101 Essential Jazz Guitar Albums
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 :
101 Essential Jazz Guitar Albums
- Al Di Meola – “Elegant Gypsy” (1977)
- Al Di Meola – “Land of the Midnight Sun” (1976)
- Barney Kessel – “The Poll Winners” (1957)
- Bill Frisell – “Good Dog, Happy Man” (1999)
- Bill Frisell – “Guitar in the Space Age!” (2014)
- Bireli Lagrene – “Routes to Django” (1980)
- Charlie Christian – “The Genius of the Electric Guitar” (compilation)
- Charlie Hunter Quartet – “Natty Dread” (1997)
- Django Reinhardt – “Djangology” (compilation)
- Django Reinhardt – “The Complete Django Reinhardt and Quintet of the Hot Club of France Swing/HMV Sessions” (1936-1948)
- Earl Klugh – “Finger Paintings” (1977)
- Earl Klugh – “Heart String” (1979)
- Eddie Lang – “1927-1933” (compilation)
- Emily Remler – “Transitions” (1983)
- Emily Remler – “East to Wes” (1988)
- Freddie Green – “Mr. Rhythm” (compilation)
- George Benson – “Breezin'” (1976)
- George Benson – “Guitar Man” (2011)
- Grant Green – “Idle Moments” (1964)
- Grant Green – “Matador” (1979)
- Herb Ellis – “Nothing But the Blues” (1957)
- Herb Ellis and Joe Pass – “Two for the Road” (1974)
- Howard Alden – “A Good Likeness” (1993)
- Howard Roberts – “Good Pickin’s” (1959)
- Jack Wilkins – “Windows” (1973)
- Jack Wilkins – “Merge” (2001)
- Jim Hall – “Concierto” (1975)
- Jim Hall – “Undercurrent” (1962)
- Jimmy Raney – “A” (1954)
- Jimmy Raney – “Visions” (1976)
- Joe Pass – “Virtuoso” (1973)
- Joe Pass – “Unforgettable” (1992)
- John Abercrombie – “Timeless” (1975)
- John Abercrombie – “Gateway” (1975)
- John McLaughlin – “My Goal’s Beyond” (1971)
- John McLaughlin – “Electric Guitarist” (1978)
- Johnny Smith – “Moonlight in Vermont” (1952)
- Johnny Smith – “The Sound of the Johnny Smith Guitar” (1961)
- Jonathan Kreisberg – “Nelson” (2004)
- Jonathan Kreisberg – “Night Songs” (2011)
- John Scofield – “A Go Go” (1998)
- John Scofield – “Hand Jive” (1994)
- Julian Lage – “Arclight” (2016)
- Julian Lage – “Love Hurts” (2019)
- Kenny Burrell – “Midnight Blue” (1963)
- Kenny Burrell – “Guitar Forms” (1965)
- Kurt Rosenwinkel – “Deep Song” (2005)
- Kurt Rosenwinkel – “The Next Step” (2001)
- Larry Coryell – “Spaces” (1970)
- Larry Coryell – “Tributaries” (1979)
- Lee Ritenour – “Captain Fingers” (1977)
- Lee Ritenour – “Wes Bound” (1993)
- Lenny Breau – “The Legendary Lenny Breau…Now!” (1986)
- Lenny Breau – “The Hallmark Sessions” (1996)
- Lionel Loueke – “Heritage” (2012)
- Lionel Loueke – “Virgin Forest” (2006)
- Marc Ribot – “Rootless Cosmopolitans” (1990)
- Marc Ribot – “Y Los Cubanos Postizos” (1998)
- Martin Taylor – “Spirit of Django” (1994)
- Martin Taylor – “Kiss and Tell” (1999)
- Mary Halvorson – “Meltframe” (2015)
- Mary Halvorson – “Code Girl” (2018)
- Mike Stern – “Upside Downside” (1986)
- Mike Stern – “Between the Lines” (1996)
- Mundell Lowe – “A Grand Night for Swinging” (1957)
- Mundell Lowe – “Haunting Love Songs” (2001)
- Nels Cline – “Lovers” (2016)
- Nels Cline – “Interstellar Space Revisited” (2002)
- Oscar Moore – “The Oscar Moore Quartet” (1954)
- Oscar Moore – “Blues in B-Flat” (1961)
- Paco de Lucia – “Almoraima” (1976)
- Paco de Lucia – “Siroco” (1987)
- Pat Martino – “El Hombre” (1967)
- Pat Martino – “We’ll Be Together Again” (2012)
- Pat Metheny – “Bright Size Life” (1976)
- Pat Metheny – “The Way Up” (2005)
- Peter Bernstein – “Signs LIVE!” (2019)
- Peter Bernstein – “Heart’s Content” (2002)
- Ralph Towner – “Solstice” (1975)
- Ralph Towner – “Diary” (1974)
- René Thomas – “Meeting Mr. Thomas” (1963)
- René Thomas – “Guitar Groove” (1970)
- Russell Malone – “Black Butterfly” (2010)
- Russell Malone – “Heartstrings” (2001)
- Scott Henderson – “Tore Down House” (1997)
- Scott Henderson – “Dog Party” (1994)
- Sonny Sharrock – “Ask the Ages” (1991)
- Sonny Sharrock – “Black Woman” (1969)
- Stanley Jordan – “Magic Touch” (1985)
- Stanley Jordan – “Bolero” (1994)
- Steve Khan – “The Blue Man” (1978)
- Steve Khan – “Public Access” (1990)
- Tal Farlow – “The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow” (1956)
- Tal Farlow – “This Is Tal Farlow” (1958)
- Ted Greene – “Solo Guitar” (1977)
- Ted Greene – “The Magic of Christmas” (2003)
- Wes Montgomery – “The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery” (1960)
- Wes Montgomery – “Smokin’ at the Half Note” (1965)
- Wolfgang Muthspiel – “Where the River Goes” (2018)
- Wolfgang Muthspiel – “Angular Blues” (2020)
- Woody Shaw – “Rosewood” (1977)
101 Essential Jazz Guitar Albums
Please note there are many other notable jazz guitarists and albums worth exploring.
