) n/a
- Miles Smiles (Columbia, 1966) 9
- Sorcerer (Columbia, 1967) n/a
- Nefertiti (Columbia, 1967) 7
- In a Silent Way (Columbia, 1969) 10
- Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1969) 7
- Jack Johnson (Columbia, 1970) 10
- On the Corner (Columbia, 1973) 8
- Dark Magus
(Columbia, 1974) 9
- Agharta (Columbia, 1975) 8
- Decoy (Columbia, 1984) 5
- Aura (Columbia, 1985) n/a
- Tutu (Warner, 1986) 6

Davis, Richard:
- Persia My Dear (DIW, 1987) n/a

DeJohnette, Jack:
- Sorcery (Prestige, 1973) n/a
- Special Edition: Album Album (ECM, 1984) 6
- w/Muhal Richard Abrams, Larry Gray, Roscoe Mitchell & Henry Threadgill: Made In Chicago (ECM, 2015) 7

Dickerson, Walt:
- To My Queen (Fantasy/New Jazz, 1962) 7
- w/Andrew Curille & Wilbur Ware: Tell Us Only Beautifull Things (Why Not/Candid, 1975/2009) 7

Dixon, Bill:
- Intents and Purposes (RCA/International Phonograph, 1967) 8
- Thoughts (Soul Note, 1987) 8
- Son of Sissyphus (Soul Note, 1990) 9
- Vade Mecum (Soul Note, 1994) n/a
- Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12, 2009) 7

Dolphy, Eric:
- Here and There (Prestige, 1960) n/a
- Outward Bound (Prestige, 1960) n/a
- Out There (New Jazz/Original Jazz Classics, 1960) 7
- Candid Dolphy (Candid, 1960) n/a
- Far Cry (New Jazz/Original Jazz Classics, 1960) 8
- Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot, Vol. 1 (New Jazz/Original Jazz Classics, 1961) 8
- Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot, Vol. 2 (New Jazz/Original Jazz Classics, 1961) 7
- The Complete Prestige Recordings (Prestige, 1960-61) 8
- Berlin Concerts (Enja, 1961) 7
- Iron Man (Restless, 1963) 9
- The Illinois Concert (Blue Note, 1963) 7
- Out to Lunch (Blue Note, 1964) 10

Doyle, Arthur:
- Alabama Feeling (1978) n/a

8 Bold Souls:
- 8 Bold Souls (Sessom, 1987) n/a
- Sideshow (Arabesque, 1992) 9
- Ant Farm (Arabesque, 1994) 8
- Last Option (Thrill Jockey) 6

Ehrlich, Marty:
- w/Anthony Cox & Pheeroan AkLaf: Welcome (Sound Aspects, 1984) 8

El'Zabar, Kahil:
- Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio: Renaissance of the Resitance (Delmark, 1994) 7
- w/David Murray & Fred Hopkins: Love Outside of Dreams (Delmark, 1997) 8


Eldridge, Roy:
- Little Jazz (Columbia, 1935-40) n/a

Ellington, Duke:
- The Bubber Miley Era: 1924-1929 (Jazz Legends, 2003) 10
- Flaming Youth (RCA, 1927) 10
- The Okeh Ellington (Columbia, 1927-1930) 9
- The Duke's Men: Small Groups Vol. 1 (Columbia, 1934-1938) 8
- The Duke's Men: Small Groups Vol. 2 (Columbia, 1938-1939) 7
- The Blanton-Webster Band (Bluebird/RCA, 1939-1942) 9
- Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band (Bluebird, 1940-1942) n/a
- The Duke at Fargo 1940 (Storyville, 1940) n/a
- The Great Ellington Units (RCA, 1940-41) n/a
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts, January 1943 (Prestige, 1943) n/a
- Black, Borwn and Beige (Live) (Columbia/Legacy, 1944) n/a
- Masterpieces by Ellington (Columbia, 1950) 7
- Ellington Uptown (Sony International, 1953) 9
- Ellington at Newport (Columbia, 1956) n/a
- Such Sweet Thunder (Columbia, Legacy, 1957) 8
- Black, Brown and Beige (Columbia, 1958) n/a
- Back to Back (Verve, 1959) n/a
- Side by Side (Verve, 1958-1959) n/a
- Anatomy of a Murder (Columbia, 1959) n/a
- Blues in Orbit (Columbia, 1959/'60) 7
- First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (Columbia, 1961) n/a
- Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Impulse!, 1962) n/a
- Money Jungle w/Charlie Mingus & Max Roach (Blue Note, 1962) 8
- Duke Ellington and John Coltrane (Impulse!, 1962) n/a
- Afro-Bossa (Musicraft, 1962) n/a
- Duke Ellington's Concert of Sacred Music (RCA, 1965) n/a
- Soul Call (Live) (Verve, 1966) n/a
- The Popular Duke Ellington (RCA, 1966) n/a
- Far East Suite (RCA Bluebird, 1967) 10
- ...and His Mother Called Him Bill (RCA Victor, 1967) n/a
- The Intimate Ellington (Original Jazz Classics, 1969) n/a
- New Orleans Suite (Atlantic, 1970) 7
- The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse (Fantasy/Original Jazz Classics, 1971) 8

