Compiled by Dan Miller
This list comprises fifty of the most historically important jazz trumpet recordings. Represented is the work of every major innovator, as well as many of the great stylists. Thousands of recordings are currently available and it is often difficult for the young player to know where start building a collection. This list is by no means an absolute, but combines what I consider to be a complete overview of jazz trumpet styles and the masters who created them. Notes on the Format: The album title is listed first, followed by the name of the record label. If the artist appears as a sideman, the leader or co-leader’s name appears in quotations. 1) Louis Armstrong–Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings (Columbia/Legacy) 2) Bix Beiderbecke–Singin’ the Blues Volume 1 (Columbia/Sony) 3) Sweets Edison, Buck Clayton and Bobby Moore–“Count Basie” Complete Decca Recordings 1937-1939 (Decca) 4) Cootie Williams, Ray Nance and Rex Stewart–“Duke Ellington” Blanton/Webster Band 1939-1942 (BMG/RCA) 5) Roy Eldridge–After You’ve Gone (GRP/Decca) 6) Charlie Shavers–“John Kirby” 1938-1939 (Classics) 7) Harry James–1937-1939 (Classics) 8) Dizzy Gillespie–Complete RCA/Victor Recordings 1937-1949 (BMG/RCA) 9) Dizzy Gillespie–1945 (Classics) 10) Dizzy Gillespie–Modern Jazz Sextet (Verve) 11) Dizzy Gillespie–“w/Roy Eldridge” Roy and Diz (Verve) 12) Howard McGhee–Trumpet at Tempo (Dial) 13) Fats Navarro–Complete Blue Note and Capitol Recordings (Blue Note) 14) Fats Navarro–Tadd Dameron Band at the Royal Roost 1948 (Milestone) 15) Fats Navarro–Goin’ To Minton’s (Savoy Jazz) 16) Miles Davis–Birth of the Cool (Blue Note/Capitol) 17) Miles Davis–Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (OJC/Prestige) 18) Miles Davis–Miles Ahead (Columbia/Sony) 19) Miles Davis–Miles Smiles (Columbia/Sony) 20) Chet Baker–The Best of Chet Baker Sings (Blue Note/Pacific Jazz) 21) Chet Baker–Chet Baker Quartet Featuring Russ Freeman (Blue Note/Pacific Jazz) 22) Clifford Brown–“Art Blakey” A Night at Birdland Volume 1 and 2 (Blue Note) 23) Clifford Brown–Clifford Brown w/Strings (Verve/EmArcy) 24) Clifford Brown–“w/Max Roach” At Basin Street (Verve/EmArcy) 25) Clifford Brown–“w/Max Roach” Clifford Brown and Max Roach (Verve/EmArcy) 26) Kenny Dorham–“Art Blakey” At the Café Bohemia Volume 1 and 2 (Blue Note) 27) Kenny Dorham–Una Mas (Blue Note) 28) Kenny Dorham–“Max Roach” Max Roach Plus Four (Verve/EmArcy) 29) Maynard Ferguson–Message From Newport (Roulette) 30) Lee Morgan–“Art Blakey” The Big Beat (Blue Note) 31) Lee Morgan–Candy (Blue Note) 32) Lee Morgan–Cornbread (Blue Note) 33) Booker Little–Out Front (Candid) 34) Booker Little–Booker Little and Friend* (Bethlehem) 35) Booker Little–“Eric Dolphy” Live at the Five Spot Volume 1 and 2 (OJC/New Jazz) 36) Clark Terry–Serenade To A Bus Seat (OJC/Riverside) 37) Freddie Hubbard–Ready For Freddie (Blue Note) 38) Freddie Hubbard–“Herbie Hancock” Empyrean Isles (Blue Note) 39) Freddie Hubbard–“Art Blakey” Free For All (Blue Note) 40) Freddie Hubbard–“Bill Evans” Interplay (OJC/Riverside) 41) Nat Adderley–“Cannonball Adderley” Live in San Francisco (OJC/Riverside) 42) Art Farmer–Meet The Jazztet (Chess) 43) Donald Byrd–Byrd in Flight (Blue Note) 44) Blue Mitchell–The Thing To Do (Blue Note) 45) Bill Hardman–“Jackie McLean” Jackie’s Pal (OJC/Prestige) 46) Don Cherry–“Ornette Coleman” Tomorrow Is The Question (OJC/Contemporary) 47) Woody Shaw–“Larry Young” Unity (Blue Note) 48) Woody Shaw–“Horace Silver” Cape Verdean Blues (Blue Note) 49) Woody Shaw–Rosewood (Columbia/Sony) 50) Wynton Marsalis–Live at the Village Vanguard (Columbia/Sony) |