Bad

Michael Jackson · 1987

Bad

Michael Jackson

Jazz organ titan Jimmy Smith was invited by Quincy Jones to play Hammond B3 on Michael Jackson's 'Bad.' Smith recorded a 20-minute organ solo in the studio, which was then edited down to just over one minute and 'electronically altered through 10 other keyboards and synthesizers.' The greatest jazz organist in history, distilled into a pop-funk track.

— Jimmy Smith organ solo on Bad — AllSolos

Sam Jones served in Cannonball Adderley's quintet (1955-56 and 1959-64) and recorded his debut leader date The Soul Society for Riverside. He later anchored the Oscar Peterson Trio from 1966 to 1970.

— Sam Jones (musician), Wikipedia, 2024

Max Roach Quintet: L'Alhambra, Paris 1960

1960, L'Alhambra, Paris. Max Roach Quintet. From Qwest TV. During the height of the civil rights movement, Max Roach's music combined artistic depth with political conviction.

— L'Alhambra, Paris, 1960

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis · 1970

In a Silent Way

Miles Davis · 1969

Miles's 1969–70 studio experiments fused rock's rhythmic sensibility with jazz improvisation. Bitches Brew layered McLaughlin, Corea, Hancock, and others in simultaneous collective improvisation.

JuJu

Wayne Shorter · 1965

JuJu (1964) borrowed John Coltrane's golden quartet rhythm section (McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Reggie Workman) for Wayne Shorter. Absorbing Coltrane's gravity, Shorter's distinct compositional voice emerged decisively.

— Footprints: The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter, Michelle Mercer, 2004

Pat Metheny Group — Live in Hamburg 1981

Pat Metheny Group

Pat Metheny Group · 1978

August 1981, Stadtpark, Hamburg. The Pat Metheny Group on the eve of the Offramp album — with Lyle Mays and Nana Vasconcelos, the signature group sound essentially fully formed.

— Pat Metheny Group — Hamburg 1981, 1981

Cécile McLorin Salvant: Tiny Desk Concert

The 2018 Tiny Desk, a duo with pianist Sullivan Fortner. The space between voice and keys speaks louder than the song selection.

— NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, 2018

Kamasi Washington: Tiny Desk Concert

2024. Kamasi Washington's large ensemble crammed into the Tiny Desk space, with DJ Battlecat. Four songs across three albums, from high-energy to ballad.

— NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, 2024

Mosaic

Art Blakey · 1961

Recorded in October 1961, Mosaic inaugurated the six-piece Messengers with Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton and Jymie Merritt. The three-horn front line opened a new chapter for the band.

— Blue Note Records: The Biography, Richard Cook, 2003

Herbie Hancock / Pat Metheny / Jack DeJohnette / Dave Holland: Jazz à Vienne 1990

July 9, 1990, Jazz à Vienne. The Parallel Realities tour — Herbie Hancock (piano), Pat Metheny (guitar), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Dave Holland (bass). A miraculous meeting of four musicians each at a peak in their careers.

— Jazz à Vienne, 1990