Best Jazz Albums

That's the thing about jazz: it's free flowing, it comes from your soul. - Billy Crystal

Jazz is a very prominent genre of music which has gained popularity worldwide. It is believed that this music was brought into existence by African-Americans in the 20th century. An interesting aspect of this type of music is that it incorporates different kinds of musical instruments. The common instruments included in a standard jazz setup include rhythm guitar, bass guitar, piano, saxophone, drums and various percussions, trumpet, and violin. There can be additional instruments as per the preferences of jazz musicians. Jazz musicians experiment with a variety of chords and music playing techniques, which musicians from other genres may find confusing. Therefore, it is believed that musicians who play jazz are masters in their respective skill. If you want to listen to awesome music, you can choose some of the best jazz albums mentioned below.

Top 10 Best Jazz Albums of All Time

1. Kind of Blue - Miles Davis (1959)
2. Time Out - The Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959)
3. The Way Up - Pat Metheny Group (2005)
4. Secrets - Allan Holdsworth (1989)
5. Jazz at Massey Hall - Charlie Parker (1953)
6. Sonny Side Up - Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, and Sonny Rollins (1957)
7. Concert by the Sea - Errol Garner (1955)
8. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane (1964)
9. Night Train - Oscar Peterson Trio (1962)
10. Ellington at Newport - Duke Ellington (1956)

Best Jazz Albums of 2009

• Endurance - The Heath Brothers
• Relentless - Sharel Cassity
• Moody 4A - James Moody
• Infernal Machines - Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
• Uptown - Wayne Escoffery
• Think Free - Ben Allison
• Detroit - Gerald Wilson
• Esta Plena - Miguel Zenon
• So In Love - Roberta Gambarini
• Dedicated to You - Kurt Elling
• Today on Earth - Joe Morris
• Kind of Brown - Christian McBride
• Plays for Monk - Bobby Broom
• Emergence - Roy Hargrove Big Band
• Doozy - Jackie Ryan
• Bien Bien - Wayne Wallace
• Folk Art - Joe Lovano
• The Bright Mississippi - Allen Toussaint
• Third Occasion - David Binney
• Prana Dance - Tom Harrell

Best Jazz Albums of 2010

• Orchestrion - Pat Metheny
• Initiate - The Nels Cline Singers
• Reclamation - Stephan Crump & the Rosetta Trio
• Way of the World - Mose Allison
• Push - Jacky Terrasson
• Flying Toward the Sound - Geri Allen
• All Is Gladness In The Kingdom - Fight The Big Bull feat. Steven Bernstein
• Deluxe - Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth
• Highway Rider - Brad Mehldau
• Reverse Thread - Regina Carter
• Paradoxical Frog - Kris Davis, Ingrid Laubrock, and Tyshawn Sorey
• Dandelion Clock - Sarah Manning
• Ethnic Expression - Roy Brooks
• Puppet Mischief - John Ellis and Double-Wide
• Stories and Negotiations - Mike Reed's People, Places and Things
• Black Hawk Dance - Scott DuBois
• Harvesting Semblances And Affinities - Steve Coleman and Five Elements
• Ten - Jason Moran
• 4d - Matthew Shipp
• Flying Toward the Sound (Dig) - Geri Allen

Good Jazz Albums

• Desert Lady - Toshiko Akiyoshi
• Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk
• Pastoral Composure - Matthew Shipp
• The Inner Mounting Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra
• Wide Open Spaces - Michael Formanek
• The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus
• Testament - Butch Morris
• Free Jazz - Ornette Coleman
• Out to Lunch - Eric Dolphy
• Spiritual Unity - Albert Ayler
• Luella - James Newton
• When Was That - Henry Threadgill
• Approximately - Guillermo Gregorio
• Barbet Wire Maggot - Borbetomagus
• Ascension - John Coltrane
• Even the Sounds Shine - Myra Melford
• Escalator Over The Hill - Carla Bley
• Unit Structures - Cecil Taylor
• Dust To Dust - Butch Morris
• Circular Temple - Matthew Shipp
• Karma - Pharoah Sanders
• Malinke's Dance - Marty Ehrlich
• Conference of the Birds - David Holland

Read more on best jazz songs.

This is a running list of the best jazz albums of all time. Check out more music albums and songs from these jazz musicians. Jazz musicians are well-versed in playing rhythm and blues, fusion, instrumental, folk, etc.