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)

S - T

Sanders, Pharoah:
- Karma (Impulse!, 1969) 6
- Africa (Timeless, 1987) n/a
- Welcome to Love (Timeless, 1990) 8

Schlippenbach, Alex Von:
- Pakistani Pomade (Atavistic, 1972) 7
- Monk's Casino (3CD, Intakt, 2005) n/a

Sharp, Elliott:
- Aggrehat (Clean Feed) n/a

Sharrock, Sonny:
- Black Woman (Water, 1969) 6
- Guitar (Enemy, 1986) 8
- Seize the Rainbow (Enemy, 1987) n/a
- Highlife (Enemy, 1990) 7
- Ask the Ages (Axiom, 1991) 10

Shaw, Woody:
- Rosewood (Columbia, 1977) 7

Shelby, Marcus:
- MSJO: Harriet Tubman (Noir Records, 2008) n/a

Shepp, Archie:
- Four for Trane (Impulse!, 1964) 7
- Fire Music (Impulse!, 1965) 9
- The Way Ahead (Impulse!, 1968) n/a
- Attica Blues (Impulse!, 1972) 8
- The Cry of My People (Impulse!, 1972) n/a
- w/Horace Parlan: Goin' Home (Steeple Chase, 1977) n/a

Shorter, Alan:
- Orgasm (Verve, 1968) 8

Shorter, Wayne:
- Night Dreamer (Blue Note, 1964) n/a
- Speak No Evil (Blue Note, 1964) n/a
- The Classic Blue Note Recordings (Blue Note 2CD, 1960–89) n/a

Silver, Horace:
- Six Pieces of Silver (Blue Note, 1956-1958) n/a
- Song for My Father (Blue Note, 1964) 8
- The Jody Grind (Blue Note, 1966) n/a

Simmons, Sonny:
- w/Prince Lasha Quintet: The Cry (OJC, 1962) n/a
- Staying on the Watch (ESP, 1966) 7
- Music From the Spheres (ESP, 1966) n/a
- The Complete ESP Disk' Recordings (ESP, 1966) n/a
- w/Prince Lasha: Firebirds (Contemporary, 1968) n/a
- Manhattan Egos (Arhoolie, 1969) n/a
- Burning Spirits (Contemporary, 1970) n/a
- Blackwoods Suite (Westwind, 1982) n/a
- Ancient Ritual (Quest/Reprise, 1992) 7
- Transcendence (CIMP, 1996) n/a
- Judgement Day (CIMP, 1996) n/a

Sirone:
- w/Billy Bang: Sirone Bang Ensemble: Configuration (Silkheart, 2005) 8

The Shining:
- In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster (Rune Grammofon, 2005) n/a

Shipp, Matthew:
- w/William Parker: Zo (Thirsty Ear, 1993) n/a
- The Multiplication Table (Hatology, 1998) n/a
- w/Mat Maneri: Gravitational Systems (Hatology, 1998) n/a
- w/William Parker: DNA (Thirsty Ear, 1999) n/a
- Pastoral Composure (Thirsty Ear, 2000) n/a
- Nu Bop (Thirsty Ear, 2002) 7
- Equilibrium (Thirsty Ear, 2003) n/a
- Harmony and Abyss (Thirsty Ear, 2004) 8
- Piano Vortex (AUM Fidelity/Blue Series, 2007) 7
- Harmonic Disorder (Thirsty Ear, 2009) 8
- Trio: Piano Song (Thirsty Ear, 2017) 7 

Smith, Jimmy:
- Cool Blues (Blue Note, 1958) n/a
- Back at the Chicken Shack (Blue Note, 1960) n/a
- w/Stanley Turrentine: Prayer Meetin' (Blue Note, 1960–1963) n/a

Smith, Wadada Leo:
- Human Rights (Kabell, 1986) n/a
- w/Ed Blackwell: The Blue Mountain Sun's Drummer (Kabell, 1986) 7
- Tabligh (Cuneiform, 2005) n/a
- Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform, 2009) 8
- Organic: Heart's Rflections (Cuneiform, 2011) 8
- The Great Lakes Suite (TUM Records)
- Golden Quintet: America's National Parks (Cuneiform Records, 2016) 9

Sonic Liberation Front:
- Ashé a Go-Go (High Two, 2004) 8

Sonic Openings Under Pressure (Patrick Brennean, Hilliard Greene, David Pleassant):
- Muhheankuntuk (Clean Feed, 2008) 7

Sorey, Tyshawn:
- That/Not (Firehouse 12, 2007) 7
- Koan (482 Music) 8
- Oblique 1 (That/Not, 2011) 7
- Verisimilitude (Pi Recordings, 2017) 7

Spanier, Muggsy:
- The "Ragtime Band" Sessions (RCA Bluebird, 1939) n/a

Spearman, Glenn:
- w/Paul Murphy & William Parker: Trio Hurrican: Suite of Winds (Black Saint, 1994) n/a

Spontaneous Music Ensemble:
- Karyobin (Chronoscope, 1968) 8

Stitt, Sonny:
- Kaleidscope (Prestige, 1952) n/a
- Stitt's Bits: The Bebop Recordings, 1949-1952 (Prestige, 1949-52) n/a
- Burnin' (Fresh Sound, 1958) n/a
- w/Paul Goncalves: Salt and Pepper (Impulse!, 1963) n/a
- It's Magic (Delmark, 1969) n/a
- Tune Up! (Muse, 1972) n/a

