John Coltrane-Blue Train (1957)

John Coltrane's second album for Blue Note Records is considered one of the masterpieces of the hard bop jazz subgenre. In this release, Coltrane doesn't attempt to explore the rich timbres or musical color of his later, more avant-garde albums like "A Love Supreme", nor does it exhibit the coldness of contemporary albums such as Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue". However, "Blue Train" showcases a repertoire of iconic hard bop with outstanding instrumental performances from all the musicians involved, especially the horn section comprised of Coltrane himself, trumpeter Lee Morgan, and trombonist Curtis Fuller. In 1957, Lee Morgan was one of the most popular young trumpet players, and it would be a few more years before he reached his artistic peak with his album "The Sidewinder", Curtis Fuller, meanwhile, was at the height of his powers thanks to his exquisite solo albums "New Trombone" and "Bone & Bari". Added to this lineup were pianist Kenny Drew, a regular on the Blue Note label, and the rhythm section comprised of Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Featuring four Coltrane compositions and a cover of a Johnny Mercer and Jerome Kern song, the album explores melodic and dynamic paths, such as the opening track "Blue Train", or the fluid "Moments Notice" and "Lazy Bird". The tranquil ballad "I'm Old Fashioned", on the other hand, provides the perfect counterpoint to all the previous tracks, the only harmonious respite from the rapid and continuous changes of rhythm that characterize this outstanding recording.

John Coltrane-A Love Supreme (1965)

"A Love Supreme" is one of the most influential jazz albums of all time and the masterpiece of John Coltrane, an immortal saxophonist considered one of the great geniuses of jazz. In his early days in the late 1940s, Coltrane gravitated towards the Hard Bop sound, gradually moving towards avant-garde and improvisation, thanks to his use of freer musical modes (also known as "modal jazz"). "A Love Supreme" is composed of four long pieces, which display an expansive structure in which Coltrane and his backing band pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvis Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison, create warm textures and an intense, spiritual feeling. In fact, Coltrane's spirituality is reflected here in a kind of concept album dedicated to God in all His power and generosity. However, it also conveys a striking apocalyptic and sometimes tribal feel, thanks to the percussion and vocals in "Acknowledgement," making it one of his most avant-garde works. The melodic "Resolution," the surprising and astonishing "Pursuance," and the melancholic "Salmo," along with the aforementioned and groundbreaking "Acknowledgement," comprise the repertoire of a masterpiece not only of jazz but also of 20th-century contemporary music.

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass-Greatest Hits (1970)

Herb Alpert is one of the most legendary trumpeters in Latin jazz and other related styles, having composed some of the world's most recognizable melodies, such as the iconic "A Taste of Honey" (winner of several Grammy Awards), "Lemon Tree", "The Lonely Bull", and "Whipped Cream", among many others. As a young man, Alpert distinguished himself as a trumpeter in the U.S. Army, and after his military service, he became known, along with Lou Adler, as a renowned composer for other great artists of the late 1950s, such as Sam Cooke and Jan & Dean. After founding the famous A&M Records label with Jerry Moss in the early 1960s (the initials are derived from their surnames), Alpert began his own solo career. It was under his own record label that Alpert achieved meteoric success with his inseparable band, The Tijuana Brass. His clear Latin musical influences, seasoned with jazz, led him to be considered one of the leading figures of Latin sounds in the United States, and bands like Chicago Transit Authority and Blood, Sweat & Tears soon adopted his style, blending it with rock. With a career spanning nearly a hundred albums, Alpert's music has been used in countless TV series, films, and commercials, making him one of the most successful artists worldwide, with record sales exceeding 70 million copies globally.

George Benson-White Rabbit (1972)

Throughout his long career, George Benson embraced various jazz-derived styles, influenced by the late Wes Montgomery. He began playing instrumental jazz and later dabbled in jazz fusion and accessible, commercial jazz pop/soul, after a period of swing, bebop, and hard bop. In 1972, Benson released his second album for the CTI label and the eleventh of his solo career. Titled "White Rabbit", this release features a stellar lineup of collaborators, including Earl Klugh, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock, and Airto Moreira. Composed of covers, the album is notable for its string and brass arrangements, primarily due to the contributions of arranger Don Sebesky, as well as its brilliant production, where all the instruments sound warm with a Mediterranean flavor and Spanish and Latin influences. These Latin influences are present in Jefferson Starship's version of "White Rabbit" or in the light, flamenco-tinged "Summer of '42". On the other hand, The Mamas and The Papas' magnificent version of "California Dreamin'" or the expansive "El Mar" also have a strong Spanish influence, sometimes even bearing certain similarities to the famous piece from Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez.

