What is the best jazz album for beginners?

New to jazz? These are the gateway albums that will hook you for life — from Miles Davis's genre-defining masterpiece to Chet Baker's velvet voice, every record on this list has converted curious listeners into lifelong fans.

1

Kind of Blue

Miles Davis's 1959 masterpiece — the best-selling jazz album of all time and the perfect entry point.

2

Time Out

Dave Brubeck's 1959 experiment with unusual time signatures, featuring the iconic 'Take Five'.

3

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane's 1964 four-part spiritual suite — intense, transcendent, unforgettable.

4

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock's 1973 funk-fusion breakthrough that brought jazz to a whole new audience.

5

Waltz for Debby

Bill Evans Trio's lyrical 1961 live recording at the Village Vanguard — piano trio perfection.

6

Getz/Gilberto

The 1964 bossa nova classic featuring 'The Girl from Ipanema' — effortlessly smooth and timeless.

7

Chet Baker Sings

Chet Baker's 1954 vocal debut — fragile, haunting, utterly intimate.

8

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington's career-reviving 1956 Newport performance — big band at its most electric.

9

Somethin' Else

Cannonball Adderley's 1958 Blue Note classic featuring Miles Davis — pure hard bop joy.

10

The Incredible Jazz Guitar

Wes Montgomery's 1960 album that redefined jazz guitar with his signature octave style.

11

Night Train

Oscar Peterson Trio's 1962 blues-inflected trio album — accessible, swinging, superb.

12

Mingus Ah Um

Charles Mingus's 1959 kaleidoscopic tribute to jazz history — dense, emotional, essential.

13

Blue Train

John Coltrane's 1958 Blue Note masterpiece — the tenor saxophone shining at its hardest-driving best.

14

Birth of the Cool

Miles Davis's 1957 sessions that launched the cool jazz movement with its relaxed sophistication.