Sun Ra:
- Supersonic Jazz (Evidence, 1956) n/a
- Sound of Joy (Delmark, 1957) n/a
- Jazz in Silhouette (Evidence, 1958) 10
- The Nubians of Plutonia (Impulse!/Evidence, rec. 1958-59, rel. 1966) 8
- The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (Savoy Jazz, 1961) 8
- Other Planes Of There (Evidence, 1964) 8
- The Magic City (Evidence, 1965) n/a
- The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 1 (ESP, 1965) 7
- The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 2 (ESP, 1965) n/a
- Nothing Is... (ESP, 1966) n/a
- Atlantis (Evidence, 1967) 6
- The Sound of Joy (BYG/Actuel, 1958/1968) n/a
- Space Is the Place (Impulse!, 1972) n/a
- Lanquidity (Evidence, 1978) 8

Supersilent:
- 4 (Rune Grammofon, 1998) 7
- 6 (Rune Grammofon, 2003) n/a

Swell, Steve:
- Slammin' the Infinate: 5000 Poems (Not Two, 2010) 7
- Quintet: Soul Travelers (Rogue Art, 2016) 8

Taborn, Craig:
- Junk Magic (Thirsty Ear Recordings, 2004) n/a
- w/William Parker & Gerald Cleaver: Farmers By Nature (AUM Fidelity, 2009) 7
- Avenging Angel (ECM, 2011) 7
- Farmers By Nature: Out of This World's Distortion (AUM Fidelity, 2011) 8

Tapscott, Horace:
- Quintet: The Giant Is Awakened (Flying Dutchman, 1969) 8
- The Dark Tree (HatOlogy 2CD, 1989) 9

Tatum, Art:
- Piano Starts Here (Columbia/Legacy, 1933-1949) n/a
- Classic Early Solos (1934-1937) (Decca, 1934-1937) 7
- The Best of the Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces (Pablo, 1953–1955) n/a 

Taylor, Cecil:
- Jazz Advance (Blue Note, 1956) 8
- Love for Sale (Blue Note, 1959) 7
- The World of Cecil Taylor (Candid, 1960) 10
- w/Buell Neidlinger: New York City R&B (Candid, 1961) 8
- Jumpin' Punkins
(Candid, 1961) 8
- Nefertiti, the Beautiful One Has Come (Revenant 2CD, 1962) 7
- Unit Structures (Blue Note, 1966) 7
- Conquistador! (Blue Note, 1966) 8
- Spring of Two Blue J's (Jazz View, 1973) n/a
- Silent Tongues (Live) (1201 Music, 1974) 7
- The Cecil Taylor Unit (New World, 1978) 7
- 3 Phasis (New World, 1978) 9
- One Too Many Salty Swift and Not Goodbye (Hat Art 2CD, 1978,) n/a
- Winged Serpent (Sliding Quadrants) (Soul Note, 1984/86) 7
- Olu Iwa (Soul Note, 1986) n/a
- For Olim (Soul Note) 7
- Looking (Berlin Version) The Feel Trio (FMP, 1989) n/a
- The Tree of Life (FMP, 1991) n/a
- Always a Pleasure (FMP, 1993) n/a
- Cecil Taylor Feel Trio w/William Parker & Tony Oxley: Celebrated Blazons (FMP, 1993) 9
- The Willisau Concert (Intakt, 2000) n/a

Teagarden, Jack:
- Jack Teagarden's Big Eight/Pee Wee Russell's Rhythmakers (Riverside OJC, 1938–1940) 8

The Thing:
- Garage (Smalltown Supersound, 2004) 6
- Live at Blå (Smalltown Supersound, 2005) n/a

Thompson, Lucky:
- Accent on Tenor Sax (Fresh Sound, 1954) n/a
- Tricotism (Impulse!, 1956) n/a

Threadgill, Henry:
- X 75, Vol. 1 (Novus, 1979) 7
- Sextet: When Was That? (About Time, 1982) 8
- Sextet: Just the Facts and Pass the Bucket (About Time, 1983) 9
- Sextet: Subject To Change (About Time, 1985) 7
- Sextett: You Know the Number (Novus, 1987) 9
- Sextett: Easily Slip Into Another World (Novus, 1988) 8
- Sextett: Rag, Bush and All (Novus, 1989) 10
- Spirit of Nuff...Nuff (Black Saint, 1990) n/a
- Too Much Sugar For A Dime (Axiom, 1993) 7
- Zooid: Up Popped the Two Lips (Pi, 2001) n/a
- Zooid: This Brings Us To ... Vol.1 (Pi, 2009) 7- Zooid: This Brings Us To ... Vol. II (Pi, 2010) 7

- The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (8 CD, Mosaic, 2010) 10

Tolliver, Charles:
- The Ringer (Black Lion, 1969) 8
- Paper Man (Arista/Freedom, 1975) n/a
- Music Inc & Orchestra: Impact (Strata-East, 1976) n/a

Tristano, Lenny:
- w/Warne Marsh: Intuition (Capitol, 1949–1956) 8


Tyler, Charles:
- Charles Tyler Ensemble (ESP Disk, 1966) n/a
- Eastern Man Alone (ESP Disk, 1967) n/a
- Voyage From Jericho (1975) n/a

Tyner, McCoy:
- The Real McCoy (Blue Note, 1967) 8