The Doobie Brothers-Takin´It to the Streets (1976)

In 1975, The Doobie Brothers were at the height of their popularity, having produced some of the best albums in American rock, such as "Toulouse Street" (1972), "Captain and Me" (1973), and "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" (1974), which had earned them five platinum records and sold several million albums. After this last album, they experienced their first setback with "Stampede" (1975), in which the band shifted their country and folk rock sound, with elements of rhythm and blues, towards a more soulful direction. After this last album, former Steely Dan member Michael McDonald joined the band. Along with guitarists Tom Johnstone, Patrick Simmons, and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, bassist Tiran Porter, and drummers Keith Knudsen and John Hartman, they recorded their sixth album, “Takin’ It to the Streets,” which returned them to success. In this new release, the band continued to evolve towards soul, funk, and jazz, while subtly maintaining the country and blues-infused rock of their earlier work, a style that linked them to Steely Dan. Tracks like the irresistible “It Keeps You Runnin´”, the funk “Wheels of Fortune” and “8th Avenue Shuffle”, the soulful “Takin’ It To The Streets”, the jazzy “For Someone Special” or “Turn It Loose”, the latter with that characteristic American rock sound from their previous albums, make up a record that would be the starting point for the sound that would end up making them even bigger in the following years.

Lee Morgan-The Sidewinder (1964)

Lee Morgan was a prodigious trumpeter from Philadelphia who rose to fame as a member of Dizzy Gillespie's band and the Jazz Messengers, led by Art Blakey, during the 1950s. In 1956, Morgan began recording his own solo albums on the prestigious Blue Note label, while simultaneously continuing to collaborate with jazz greats such as John Coltrane and Hank Mobley. Among his most acclaimed recordings is "Moanin'", with the Messengers. His album and song "The Sidewinder", a contagious, upbeat soul jazz track, made him one of the label's most successful artists for years. Other tracks on this renowned album include dark jazz experiments such as "Totem Pole" and "Hocus Pocus", in which Joe Henderson's vigorous saxophone contrasts sharply with Morgan's elegant trumpet, backed by a fine band comprised of bassist Bob Cranshaw, drummer Billy Higgins, and pianist Barry Harris.

Diana Krall-Wallflower (2015)

For her twelfth studio album, jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall presented a repertoire comprised of pop and rock standards from the last four decades, all contemporary classics that inspired her early career. Produced by David Foster, a born winner with more than 15 Grammy Awards to his name, the album also features collaborations with folk, rock, and jazz legends such as Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Christian McBride, Michael Thompson, Nathan East, Michael Bublé, Timothy B. Schmit, Georgie Fame, Bryan Adams, Steve Jordan, and Jim Keltner, among many others. For the album, Diana Krall meticulously selected each song, including true classics such as "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and The Papas, "Desperado" and "I Can't Tell You Why" by The Eagles, "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" by Elton John, "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan, "Wallflower" by Bob Dylan, and "I'm Not In Love" by 10cc. In all of them, Diana Krall showcases her tremendous vocal talent, singing expressively and with great beauty. With this album, Diana Krall has definitively established that her artistic talent transcends any musical style, making her one of the most important and influential artists of recent decades.

V.S.O.P.-Tempest in The Colosseum (1977)

"Tempest in the Colosseum" is a landmark jazz recording by one of the most legendary groups in the genre's history: V.S.O.P., named after a high-quality cognac brandy. This iconic lineup consisted of Herbie Hancock (piano and synthesizers), Wayne Shorter (tenor and soprano saxophones), Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums), and Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), all former members of Miles Davis's band. This all-star ensemble was primarily a live band, releasing a series of live albums: "The Quintet" (1977), "Tempest in the Colosseum" (1977), and "Live Under the Sky" (1979), as well as one studio album, "Five Stars" (1979). Recorded on July 23, 1977 at the Tokyo Den-En Coliseum, it showcases the excellence of five talented musicians as demonstrated in a repertoire full of jazz emotion, with the enviable instrumental technique of each musician, producing a dense, complex jazz rich in hundreds of nuances, but which at the same time has an amazing accessibility both for connoisseurs of the jazz genre, and for the general public.

