Penguin Guide to Jazz: Core Collection List

The following is a table of all of the albums that have been listed in various editions of The Penguin Guide to Jazz as belonging to a Core Collection. This designation was invented in the 7th edition (2004). Crowned albums are noted, according to the most recent edition (but not earlier editions; for that see the Crown Albums List). Crowned albums are not a proper subset of the Core Collection. Where they differ, they tend to be more obscure or idiosyncratic, although some are simply larger boxes or alternate choices within artists who have much to choose from.

Note: The 9th edition consolidates some record entries under the "core collection" banner, making it difficult to determine whether the entry should apply to more than one record, and sometimes to which record the designation applies. E.g., four Air reissues are consolidated, but only Air Time is a 4-star record, so that is the only one listed below. Other cases are even less clear.

Artist: Title 7 8 9 Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley: Somethin' Else [58, Blue Note] x x x Air: Air Time [77, Nessa] x x x Jan Allan: Jan Allan - 70 [68-69, Phono Suecia] Henry 'Red' Allen: Henry 'Red' Allen & His Orchestra 1929-1933 [Classics] x x x Mose Allison: The Word From Mose [64, Atlantic] x x x Amalgam: Prayer for Peace [69, FMR] Louis Armstrong: The Hot Fives & Sevens [25-30, JSP, 4CD] x Louis Armstrong: The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings [25-30, Columbia, 4CD] x x x Louis Armstrong: The Complete New York Town Hall and Boston Symphony Concerts [47, Fresh Sound] x Louis Armstrong: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings [32-56, Bluebird, 4CD] x x Art Ensemble of Chicago: Art Ensemble 1967-68 [Nessa, 5CD] x x Albert Ayler: Spiritual Unity [64, ESP] x x x Chris Barber: The Complete Decca Sessions 1954/55 [Lake] x x x Count Basie: The Original American Decca Recordings [37-39, MCA, 3CD] x x x Count Basie: The Complete Atomic Mr Basie [57, Roulette] x x x Sidney Bechet: Shake 'Em Up [38-47, Avid, 2CD] x x x Sidney Bechet: Sidney Bechet, 1947-1949 [Classics] x Bix Beiderbecke: Bix and Tram [26-29, JSP, 4CD] x x x Ran Blake: The Short Life of Barbara Monk [86, Soul Note] x x x Ran Blake: All That Is Tied [03, Tompkins Square] Art Blakey: A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 [54, Blue Note] x x x Art Blakey: A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 [54, Blue Note] x x x Art Blakey: Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk [57, Atlantic/Rhino] Paul Bley: Time Will Tell [94, ECM] x x x Arthur Blythe: Lenon Avenue Breakdown [79, Koch] x x x Don Braden: After Dark [93, Criss Cross] x Ruby Braff: Calling Berlin: Volume 1 [94, Arbors] x x x Anthony Braxton: For Alto [68, Delmark] Anthony Braxton: Eugene (1989) [Black Saint] x x x Bob Brookmeyer: New Works/Celebration [97, Challenge] x Peter Brötzmann: Machine Gun [68, FMP] x x x Clifford Brown: The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings [53-54, Blue Note, 4CD] x x x Dave Brubeck: Time Out [59, Columbia] x x x Kenny Burrell: Ellington Is Forever Vol. 1 [75, Fantasy] x x x Gary Burton: Hotel Hello [74, ECM] x x x Benny Carter: Further Definitions [61-66, Impulse] x x x Betty Carter: The Audience With Betty Carter [79, Verve, 2CD] Oscar 'Papa' Celestin: Papa Celestin & Sam Morgan [25-28, Azure] Serge Chaloff: Blue Serge [56, Blue Note] x x x Teddy Charles: The Teddy Charles Tentet [56, Collectables] x x x June Christy: Something Cool: The Complete Mono and Stereo Versions [53-60, Capitol] Nat Cole: After Midnight [56, Capitol] x x x Ornette Coleman: Beauty Is a Rare Thing [59-61, Atlantic, 6CD] x x Ornette Coleman: At the Golden Circle, Stockholm: Volume 1 [65, Blue Note] x x x Ornette Coleman: At the Golden Circle, Stockholm: Volume 2 [65, Blue Note] x x x Graham Collier: Hoarded Dreams [83, Cuneiform] x John Coltrane: Giant Steps [59, Atlantic] x x x John Coltrane: A Love Supreme [64, Impulse] x x x John Coltrane: Ascension [65, Impulse] Ken Colyer: Club Session With Colyer [56, Lake] x x x Eddie Condon: Eddie Condon 1927-1938 [Classics] x x x Chris Connor: Chris Connor [56, Atlantic] x x x Sonny Criss: Sonny's Dream [68, OJC] x x x Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis: Very Saxy [59, OJC] x x x Miles Davis: Milestones [58, Columbia] x x x Miles Davis: Kind of Blue [59, Columbia] x x x Miles Davis: The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel [65, Columbia, 8CD] Miles Davis: Miles Davis and Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings [57-68, Columbia, 6CD] Miles Davis: In a Silent Way [69, Columbia] x x x Vic Dickenson: Nice Work [53, Vanguard] x Vic Dickenson: The Essential Vic Dickenson [54, Vanguard] x Vic Dickenson: Gentleman of the Trombone [75, Storyville] x x Eric Dolphy: Out to Lunch [64, Blue Note] x x x Arne Domnerus: Face to Face [99, Dragon] x x x Kenny Dorham: 'Round About Midnight at the Café Bohemia [56, Blue Note, 2CD] x x x Dave Douglas: Convergence [98, Soul Note] x x x Roy Eldridge: Heckler's Hop [36-39, Hep] x x x Duke Ellington: Never No Lament [40-42, Bluebird, 3CD] x x x Duke Ellington: The Duke at Fargo 1940 [Storyville] Duke Ellington: Ellington at Newport 1956 (Complete) [Columbia, 2CD] x x x Duke Ellington: New Orleans Suite [70, Atlantic] x x x Bill Evans: Sunday Night at the Village Vanguard [61, OJC] Bill Evans: Waltz for Debby [61, OJC] BIll Evans: The Complete Live at the Village Vanguard 1961 [Riverside, 3CD] x x x Gil Evans: Out of the Cool [60, Impulse] x x x Art Farmer: Portrait of Art [58, OJC] x Art Farmer: Blame It on My Youth [88, Contemporary] Ella Fitzgerald: The Cole Porter Songbook [56, Verve, 2CD] x x x Chico Freeman: Destiny's Dance [81, OJC] x x x Bill Frisell: Have a Little Faith [93, Elektra Nonesuch] x x x Ganelin Trio: Ancora Da Capo [80, Leo] Jan Garbarek: Dis [76, ECM] x x x Erroll Garner: Concert by the Sea [55, Columbia] x x Charles Gayle: Touchin' on Trane [91, FMP] x x x Stan Getz: The Complete Roost Recordings [50-54, Roulette, 3CD] Stan Getz: Focus [61, Verve] x x x Dizzy Gillespie: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings [37-49, RCA, 2CD] Dizzy Gillespie: Birks Works [56-57, Verve, 2CD] x x x Jimmy Giuffre: Free Fall [62, Columbia] Benny Goodman: At Carnegie Hall 1938 - Complete [Columbia, 2CD] x x x Benny Goodman: The Complete Small Group Sessions [35-39, RCA Victor, 3CD] x x x Dexter Gordon: Our Man in Paris [63, Blue Note] x x x Stéphane Grappelli: Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark [79, OJC] x x x Grant Green: The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark [61-62, Blue Note, 2CD] x x x Lars Gullin: Lars Gullin Vol. 2 1953 [Dragon] x Lars Gullin: Danny's Dream [53-55, Dragon] x