Although I've been on Audiogon for years, I'm just seeing this thread. I'm in my 50's now, and I started in my teens with Miles and Coltrane. Most of my jazz listening came from collecting the 7000 or so LP's now in my collection.
I see the first review in this thread is Blakey's Moanin, Its a fine record, and between the early 50's to the mid 60's I'd say that there were many hundreds, if not thousands, that are at least as good. Many of these are well-known, but many came out on tiny and/or obscure labels. In the 60's the hotseat for jazz creativity moved to Europe, and many of those records were pressed in tiny quantities that until recently were seldom heard outside of their native countries.
The sheer quantity of top notch jazz during this period is beyond compare. I wonder if there was something special in the water during the 1920s, when many of the jazz masters of the 50s and 60s were born. There's really no way to have a 'best of', when there were so many masters making incredible statements.
I see the first review in this thread is Blakey's Moanin, Its a fine record, and between the early 50's to the mid 60's I'd say that there were many hundreds, if not thousands, that are at least as good. Many of these are well-known, but many came out on tiny and/or obscure labels. In the 60's the hotseat for jazz creativity moved to Europe, and many of those records were pressed in tiny quantities that until recently were seldom heard outside of their native countries.
The sheer quantity of top notch jazz during this period is beyond compare. I wonder if there was something special in the water during the 1920s, when many of the jazz masters of the 50s and 60s were born. There's really no way to have a 'best of', when there were so many masters making incredible statements.