Miles Davis Quintet-Miles Smiles (1966)

A few years before Miles Davis began exploring the more avant-garde sounds of jazz, fusing it with rock, electronica, and funk, he released another of his legendary albums focused on melodic and somewhat futuristic bebop, anticipating by almost a decade what would later be called jazz fusion. Surrounded by one of his legendary quintets—comprising Wayne Shorter (saxophone), Anthony Williams (drums), Ron Carter (bass), and Herbie Hancock (piano)—Miles Davis favored a jazz style with a clear emphasis on the extended solos of some of his bandmates. The musicians' remarkable flexibility led to fabulous rhythms driven by the flawless rhythm section of Carter and Wayne and the tight exchange of solos between Davis's trumpet and Shorter's saxophone. Hancock's vibrant piano notes, the brilliant percussion, the driving rhythm of the wind instruments, and the inspired notes present in every groove of the record reflect a jazz album at its finest and a true masterpiece of the genre. 

Herbie Mann-Memphis Underground (1969)

Herbie Mann is one of the most admired jazz musicians, a man who has decisively influenced subsequent generations of artists within the jazz scene and music in general. Born in Brooklyn in the 1930s, he was already an accomplished performer on the flute, saxophone, piano, and clarinet from his early artistic beginnings. During the 1950s and 60s, Mann released countless recordings as a soloist and with various orchestras and bands, showcasing his impressive flute mastery. With a vast discography spanning from 1954 to 2004, when his final album was released shortly after his death, Herbie Mann entered the annals of musical legend with an extraordinary body of work that masterfully combined the new sounds he experimented with in jazz, blending them with African and Latin ethnic music. In 1969, with his album "Memphis Underground", Herbie Mann burst onto the scene in the world of mainstream music with a groundbreaking LP that became a seminal work in 20th-century popular music. On this album, Mann explored soul and rhythm and blues, influenced by Southern jazz. "Memphis Underground" featured collaborations with outstanding jazz musicians such as Larry Coryell, Roy Ayers, Reggie Young, Gene Chrisman, Miroslav Vitouš, Bobby Emmons, and Sonny Sharrock. Considered a masterpiece of jazz, it is also one of the most successful jazz recordings of all time.

Hermann Szobel-Szobel (1976)

Born in Austria, Hermann Szobel was a classically trained pianist who, in the mid-1970s, released a seminal work within the jazz-rock genre. In 1974, at just 17 years old and observing the lack of interest in jazz in his native country, he decided to move to New York. In the city of skyscrapers, he not only perfected his jazz style but also caught the attention of Arista Records. With a contract in hand, he set out to record an album, forming a band composed of Michael Visceglia (bass), Bob Goldman (drums), Dave Samuels (percussion and vibraphone), and Vadim Vyadro (saxophone, flute, and clarinet). On his first and only album, "Szobel", the young Hermann included five extensive, heterogeneous tracks, featuring intricate yet complex melodic arrangements of great creativity, firmly grounded in jazz with passages infused with classical music and avant-garde elements. Halfway between modern and progressive jazz, Hermann transforms musical landscapes with small doses of his instrumental virtuosity, allowing the rest of the band to showcase their immense talent as well. Vibrant rhythmic passages like "Mr. Softee" or sophisticated and intense tracks like "The Szuite" are just a small sample of the album's exceptional quality. But Hermann also knows how to navigate accessible and down-to-earth sounds in pieces like "Between 7 & 11" or "Transcendental Floss", or more avant-garde atmospheres with the effective "New York City, 6 AM".

Oscar Peterson-Great Connection (1974)

In 1971, Oscar Peterson began a fruitful and long-lasting partnership with American drummer Louis Hayes and Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, starting with an exquisite and varied album of jazz standards. Produced by Hans Georg Brunner, this work, released three years later (1974), saw the trio create a series of highly inspired compositions, such as the free jazz track "Younger Than Springtime", the relaxed "Soft Winds", the complex "Wheatland", the overwhelming version of Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me", and the uplifting Charles Chapin piece "Smile". In the following years, Peterson and Pedersen played together regularly in countless concerts and collaborated on a dozen official recordings, including "The Good Life" (1973), "The Trio" (1974), "Nigerian Marketplace" (1981), and "Night Child" (1982).