x Charlie Haden: Beyond the Missouri Sky [96, Verve] x x x Al Haig: The Al Haig Trio Esoteric [54, Fresh Sound] Jim Hall: Concierto [75, CTI] x x Scott Hamilton: Plays Ballads [89, Concord] x x x Lionel Hampton: Lionel Hampton 1937-1938 [Classics] x x x Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage [65, Blue Note] Herbie Hancock: Head Hunters [73, Columbia] x x x Tom Harrell: Labyrinth [96, RCA Victor] x Barry Harris: Magnificent! [69, OJC] x x x Steve Harris & Zaum: Above Our Heads the Sky Splits Open [04, Slam] Coleman Hawkins: Body and Soul [39-49, Dreyfus] x Coleman Hawkins: The Stanley Dance Sessions [55-58, Lonehill Jazz] x x Julius Hemphill: Flat-Out Jump Suite [80, Black Saint] x x x Joe Henderson: The State of the Tenor Volumes One and Two [85, Blue Note, 2CD] x x x Woody Herman: Blowin' Up a Storm [45-47, Columbia, 2CD] x x x Woody Herman: Jazz Hoot/Woody's Winners [65-67, Collectables] Andrew Hill: Point of Departure [64, Blue Note] x x x Andrew Hill: Andrew!!! [64, Blue Note] x Earl Hines: Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington [71-75, New World, 2CD] x x x Earl Hines: Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington Vol. 2 [71-74, New World] x x Billie Holiday: Lady Day Swings! [35-39, Columbia] x x x Dave Holland: Conference of the Birds [72, ECM] x x x Noah Howard: The Black Ark [69, Bo'Weavil] x Freddie Hubbard: Open Sesame [60, Blue Note] x x x Dick Hyman: Forgotten Dreams [01, Arbors] x x x Abdullah Ibrahim: Yarona [95, Tiptoe] x x x Ahmad Jamal: Cross Country Tour: 1958-1961 [Chess] x x Ahmad Jamal: At the Pershing [58, Chess] x Keith Jarrett: The Köln Concert [75, ECM, 2CD] x x x Bunk Johnson: Bunk's Brass Band and Dance Band 1945 [American Music] x x x J.J. Johnson: The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson: Volume 1 [53-55, Blue Note] x x x J.J. Johnson: The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson: Volume 2 [53-55, Blue Note] x x x Thad Jones: Consummation [70, Blue Note] x x Louis Jordan: Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five [38-50, JSP] x Sheila Jordan: Portrait of Sheila [62, Blue Note] x x x Stan Kenton: City of Glass [47-53, Capitol] x x x Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Rip, Rig and Panic/Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith [65-67, Emarcy] x x x Rahssan Roland Kirk: A Meeting of the Times [72, Atlantic] Krzysztof Komeda: Astigmatic [65, Harkit] Lee Konitz: With Warne Marsh [55, Warner Bros] x Lee Konitz: Motion [61, Verve] x x x Peter Kowald: Was Da Ist [94, FMP] Steve Lacy: 5 x Monk x Lacy [94, Silkheart] x x x George Lewis: Jazz in the Classic New Orleans Tradition [51-53, OJC] x x x George Lewis: Jazz Funeral in New Orleans [55, Tradition] x George E Lewis: Homage to Charles Parker [79, Black Saint] Meade Lux Lewis: Meade Lux Lewis 1927-1939 [Classics] x x x David Liebman: Drum Ode [74, ECM] x Booker Little: Booker Little and Friend [61, Bethlehem/Avenue Jazz] x London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Ode [72, Intakt, 2CD] x Joe Lovano: From the Soul [91, Blue Note] Humphrey Lyttelton: The Parlophones Volumes One-Four [49-59, Calligraph, 4CD] x x x Shelly Manne: At the Black Hawk [59, OJC, 5CD] x René Marie: Vertigo [01, MaxJazz] Wynton Marsalis: Black Codes (From the Underground) [85, Columbia] x Wynton Marsalis: J Mood [85, Columbia] x x Ron McClure: Soft Hands [06, Steeplechase] x John McLaughlin: Extrapolation [69, Polydor] Jackie McLean: Let Freedom Ring [62, Blue Note] x x x Mary McPartland: In My Life [93, Concord] x x x Brad Mehldau: The Art of the Trio Vol. 1 [96, Warners] x x x Helen Merrill: Helen Merrill With Clifford Brown and Gil Evans [54-56, Emarcy] x x x Charles Mingus: Pithecanthropus Erectus [56, Atlantic] x x x Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um [59, Columbia] Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus [60, Candid] x x x Charles Mingus: The Black Saint & the Sinner Lady [63, Impulse] Roscoe Mitchell: Sound [66, Delmark] x x x Roscoe Mitchell: Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1, 2, & 3 [04, ECM] x Modern Jazz Quartet: The Complete Last Concert [74, Atlantic] x x x Miff Mole: Slippin' Around [27-30, Frog] x x x Thelonious Monk: The Complete Blue Note Recordings [47-58, Blue Note, 4CD] x x x Thelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners [56, OJC] x x x Thelonious Monk: With John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall [57, Blue Note] Thelonious Monk: The Complete Riverside Recordings [55-61, Riverside, 15CD] Wes Montgomery: Incredible Jazz Guitar [60, OJC] x x x Lee Morgan: The Sidewinder [63, Blue Note] x x x Jelly Roll Morton: Jelly Roll Morton Vols. 1-5 [26-30, JSP, 5CD] Bennie Moten: Band Box Shuffle 1929-1932 [Hep, 2CD] x x x Paul Motian: Sound of Love [95, Winter & Winter] x x x Gerry Mulligan: The Original Quartet [52-53, Blue Note, 2CD] x x x David Murray: Ming [80, Black Saint] x x x David Murray: Home [81, Black Saint] x Fats Navarro: The Complete Fats Navarro on Blue Note and Capitol [47-49, Blue Note, 2CD] x x x New Orleans Rhythm Kings: The Complete Set [22-25, Retrieval, 2CD] King Oliver: King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band - The Complete Set [23-24, Retrieval, 2CD] x x x Original Dixieland Jazz Band: The Original Dixieland Jazz Band 1927-1921 [Timeless] x x x Greg Osby: Banned in New York [98, Blue Note] x x x Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy and Dial Studio Recordings [44-48, Savoy, 8CD] Charlie Parker: Charlie Parker on Dial: The Complete Sessions [46-47, Spotlite/Dial, 4CD] x x x Charlie Parker: Charlie Parker [47-53, Verve] x x x Charlie Parker: The Quintet - Jazz at Massey Hall [53, OJC] x x x Evan Parker: The Snake Decides [86, Psi] x x x Evan Parker: 50th Birthday Concert [94, Leo, 2CD] Joe Pass: Virtuoso [73, Pablo] x x x Mario Pavone: Deez to Blues [05, Playscape] x Art Pepper: Meets the Rhythm Section [57, OJC] x x x Oscar Peterson: Night Train [62, Verve] x x x Oscar Peterson: Girl Talk/Action/The Way I Really Play/Mellow Mood/Travelin' On/My Favorite Instrument [63-68, MPS, 6CD] x x Michel Petrucciani: Solo Live [97, Dreyfus] x x x Michel Petrucciani: The Complete Concert in Germany [97, Dreyfus] x Oscar Pettiford: Nonet & Octet 1954-55 [54-55, Fresh Sound] x Oscar Pettiford: Complete Big Band Studio Recordings [56-57, Lone Hill] x Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell: Volume 1 [49-51, Blue Note] x x x Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell: Volume 2 [51-53, Blue Note] x x x Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order [34-39, JSP, 5CD] x x x Max Roach: Alone Together [56-60, Verve, 2CD] x x x Max Roach: We Insist! Freedom Now Suite [60, Candid] x x x Shorty Rogers: The