The Miles Davis Quintet  “Davis’ Cup”  “Bye Bye Birdie” b/w  “Dear Old Stockholm” Philips Jazz Gallery series – Philips Records (UK) Paul Chambers, “Philly” Joe Jones, Red Garland, John Coltrane, Miles Davis.   From the 1957 Columbia album “Round Midnight”.

(24 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

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“Chicago Days” Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five … Vol. 1 Jazz Panorama Records (1951) Cover illustration by J. Lee Anderson.  Clarinet – Johnny Dodds Cornet, Lead Vocals – Louis Armstrong, Drums – Baby Dodds, Piano – Lil Hardin, Trombone – Kid Ory.   Nice drawing in the style of Virgil (VIP) Partch.  And not looking much like Louis and his Hot Five!

(15 votes, average: 4.27 out of 5)

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Moon Beams  The Bill Evans Trio  Riverside Records (1962) Nico in her early days as a model graces the cover here.  The debut recording of Bill Evans “Second Trio” with Chuck Israels on bass taking the place of LaFaro, who died at 25 in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961 (just 10 days after the Bill Evans Trio’s triumphant Village Vanguard engagement).  The death of LaFaro was a devastating personal and musical, loss to the pianist, after which he took nearly a year off from recording or playing in public.  Moon Beams collects the ballads recorded during May and June 1962 sessions. Moonbeams is perhaps the most exquisitely romantic of Evan’s Riverside releases, much like Coltrane’s BALLADS in this respect.  (The more uptempo tunes from these sessions were put on How My Heart Sings!)  Fun fact:  Included here  is the Evan’s original “Re: Person I Knew” which is an anagram of producer Orrin Keepnews’s name.

(22 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

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“A Visit to Jazzland”  A sweet 10″ compilation of swing jazz from Philips Records (Holland).   Jimmy Lunceford, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Bunk Johnson, Bix Beiderbecke, etc.

(16 votes, average: 4.19 out of 5)

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The Modern Jazz Quartet  Soundtrack to “Sait-On Jamais”  Atlantic Records (France)

(18 votes, average: 4.11 out of 5)

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Jazz at Saint-Germain Des Pres  Don Byas / Bernard Peiffer   Verve Records  Cover art by the master David Stone Martin

(12 votes, average: 4.17 out of 5)

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“High Spirits”  (Blended by) The Sims-Wheeler Vintage Jazz Band  Polydor Records (Germany)

(22 votes, average: 3.45 out of 5)

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Woody Herman  “The Herd Rides Again”  (1958)  Originally on Everest Records in the U.S., this is a glossy UK reissue from the World Record Club.  A reunion of Woody’s first “herd”.

Bass – Chubby Jackson
Clarinet, Saxophone, Vocals – Woody Herman
Drums – Don Lamond
Engineer – Dave Shirk
Guitar – Billy Bauer
Piano – Nat Pierce
Saxophone – Al Cohn, Danny Bank, Paul Quinichette, Sam Donahue, Sam Marowitz
Trombone – Billy Byers, Bob Brookmeyer, Frank Rehak
Trumpet – Al Stewart (3), Bernie Glow, Burt Collins, Ernie Royal, Joe Ferrante, Irwin “Marky” Markowitz*, Nick Travis

(15 votes, average: 3.27 out of 5)

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“The Swingin’ Nutcracker”  Shorty Rogers  RCA Records (UK) (1960)  Alternate UK cover art.”

(15 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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“Smooth Sarah” Sarah Vaughan  Mercury Records EP (UK)  A cool 1959 EP of the divine Sarah Vaughan in a moment of repose – maybe listening to the playback at a recording session or backstage at at club gig .  Smoking and cigarette smoke are a recurring image in the history of jazz photography and therefore found on many classic record covers.  (Check our out “smoking section” for more!).

(29 votes, average: 4.21 out of 5)

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