Ervin, Booker:
- Freedom Book (Prestige/Original Jazz Classics, 1963) n/a
- The Blues Book (Prestige/Original Jazz Classics, 1964) n/a
- The Space Book (Prestige/OJC, 1964) n/a
- Setting the Pace (Prestige/Original Jazz Classics, 1965) 8

Evans, Bill:
- Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside/OJC, 1961) 8
- Waltz for Debby (Riverside/OJC, 1961) 8

Evans, Orrin:
- Tarbaby (w/Eric Revis, Nasheet Waits & more): The End of Fear (Posi-Tone, 2010) 8
- Captain Black Big Band (Posi-Tone, 2011) 6

Faddis, Jon:
- Teranga (Koch, 2006) 7

Fefer, Avram:
- w/Eric Revis & Chad Taylor: Eliyahu (Not Two, 2011) 8

Fieldwork (Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman & Tyshawn Sorey):
- Door (Pi Recordings, 2008) 9

Finnerud, Svein:
- Svein Finnerud Trio (Norsk Jazzforum/Plastic Strip, 1969) 9
- Plastic Sun (Plastic Strip, 1970) 8
- Thoughts (Odin) 8
- The Complete Released Works 1968-1999 (Plastic Strip) 7

Fitzgerald, Ella:
- 75th Birthday Celebration (GRP, 1938) n/a
- Ella: The Legendary Decca Recordings (GRP, 1938) n/a
- The First Lady of Song (Decca, 1947) 7
- Sings the Cole Porter Song Book (Verve, 1956) n/a
- The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books (Verve, 1956) n/a
- Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book (Verve, 1956)
- Ella and Louis (Verve, 1956) n/a
- Ella and Louis Again (Verve, 1957) n/a
- Sings the Irvin Berlin Song Book (Verve, 1958) n/a
- Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book (Verve, 1959) n/a
- The Best of the Song Books (Verve, 1993) n/a
- Something to Live For (Verve, 1999) n/a
- Ken Burns Jazz (Verve, 2000) n/a

FME (Free Music Ensemble):
- Underground (OkkaDisk, 2004) 7
- Cuts (OkkaDisk, 2005) 8

Freeman, Chico:
- Morning Prayer (Why Not, 1976) n/a
- Beyond the Rain (Contemporary Records, 1978) n/a
- w/Don Pullen, Fred Hopkins & Bobby Battle: Warriors (Black Saint) 8

Freeman, Von:
- Doin' It Right Now (Atlantic, 1972) n/a

Gahnold, Anders:
- w/Hamid Drake & William Parker: Last Dances (Ayler, 2008) 7

Gaillard, Slim:
- Laughing in Rhythm: The Best of the Verve Years (Verve, 1994) 7

Gale, Eddie:
- Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music (Blue Note/Water, 1968) 9
- Black Rhythm Happening (Blue Note, 1969) 8
- Afro Fire (Blue Note, 2003) n/a

Gayle, Charles:
- w/Sirone & Dave Pleasant: Homeless (Silkheart, 1988) 9
- w/Rashied Ali & William Parker: Touchin' on Trane (FMP, 1991) 10
- Repent (Knitting Factory Records, 1992) 7
- More Live (Knitting Factory, 1993) n/a
- Concentration (Black Saint, 1993) n/a
- Unto I Am (Victo, 1995) n/a
- Daily Bread (Black Saint) 7
- Time Zones (Tompkins Square, 2006) n/a
- By Any Means feat. Rashied Ali & William Parker: Live At Crescendo (Ayler, 2008) 7
- Trio: Streets (Northern Spy Records, 2012) 8

Gillespie, Dizzy:
- Shaw Nuff (Musicraft, 1945–46) n/a
- The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (RCA, 2CD, 1937–49) 7

Giuffre, Jimmy:
- Free Fall (Columbia/Legacy, 1962) 7

Gjerstad, Frode:
- Detail w/Johnny Dyani & John Stevens: Okhela 'To Make a Fire' (Affinity, 1982/'84) 9
- w/William Parker & Hamid Drake: Ultima (Cadence, 1999) 8
- w/William Parker & Hamid Drake: On Reade Street (FMR, 2008) 8

Glasper, Robert:
- In My Element (Blue Note, 2007) 7

Goodman, Benny:
- Sing, Sing, Sing (Bluebird, 1935-1938) 8

Gordon, Dexter:
- Settin' the Pace (Savoy, 1945-47) n/a
- Go! (Blue Note, 1962) 6

Green, Bunky:
- Playin' For Keeps (Lone Hill Jazz, 1965) n/a
- w/Rudresh Mahanthappa: Apex (Pi Recordings, 2010) 7

Greene, Burton:
- Burton Greene Quartet (ESP, 1965) n/a

Griffin, Johnny:
- A Blowin' Session (Blue Note, 1957) 7
- Johnny Griffin Sextet (Siverside, 1958) 8

Grimes, Henry:
- Trio: The Call (ESP, 1965) 7
- w/Rashied Ali: Spirits Aloft (Porter, 2010) 7

Griot Galaxy:
- Kins (Black & White Records, 1981) 8