Sweetheart of Sigmund Freud [46-53, Giant Steps, 2CD] x x x Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus [56, OJC] x x x Sonny Rollins: A Night at the Village Vanguard [57, Blue Note, 2CD] x x x Sonny Rollins: This Is What I Do [00, Milestone] x x x ROVA: Bingo [96, Victo] x x x ROVA: Electric Ascension [03, Atavistic] Jimmy Rushing: Rushing Lullabies [58-59, Columbia] x George Russell: Jazz Workshop [56, Koch] x x x Alexander von Schlippenbach: Pakistani Pomade [1972, Atavistic] Alexander von Schlippenbach: Swinging the Bim [98, FMP, 2CD] x x x Alexander von Schlippenbach: Monk's Casino [03-04, Intakt, 3CD] Maria Schneider: Concert in the Garden [04, ArtistShare] x John Scofield: Quiet [96, Verve] x x x Artie Shaw: Self Portrait [38-54, Bluebird, 5CD] x x x Archie Shepp: Four for Trane [64, Impulse] x x x Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil [64, Blue Note] x x x Horace Silver: Blowin' the Blues Away [59, Blue Note] x x x Zoot Sims: If I'm Lucky [77, OJC] x x x Silver Leaf Jazz Band: New Orleans Wiggle [98, GHB] Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith: The Kabell Years [71-79, Tzadik, 4CD] x x Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith: Divine Love [78, ECM] x x Jimmy Smith: Groovin' at Smalls' Paradise [57, Blue Note, 2CD] x x x Muggsy Spanier: Muggsy Spanier 1939-1942 [Classics] x x x Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Quintessence [73-74, Emanem] x Tomasz Stanko: Leosia [96, ECM] x x x Bobo Stenson: Serenity [99, ECM, 2CD] x x x Maxine Sullivan: Close as Pages in a Book [69, Audiophile] x x x Sun Ra: Jazz in Silhouette [58, Evidence] x x x Sun Ra: The Magic City [65, Evidence] x x x John Surman: Tales of the Algonquin [68, Deram] John Surman: A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe [94, ECM] x x x Art Tatum: The Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces [53-55, Pablo, 7CD] Art Tatum: The Tatum Group Masterpieces Vol. 8 [56, Pablo] x x x Cecil Taylor: Jazz Advance [56, Blue Note] x x x Cecil Taylor: Nefertiti, the Beautiful One Has Come [62, Revenant, 2CD] Cecil Taylor: For Olim [86, Soul Note] x x x Cecil Taylor: The Tree of Life [91, FMP] x x x Clark Terry: Memories of Duke [80, OJC] x x x Mel Tormé: Mel Tormé Swings Shubert Alley [60, Verve] x x x Lennie Tristano: Lennie Tristano [55, Atlantic] x x x McCoy Tyner: The Real McCoy [67, Blue Note] x x x McCoy Tyner: Time for Tyner [68, Blue Note] x x James Blood Ulmer: Odyssey [83, Columbia] x x x Warren Vaché: 2Gether [00, Nagel Heyer] x x x Kid Thomas Valentine: [Kid Thomas-George Lewis] Ragtime Stompers [61, GHB] x x x Sarah Vaughan: Sarah Vaughan [54, Verve] x x x Edward Vesala: Lumi [86, ECM] x x x Bobby Watson: Love Remains [86, Red] x x x Weather Report: Mysterious Traveller [73-74, Columbia] x x x Eberhard Weber: Yellow Fields [75, ECM] x x x Ben Webster: Music for Loving [54-55, Verve, 2CD] x x x Mike Westbrook: On Duke's Birthday [84, Voiceprint] x Kenny Wheeler: Music for Large and Small Ensembles [90, ECM, 2CD] x x x Mary Lou Williams: Free Spirits [75, Steeplechase] x x x Tony Williams: Life Time [64, Blue Note] x x x Phil Woods: Phil Woods/Lew Tabackin [80, Evidence] x x x Larry Young: Unity [65, Blue Note] x x x Lester Young: The Complete Aladdin Sessions [42-47, Blue Note, 2CD] x x x John Zorn: The Big Gundown [84-85, Tzadik] x x x

Notes

Core collection counts per edition: