20
Tal Farlow Quartet
Blue Note 5042 (1954)

This is a solid album start to finish that, partly due to its absence of horns, never screams at the listener and makes for an especially laid-back listen. Quartet with two guitars is indeed a rare lineup. Drummer Joe Morello’s brushwork is noteworthy.

19
Dave Bailey Quintet, 2 Feet in the Gutter
Epic 16021 (1961)

A finger-popping soul jazz masterpiece, and another favorite album introduced to me by my wife, Ako. Bailey clearly had a talent as a bandleader, making great song selections and surrounding himself with talented musicians.

18
John Coltrane, Impressions
Impulse 42 (1963)

This album has a good sense of cohesion despite being cobbled together from three different recording dates, two studio and one live. The droning harmonies of “India” still leave me in awe to this day. Eric Dolphy’s playing in Trane’s presence is pure bliss and it did not happen enough.

“India”

17
The Prestige Jazz Quartet
Prestige 7108 (1957)

This is yet another beautiful, dry Hackensack recording, and the writing of co-leaders Teddy Charles and Mal Waldron is pleasantly experimental for 1957. Quartet with vibraphone is a favorite lineup of mine. Waldron’s minimalist piano soloing shines.

“Dear Elaine”

16
Thelonious Monk Plays
Prestige 189 (1954)

Though Monk is my favorite jazz artist, I do not think he was a great “album artist”. This ten-inch LP is an exception. Popularized by its inclusion in the Monk/Rollins Prestige compilation (cat. 7075), this album was recorded to perfection on a single date in Hackensack.

“Work”

15
Johnny Coles, Little Johnny C
Blue Note 4144 (1963)

I discovered this album early on in my collecting and it spoke to me immediately. Though many collectors praise this album I still feel it is underrated. I’m not very familiar with Leo Wright but I love him on this album, and Duke Pearson excels as the album’s primary composer.

“So Sweet My Little Girl”

14
Horace Silver, 6 Pieces of Silver
Blue Note 1539 (1956)

This album is a wonderful mixture of bebop, hard bop, ballads, and blues, and it is a quintessential example of Silver’s style. Donald Byrd and Hank Mobley front Silver in a rare collaboration, and Louis Hayes successfully steps in for Silver’s former co-leader, Art Blakey.

“Shirl”

13
Larry Young, Into Somethin’
Blue Note 4187 (1964)

This is one of those albums where the mood is so consistent start to finish that I neglect learning the song titles, and thus I find it hard to choose favorites. Sam Rivers plays surprisingly “in”, Elvin Jones mans the brushes for the majority of the songs, and Larry Young’s style of organ playing is the sonic version of air conditioning on a hot summer day.

12
Cal Tjader, Live at The Funky Quarters
Fantasy 9409 (1972)

This is another album recommended to me by way of It’s a Raggy Waltz, and another rare appearance of a ’70s album in my list. This is the only Tjader album I own and it showcases just how fun and easy his music was. I wish I knew more bop albums that used electric piano.

11
Horace Parlan, Speakin’ My Piece
Blue Note 4043 (1960)

The cavernous sound of Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio contributes to the dead-black background of this gorgeous recording. Parlan and the Turretine brothers pen all but one of the tunes here and the writing is highly consistent. Bro Stanley’s blues-y soloing shines.

“Up in Cynthia’s Room”