Jazzed Up: 3 Great Jazz Albums to Check Out Today

Jazz can be a confusing genre if you don’t know a ton about it. There are lots of records out there to investigate and the sounds can be challenging. Some music listeners want to know what they’re getting, so the idea of improvised music or music theory put on its head can be curious.

Here below, we wanted to explore three jazz albums that any music fan can enjoy. A trio of records that you can put on and listen to that will both relax and inspire you. Indeed, these are three great jazz albums to check out today.

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A Love Supreme by John Coltrane (1964)

Perhaps the greatest jazz album of all time, the Hamlet, North Carolina-born John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme captures talent at the top of its game with a mixture of deep passion and purpose. The album builds and builds and crescendos many times like a spirit coming to life and dying. But all the while, the music breathes new life into it over and over again. Led by saxophonist John Coltrane, who is a legend in the genre and can bend and nearly break his instrument within an inch of its life, this 1964 album will be a favorite of music fans for centuries into the future.

Kind of Blue by Miles Davis (1959)

Alton, Illinois-born trumpeter Miles Davis is a legend in jazz and it’s for several reasons: his talent, his songwriting, his ability to find the greatest players in the world to work with (some of which were unknown at the time), and his ability to change styles and sounds from year to year. But on his 1959 LP Kind of Blue, he lives in the eye of the storm of classic jazz. The album is a must-have for any music fan. Perfect for a rainy Sunday or a moment in life when you just need to unwind your mind.

Oak Head by Industrial Revelation (2013)

While the other two names on this list are well known both in and out of the jazz community, the Seattle-born group Industrial Revelation is not quite as much of a household name. However, their 2013 record Oak Head is truly perfect. It’s one of the great modern-day jazz albums. It features players who have worked with the likes of Ishmael Butler, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and many other big names. The quartet, which is comprised of bassist Evan Flory-Barnes, drummer D’Vonne Lewis, keyboardist Josh Rawlings, and trumpeter Ahamefule J. Oluo, made an eight-track record that will last forever. It’s lively and warm, melodic and thoughtful.

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