Mombasa-African Rhythms and Blues (1975)

Lou Blackburn was a renowned American musician who rose to fame in the 1950s and 60s performing alongside jazz legends such as Lionel Hampton, Lou Rawls, and Duke Ellington. He also established a successful solo career, releasing albums like "Jazz Frontier" and "The Complete Imperial Sessions". In the early 1970s, he moved to Europe and founded the Mombasa project, a group that fused African rhythms with jazz. In 1975, under the German independent label Spiegelei, he recorded the group's debut album, "African Rhythms and Blues", an extraordinary recording where exotic rhythms, rural and folk blues, spirituals, and jazz intertwine in a fascinating and enchanting fusion. Besides Lou Blackburn (trombone), the rest of Mombasa consisted of Donald Coleman (congas and flute), Charles Jefferson (trumpet), Gerald Luciano (double bass and African percussion), and Cephus McGirt (drums). Produced by German engineer Manfred Schmitz, the album contains an anthology of repertoire that makes it one of the finest recordings of ethnic jazz ever made.

Carlos Santana & Alice Coltrane-Illuminations (1974)

After leaving behind magnificent jazz-rock works like “Abraxas”, “Caravanserai”, “Welcome”, and “Borboletta”, Carlos Santana reaffirmed his passion for John Coltrane by creating a captivating collaboration with composer and string arranger Alice Coltrane (John's widow). Under the spiritual influence of Sri Chinmoy, Santana surrounds himself in this monumental work with a vast array of accomplished musicians, including David Holland (double bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums), as well as regulars in his band Tom Coster, Armando Peraza, and Phil Browne, and session musicians such as saxophonist Jules Broussard and Phil Ford on tabla. The paradisiacal “Angel of Air” evokes atmospheres reminiscent of “Caravanserai”, featuring a sublime Alice Coltrane on the harp. The extensive interplay between Indian tabla and percussion, under Santana's exciting guitar and Jules Broussard's complex saxophone, is present in the brilliant jazz rock "Angel Of Sunlight", while the influences of free jazz and oriental music appear in "Bliss: The Eternal Now" and in "Illuminations".

The Oscar Peterson Trio-Night Train (1963)

Canadian Oscar Peterson is one of the legends of modern music. He managed to bring jazz to a wider audience like almost no one else, thanks to his remarkable ability to musically synthesize a style that had previously been reserved for a select and small public. Born in Montreal in 1925, he was already a talented child playing piano and trumpet at just five years old. Thanks to his classical music studies, young Oscar showed a keen interest in swing, bebop, and boogie-woogie. Influenced by the great Art Tatum, by the late 1940s he was already a renowned musician thanks to his impressive technique and improvisational skills on the piano. During those years, he released his first recordings on labels like Victor Records, and collaborated with jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong, Stan Getz, Joe Pass, Count Basie, and Ella Fitzgerald, among many others. During the 1950s, his trios were among the most sought-after and famous groups in the jazz world, and it was precisely the trio he formed with Ray Brown (bass) and Thigpen (drums) that recorded one of the most emblematic albums of modern jazz: "Night Train", released in 1963 on the Verve label. This recording showcases Peterson's captivating playing style, revealing him at the height of his career as an absolutely masterful pianist. Pieces like the bebop "Bag's Groove", the leisurely "Night Train", the rhythmic "C-Jam Blues", the heartfelt "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)", and the bluesy "Band Call",  reflect the excellence of the Oscar Peterson Trio on an album considered one of the masterpieces of jazz of all time.

Wes Montgomery-Full House (1962)

This legendary live album captures Wes Montgomery's performance at the Tsubo Jazz Club in Berkeley Hills, California, on June 25, 1962. For the occasion, Montgomery was accompanied by an impressive quartet comprised of pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, saxophonist Johnny Griffin, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. That year was a pivotal moment in Montgomery's career, a time when he was already considered one of the great musicians of contemporary jazz, and during which he would release a series of iconic works for the Riverside label, such as the seminal albums "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery", "So Much Guitar!", "Fusion!", and "Guitar on the Go". That moment of splendor is clearly reflected in this "Full House", where with a set list of brilliant pieces such as "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face", "Blue'n'Boogie" or "Cariba", they showed not only Montgomery's enormous talent with the six strings, but also his subtle jazz style, his uplifting compositions and his excellent live performances.

