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Waltz for Debby
Bill Evans Trio
1961 [Riverside]

Evans wears his heart on his sleeve on this beautiful record that was culled from a date at the Village Vanguard in 1961. His bass player, Scott LaFaro, would die in a car accident ten days later - leaving only a handful of albums made with the trio. A good overview highlighting the maturation of Evans' modal style of piano playing.

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Sunday at the Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
1961 [Riverside]

One of two classic records (the other being Waltz for Debby) culled from perfectionist pianist Bill Evans' stand at the Village Vanguard in 1961. The album cover features the by-line "featuring Scott LaFaro", the bass player whose accidental death soon after highlighted his immense contributions to jazz. Absolutely timeless.

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Monk's Dream
Thelonious Monk Quartet
1962 [Columbia]

Eccentric pianist Monk assembled what many think was his best outfit for his Columbia debut - Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), John Ore (bass), and Frankie Dunlop (drums). Much of what is here finds Monk pouring his creative energies into re-interpreting earlier compositions in a more modern context. The results are simply outstanding.

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Money Jungle
Duke Ellington w/ Mingus & Roach
1962 [United Artists]

The CD reissue of this exciting record has bassist Charles Mingus sounding more a part of things than on the original LP. Drummer Max Roach obviously relished every moment with the Duke. With Ellington out of contract at the time, it was a stroke of luck that United Artists was able to put together this combination. Gets better with age.

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Night Train
The Oscar Peterson Trio
1962 [Verve]

Peterson's most famous record is a lively tribute to his father - a Canadian Pacific Railway night car attendant. A technically brilliant pianist, Night Train's exuberance ensures his playing doesn't get too overly complicated or out of hand. The moving 'Hymn to Freedom' caps off the original record, with six bonus tracks on the CD reissue.

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Undercurrent
Bill Evans & Jim Hall
1962 [Blue Note]

Following a hiatus after the death of his bass player Scott LaFaro, pianist Evans teamed with guitarist Jim Hall to make this classic and somewhat laid-back duo record. The 2002 reissue of the record features 24-bit remastering, the tracks restored to their original order and the graphic-clutter removed from the mesmerising cover photo.

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Empyrean Isles
Herbie Hancock
1964 [Blue Note]

And after hard bop came this… Pianist Herbie Hancock and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (playing a cornet) virtually defined the postbop sound typical of the mid-60s Blue Note label with this album. It is a stirring and creative piece of work ostensibly based on the myths of the Empyrean Isles. The catchy 'Cantaloupe Island' is a classic.

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Jazz pa svenska
Jan Johansson
1964 [Megafon]

Although not well-known outside of Sweden, this album by pianist Jan Johansson is currently gaining a solid reputation all around the world. It is the biggest selling Swedish jazz album of all-time, packed with beautiful arrangements of the country's folk music. The only other player on the album is double bassist Georg Riedel.