Discography

The Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra: Blu Blu Blu (Black Saint 120117-2)
Art Ensemble Of Chicago: Nice Guys (ECM 1126)
Albert Ayler: Witches & Devils (Freedom / FCD 741018)
Bix Beiderbecke: Singin' The Blues (Columbia / CK 45450)
Anthony Braxton: Willisau (Quartet) 1991 (hat ART 461001/2/3/4)
Clifford Brown: A Study In Brown (Emarcy 814646-2)
An anthology of Cuban music, focused mostly on the Latin roots of the salsa music of today.
Sophisticated and highly improvised vocal interpretations of jazz standards.
Often regarded as Coleman's strongest freebop recording, with some of his best compositions.
A single CD that showcases an reunion of the original freebop quartet as well as the free fusion group Prime Time. The two very different groups play many of the same compositions, which gives a fascinating insight into the workings of Coleman's music.
The crowning achievement by Coltrane's great quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. Intense modal music.
The first "expressionistic" recording by this giant of the style.
A two-CD set of intense, expressionistic performances with larger ensembles, including the groundbreaking and controversial "Ascension".
A collection of Chicago style performances featuring Bobby Hackett, Pee Wee Russell, Gene Schroeder, and others.
The second incarnation of Corea's fusion band Return To Forever.
The classic "cool jazz" recordings, recorded with a nine piece ensemble
Considered by many to be the greatest jazz album ever. Influential for its pioneering approach to modal harmony as well as the reflective mood it sets. Featuring Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Bill Evans.
A recording by Davis' second great quintet, with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, exploring original modal and non-tonal compositions.
Perhaps the most influential of all fusion recordings; many of the sidemen on this recording became leaders of their own important fusion groups.
Fantastic recording of freebop with Doplhy on alto saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet, and Misha Mengelberg on piano.
The first recording by Bill Evans' original trio with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. This group pioneered an approach in which the three members functioned as equals, rather than soloist plus accompaniment. They were most known for their ballad performances.
One of the key players in modern Latin jazz concentrates here largely on the Afro-Cuban roots of this music.
A fine set of vocal standards.
Fusion with a health dose of funk, featuring some of Hancock's best-known compositions.
A compilation of performances by jazz musicians from the newsgroup rec.music.bluenote.
A solo piano recording that involves extended hypnotic vamps. This music is seen as a precursor of New Age music.
The companion CD to the book of the same name by Frank Tirro. An excellent survey of jazz history.
A three-CD set that showcases Jobim the bossa nova composer, pianist, guitarist, and vocalist, in a variety of different settings.
Classic vocalese recordings.
Postmodern jazz fusion with strong hip hop influences, featuring Steve Coleman.
Expressionistic fusion with influences from India. Features John McLaughlin, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman, and Bill Cobham.
A neoclassical masterpiece featuring an extended suite that touches on blues, traditional jazz, hard bop, and post bop styles.
Acid jazz from a trio of talented musicians.
Contemporary jazz fusion with appeal to both "smooth jazz" and mainstream jazz audiences.
Groundbreaking performances by the "Jazz Workshop" group that featured Eric Dolphy. Post bop music with freebop and other "avant-garde" edges.
A large scale work in several movements, showing strong third stream influences combined with Mingus gospel roots, with a decidedly "avant-garde" sound.
The original recordings of many of Monk's greatest compositions.
A series of conductions with a thirteen piece ensemble (including the leader).
A quartet featuring Don Pullen on organ. The music is a synthesis of mainstream jazz, R&B, expressionism, and other sources.
Meditative music with world influences, this group is considered a forerunner of New Age music. The band features Paul McCandless and Ralph Towner.
An anthology of recordings from the early days of Latin jazz, mostly focused on Machito.
A representative modern mainstream session.
Traditional jazz played by a modern Dixieland group.
A CD that combines the contents of two postmodern LP's from early in the Arkestra's career. Some swing, some more psychedelic music.
Impressionistic duo improvisations.
A classic album of hard bop.
Impressionistic and restructuralist quartet with Art Lande.
The debut recording by the author of this program. A mixture of post bop, freebop, and other modern jazz styles.
An eclectic program of post bop, free bop, postmodern compositions, and impressionistic free improvisation.
Top notch European free improvisation with Schlippenbach, Evan Parker, and Paul Lovens.
New Age and contemporary/smooth jazz
Soul jazz from the master organist, featuring Stanley Turrentine and Kenny Burrell.
A five-CD set that traces the history of jazz throughout the twentieth century, with an emphasis on Classic and Mainstream styles. Many of the examples from those chapters of the unit on Jazz Styles were drawn from this set.
A collection of Sousa marches.
A collection of thirteen CD's (sold individually) documenting the folk music recorded by Alan Lomax during a series of field trips through the American South. These recordings contain many examples of work songs, blues, and gospel music. Examples in this program were drawn from volumes 1 & 3.
Arguably the first complete album of "free" jazz (mostly freebop).
One of the early and important documents of restructuralist techniques.
Hard-edged fusion featuring Scott Henderson and Gary Willis.
A collection of classic performances from 1946-1949, which was his most prolific period. Featuring Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Billy Bauer, and others. The music is mostly based on bebop or cool jazz conventions, with a couple of notable forays into impressionistic "free jazz".
Fusion with an emphasis on composition and impressionistic improvisation, featuring some of the band's best known tunes. Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Jaco Pastorius.
Classic impressionistic and freebop recording with Wayne Shorter, Sam Rivers, and Herbie Hancock.
A series of compilations of New Age recordings from other Windham Hill releases. The examples in this program were drawn from volume 2.
Recordings of traditional African music featuring the mbira, or "thumb piano".
A dizzying postmodern set that makes heavy use of hard rock influences.