Bennie Maupin-The Jewel in the Lotus (1974)

Saxophonist Bennie Maupin is primarily known for his contributions to high-caliber albums such as Miles Davis's "Bitches Brew", Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" era (1971-1973), and for being a member of Hancock's band, with whom he recorded "Headhunters" (1973) and "Thrust" (1974). However, his career also includes stellar appearances alongside artists like Horace Silver and McCoy Tyner, in addition to a solid solo career that has produced half a dozen acclaimed albums. One of these was "The Jewel in the Lotus", his solo debut, which featured much of Herbie Hancock's backing band, including Hancock himself on electric piano, as well as Buster Williams on bass, Charles Sullivan on trumpet, and drummers Bill Summers, Billy Hart, and Frederik Waits. With a style that differs substantially from his previous work in various collaborations, Maupin leans towards avant-jazz and experimental free jazz. Featuring intricate sounds, the pieces unfold with a distinctly avant-garde and experimental bent, largely eschewing melodic interpretation, though harmonically it remains brilliant and enjoyable jazz. Eerie passages immerse us in fascinating and addictive atmospheres with rich, atmospheric textures of fluid jazz, replete with psychedelic patterns that are simultaneously abstract and diffuse.

Eric Dolphy-Out To Lunch! (1964)

This is one of the most advanced albums of its time, and even today, fifty years after its release, it remains far ahead of its time. The product of a genius like saxophonist Eric Dolphy, "Out to Lunch" paved the way for future musical experimentation in jazz, an avant-garde approach that musicians like Frank Zappa, along with the Mothers of Invention, knew how to interpret perfectly. From the late fifties to almost the mid-sixties, Eric Dolphy established himself as one of the most respected jazz musicians, as well as one of the most popular in the media. His work with Charles Mingus opened the doors to exploring and fusing jazz with classical music. Recorded in early 1964, Dolphy assembled a formidable band for this recording, composed of bassist Richard Davis, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and drummer Tony Williams. Months after the release of "Out To Lunch", just as he had finished a European tour presenting this album with Charles Mingus, Dolphy would suddenly pass away in the German city of Berlin.

Kaleidon-Free Love (1973)

The excellent Italian pianist Stefano Sabatini founded the Kaliedon project in the early seventies, a brilliant experiment that, despite going largely unnoticed, is a noteworthy work focused on free jazz and low-key jazz-rock, primarily due to the absence of an electric guitar. Its origins date back to the end of the previous decade when Sabatini himself led a psychedelic pop band called Free Love. However, a tragic car accident claimed the lives of two of the musicians, leaving Sabatini seriously injured. Years later, Sabatini formed a new band, which he named Kaliedon, recruiting Massimo Balla (saxophone and flute), Franco Tallarita (bass), and Giovanni Liberti (drums), while Sabatini himself handled the keyboards and electric piano. Their only release, titled "Free Love" as a tribute to his former band and released in 1973, is a true reflection of jazz driven by the sounds of the saxophone and electric piano. Composed of a series of elegant pieces of melodic jazz such as the homonymous "Free Love", the melancholic "Inverno'43" or the jazz fusion "Polvere", demonstrating in all of them the instrumental talent of Sabatini, one of the outstanding keyboardists of European jazz.

Cannonball Adderley-Cannonball Adderley Sextet: Planet Earth (1969)

Cannonball Adderley was one of the greatest saxophonists in the history of jazz, a musician with a unique and innate ability to communicate his music to a wide audience and make it incredibly popular. With an established career behind him, in the mid-1950s he moved to New York from his native Florida, where he quickly became a sensation and ended up playing in Miles Davis's band. At the end of that decade, he released some of his masterpieces, such as "Somethin' Else" with Miles Davis, Hank Jones, and Art Blakey. During the 1960s, his soulful hard bop style shone through, and he recorded prestigious albums for the Riverside and Capitol labels, including "Know What I Mean" with Bill Evans and "Accent on Africa". With Capitol Records, his albums shifted towards more mainstream and commercial sounds, as demonstrated by his tremendous success "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" in 1966. Towards the end of the sixties, the now-defunct Riverside label released the live album "Cannonball Adderley Sextet: Planet Earth", featuring notable collaborations with Joe Zawinul, Louis Hayes, Nat Adderley, Yusef Lateef, and Sam Jones. A technically impeccable album, it included a series of modern jazz compositions such as the soulful "Seventh Son", exotic performances like "Brother John", and intriguing hard bop like "Syn-Anthesia", all reflecting an avant-garde style with clear Eastern influences.