101 Essential Jazz Guitar Albums

By Stef Ramin On 2023-07-16 0

From iconic classics to contemporary masterpieces, this comprehensive (non-exhaustive) list with the corresponding year of release shows the 101 essentials jazz albums by legendary guitarists as Bill Frisell, Django Reinhardt, Grant Green, George Benson and many others.

Here's a non-exhaustive list of 101 essential jazz guitar albums with the artist names in alphabetical order :

1. Al Di Meola - "Elegant Gypsy" (1977)
2. Al Di Meola - "Land of the Midnight Sun" (1976)
3. Barney Kessel - "The Poll Winners" (1957)
4. Bill Frisell - "Good Dog, Happy Man" (1999)
5. Bill Frisell - "Guitar in the Space Age!" (2014)
6. Bireli Lagrene - "Routes to Django" (1980)
7. Charlie Christian - "The Genius of the Electric Guitar" (compilation)
8. Charlie Hunter Quartet - "Natty Dread" (1997)
9. Django Reinhardt - "Djangology" (compilation)
10. Django Reinhardt - "The Complete Django Reinhardt and Quintet of the Hot Club of France Swing/HMV Sessions" (1936-1948)
11. Earl Klugh - "Finger Paintings" (1977)
12. Earl Klugh - "Heart String" (1979)
13. Eddie Lang - "1927-1933" (compilation)
14. Emily Remler - "Transitions" (1983)
15. Emily Remler - "East to Wes" (1988)
16. Freddie Green - "Mr. Rhythm" (compilation)
17. George Benson - "Breezin'" (1976)
18. George Benson - "Guitar Man" (2011)
19. Grant Green - "Idle Moments" (1964)
20. Grant Green - "Matador" (1979)
21. Herb Ellis - "Nothing But the Blues" (1957)
22. Herb Ellis and Joe Pass - "Two for the Road" (1974)
23. Howard Alden - "A Good Likeness" (1993)
24. Howard Roberts - "Good Pickin's" (1959)
25. Jack Wilkins - "Windows" (1973)
26. Jack Wilkins - "Merge" (2001)
27. Jim Hall - "Concierto" (1975)
28. Jim Hall - "Undercurrent" (1962)
29. Jimmy Raney - "A" (1954)
30. Jimmy Raney - "Visions" (1976)
31. Joe Pass - "Virtuoso" (1973)
32. Joe Pass - "Unforgettable" (1992)
33. John Abercrombie - "Timeless" (1975)
34. John Abercrombie - "Gateway" (1975)
35. John McLaughlin - "My Goal's Beyond" (1971)
36. John McLaughlin - "Electric Guitarist" (1978)
37. Johnny Smith - "Moonlight in Vermont" (1952)
38. Johnny Smith - "The Sound of the Johnny Smith Guitar" (1961)
39. Jonathan Kreisberg - "Nelson" (2004)
40. Jonathan Kreisberg - "Night Songs" (2011)
41. John Scofield - "A Go Go" (1998)
42. John Scofield - "Hand Jive" (1994)
43. Julian Lage - "Arclight" (2016)
44. Julian Lage - "Love Hurts" (2019)
45. Kenny Burrell - "Midnight Blue" (1963)
46. Kenny Burrell - "Guitar Forms" (1965)
47. Kurt Rosenwinkel - "Deep Song" (2005)
48. Kurt Rosenwinkel - "The Next Step" (2001)
49. Larry Coryell - "Spaces" (1970)
50. Larry Coryell - "Tributaries" (1979)
51. Lee Ritenour - "Captain Fingers" (1977)
52. Lee Ritenour - "Wes Bound" (1993)
53. Lenny Breau - "The Legendary Lenny Breau...Now!" (1986)
54. Lenny Breau - "The Hallmark Sessions" (1996)
55. Lionel Loueke - "Heritage" (2012)
56. Lionel Loueke - "Virgin Forest" (2006)
57. Marc Ribot - "Rootless Cosmopolitans" (1990)
58. Marc Ribot - "Y Los Cubanos Postizos" (1998)
59. Martin Taylor - "Spirit of Django" (1994)
60. Martin Taylor - "Kiss and Tell" (1999)
61. Mary Halvorson - "Meltframe" (2015)
62. Mary Halvorson - "Code Girl" (2018)
63. Mike Stern - "Upside Downside" (1986)
64. Mike Stern - "Between the Lines" (1996)
65. Mundell Lowe - "A Grand Night for Swinging" (1957)
66. Mundell Lowe - "Haunting Love Songs" (2001)
67. Nels Cline - "Lovers" (2016)
68. Nels Cline - "Interstellar Space Revisited" (2002)
69. Oscar Moore - "The Oscar Moore Quartet" (1954)
70. Oscar Moore - "Blues in B-Flat" (1961)
71. Paco de Lucia - "Almoraima" (1976)
72. Paco de Lucia - "Siroco" (1987)
73. Pat Martino - "El Hombre" (1967)
74. Pat Martino - "We'll Be Together Again" (2012)
75. Pat Metheny - "Bright Size Life" (1976)
76. Pat Metheny - "The Way Up" (2005)
77. Peter Bernstein - "Signs LIVE!" (2019)
78. Peter Bernstein - "Heart's Content" (2002)
79. Ralph Towner - "Solstice" (1975)
80. Ralph Towner - "Diary" (1974)
81. René Thomas - "Meeting Mr. Thomas" (1963)
82. René Thomas - "Guitar Groove" (1970)
83. Russell Malone - "Black Butterfly" (2010)
84. Russell Malone - "Heartstrings" (2001)
85. Scott Henderson - "Tore Down House" (1997)
86. Scott Henderson - "Dog Party" (1994)
87. Sonny Sharrock - "Ask the Ages" (1991)
88. Sonny Sharrock - "Black Woman" (1969)
89. Stanley Jordan - "Magic Touch" (1985)
90. Stanley Jordan - "Bolero" (1994)
91. Steve Khan - "The Blue Man" (1978)
92. Steve Khan - "Public Access" (1990)
93. Tal Farlow - "The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow" (1956)
94. Tal Farlow - "This Is Tal Farlow" (1958)
95. Ted Greene - "Solo Guitar" (1977)
96. Ted Greene - "The Magic of Christmas" (2003)
97. Wes Montgomery - "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery" (1960)
98. Wes Montgomery - "Smokin' at the Half Note" (1965)
99. Wolfgang Muthspiel - "Where the River Goes" (2018)
100. Wolfgang Muthspiel - "Angular Blues" (2020)
101. Woody Shaw - "Rosewood" (1977)

Please note there are many other notable jazz guitarists and albums worth exploring. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page if you have any suggestions that could appear in the list.

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