Columbia Records Archives

All posts tagged “Columbia Records”

The Best Thelonious Monk Albums

Thelonious Sphere Monk was a pioneer of modern jazz music. Known for his eccentricity and improvisational impishness, Monk’s performances said as much with their silences as the raw chords that dominated some of the more stripped-back ballads.

Monk was also one of the most prolific composers in the history of jazz. Throughout his career, he recorded albums for labels including Blue Note, Prestige Records, and Riverside Records. Somehow, we’ve managed to unpick all of those releases to find The Mad Monk’s 10 of the best.

Best of Miles Davis Albums

Miles Davis was a transformative figure in the world of jazz, pushing boundaries and frequently reinventing the genre throughout his career. From his early bebop recordings in the 1940s to his groundbreaking explorations of modal jazz, fusion, and electronic music in the following decades, Davis constantly challenged conventions and created innovative and influential music.

His talent as a trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, combined with his restless spirit of experimentation, solidified his status as one of the most important and iconic figures in the history of jazz.

Here we tackle the most unenviable of tasks: the 10 best Miles Davis albums.

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue

It is an instantly recognizable album cover; Davis in a blue suit, lips puffed, about to blow his trumpet; the black backdrop, the Columbia logo, and the album’s title typed in blue. Not only is Kind of Blue considered Miles Davis’s magnum opus and masterpiece, but it is also regularly billed as one of the best albums of all time, not to mention the greatest-ever jazz album.

The Best Herbie Hancock Albums

Herbie Hancock is a jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has had a long and illustrious career spanning over six decades. He has released numerous albums as a leader, has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and was even part of Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet (1964–68).

In this post, we will be taking a look at the 10 best Herbie Hancock albums of all time, as a leader. From his early work on Blue Note to his pioneering contributions to jazz fusion and electronic music, these are the albums that showcase the full range of Hancock’s incredible talent and versatility and represent the best of what Herbie Hancock has to offer: incredible jazz music.

Mr Hands Best Albums — Los Angeles, 2005 (Photo: William Ellis)

What Is the Best-Selling Jazz Album of All Time?

Jazz music has produced many amazing albums that have stood the test of time, but which jazz album has sold the most copies? And which one was the first to sell a half-million or a million copies?

To answer these questions, we will explore the following points: