A question I get asked a lot is, “what’s the best-sounding jazz album ever?” And I usually fudge the answer, as what ‘sounds best’ is really a matter of taste, and entirely subjective. For example, I think Rudy Van Gelder was an inferior engineer to Roy DuNann, but you may well disagree (many online discussions think Van Gelder has the edge - Ed); I also think many Blue Note recordings are too bright; Contemporary and certain Columbia recordings set the standard by which all others are measured; I don’t think overdubbing or tape editing are crimes against jazz; I’m not an analogue or mono fundamentalist; nor do I believe that first pressings are always best – they often are, but not always (why this is, is a feature of its own, something we’ll discuss another time).

But for a bit of fun, I thought I would try to draw up a list of the top 20 best-sounding jazz albums ever, starting with five of the greatest (including one which is think may well be the best of them all)… More next issue!

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: Masterpieces By Ellington (Columbia 1951)

The first-ever true jazz long player? Ellington had long expressed a desire to record his suites and concert pieces, but was always constrained by the 78rpm disc’s four-minute playing time. But in 1948 Columbia invented the LP record, and Duke (who, like Louis Armstrong, had an interest in recording technology) seized his chance to do something different.

Masterpieces, which was conceived for the long play format, allowed Duke and his orchestra to stretch out; consequently, the pieces here are lengthy, complex ruminations for serious listening rather than mere ‘dance’ numbers. The four tunes still astonish with their sophistication and rich tonal colouration. The recording (made on 15 December 1950, live, with no overdubs or edits) is just as remarkable – Columbia’s top engineer of the 1940s and 50s, Fred Plaut, sat at the control desk and, although it’s in mono, you’d think this was an ‘audiophile’ demo disc (but with decent music of course).

The sense of space, the richness of tones (especially the woodwinds and horns), the epic dynamics and the ultra-fine detail all make this a tour-de-force recording. If I were pushed to name the best-recorded, best-sounding jazz album ever, it would be this one.

Get it: The 2014 Analogue Productions (AP) LP, cut by Ryan K Smith, is just staggeringly good and the one to get (although if you have deep pockets and the inclination, AP’s 2021 2 x 45rpm cut is even better). AP’s 2014 hybrid SACD runs it close. In 2010 Columbia Legacy pressed an excellent, DSD-mastered CD as well, which is as cheap as chips and also sounds great.

Miles Davis: In A Silent Way (Columbia 1969)

Audiophile label Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (MoFi) got itself into trouble a couple of years back when it was discovered that its uber-expensive ‘One Step’ records were in fact sourced from DSD files rather than the original master tapes, as claimed. Although MoFi’s credibility since has been shot to pieces, it should be remembered that digital isn’t always bad – and in the case of this IASW, it’s superb. The delicacy, shimmering layers and free-flowing interplay on the recording are rendered beautifully and in exquisite detail on MoFi’s 2013 release.

Get it: MoFi’s SACD and vinyl LP, both sourced from the same DSD files, sound fantastic, besting even an original US or UK pressing. The 2002 Sony hybrid SACD, playable on standard CD players, is great too – and a little bit cheaper!

John Coltrane: Blue Train (Blue Note 1958)

Blue Train, John Coltrane’s only album (as a leader) for Blue Note, is sometimes cited as his ‘purest immersion’ into ‘hard bop’; and its accessibility, along with a high standard of playing and writing, means that it has become one of the saxophonist’s most beloved creations, the title track particularly.

I’d venture it’s the best-sounding Blue Note album too: in both mono and stereo, the clarity and sparkle of the ride cymbals, vast soundstage, warm horns free of blare, and a perfectly balanced sound make it a feast for the ears. And engineer Rudy Van Gelder’s tendency to overemphasise treble and make pianos sound ‘clangy’ was tamed on this recording.

Get it: Unless you’re an obsessive collector with money to burn, and can afford the 2014-19 Music Matters reissues or a minty first press, it has to be the 2022 Kevin Gray-cut Blue Note Tone Poet (either stereo or mono, both sound great, with the stereo edging it). The 2008 AP hybrid SACD is the best-sounding digital version.

George Shearing & Peggy Lee: Beauty and The Beat! (Capitol 1959)

I’m including this one because it’s a great-sounding album that was made to sound even better thanks to some very sympathetic restoration. Initial LP (and CD) versions were passed off as a live album (supposedly recorded at the National DJ Convention in Florida in April 1959) and contained dubbed-on applause and ‘onstage’ banter from Peggy. In fact, it was recorded in a local studio or ballroom a month later; also the songs were in the wrong order and the personnel credits incorrect.

In 2003, reissue producers Cy Godfrey and the late Michael Cuscuna found the original three-track tapes, and they were remixed in 24-bit digital by Ron McMaster, who also removed the extraneous effects and chitchat, allowing Lee’s vocals and Shearing’s wonderful ensemble to ‘breathe’ – and all the credits are correct and the songs are in the right order.

Get it: The 2003 Capitol remastered CD (teal label) currently can’t be bettered, and is easy to pick up for very little money.

Count Basie: 88 Basie Street (Pablo 1984)

One of Basie’s very last albums. It’s not him at his majestic best, but it’s still a splendid showcase for the great man. Pablo founder/producer Norman Granz and recording engineer Allen Sides knew how to make an ensemble sound great both in the studio and on tape, and 88 Basie Street is one of their best-ever jobs.

As the critic Fred Kaplan wrote in The Absolute Sound: “You get every nuance of Basie’s touch – the full percussive snap and harmonic bloom; the sax section swoons; the horns scream; the dynamics whisper and swell”. An amazing sonic experience.

Get it: 88 Basie Street is one of those rare albums that always sounds incredible, even if you’re listening via Spotify on cheap earbuds. The Pablo original LP (still good value and relatively easy to find), cut by Joseph Gastwint or JVC’s 1997 XRCD Series compact disc are both stellar. If you’re a real high-end nut, AP’s (now very pricey) 2003 2 x 45rpm version, mastered and cut by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman, is the acme.

This article originally appeared in the August 2024 issue of Jazzwise. Never miss an issue – subscribe today