the all time best albums from a site whose opinion i value quite highly..this list is biased more towards the avant garde -for their time( though some about 30 plus years later sound as weird- Sun Ra is a case in point) and frankly stuff like Barbed Wire Maggots by Borbettomaggus are quite un-listenable..
but Albert Ayler is sublime..his Spiritual Unity album (with garry peacock on bass and sunny murray on drums- reaches to the depth of the soul, whatever that is)..
many of these albums also feature in the definitive core collection by penguin..
p.s. jazz musicians have a prodigious output and there are always substantial issues about consistency in the quality of their music..
Charles Mingus: The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady (Impulse!, 1963)
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1964)
Albert Ayler: Spiritual Unity (ESP, 1964)
Sun Ra: Atlantis (Saturn, 1967)
Lennie Tristano: Descent into the Maelstrom (Inner City, 1952)
Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note, 1966)
Ornette Coleman: The Shape of Jazz To Come (Atlantic, 1959)
Don Cherry: Mu (BYG Actuel/Get Back, 1969)
Carla Bley: Escalator Over The Hill (JCOA, 1971)
Anthony Braxton: Saxophone Improvisations (America, 1972)
Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue (Columbia, 1959)
John Coltrane: Ascension (Impulse, 1965)
Art Ensemble of Chicago: Les Stances A Sophie (Nessa, 1970)
Eric Dolphy: Out to Lunch (Blue Note, 1964)
Lennie Tristano: Crosscurrents (Capitol, 1949)
Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1969)
Charles Mingus Pithecanthropus Erectus (Atlantic, 1956)
Albert Ayler: Vibrations (Debut, 1964)
Thelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners (Riverside, 1956)
Charlie Haden: Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse!, 1969)
Tim Berne: Fractured Fairy Tales (JMT, 1989)
Sun Ra: The Magic City (Saturn, 1965)
John Coltrane: My Favorite Things (Atlantic, 1960)
Ornette Coleman: Free Jazz (Atlantic, 1960)
Paul Bley: Open, To Love (ECM, 1972)
Anthony Davis: Lady of the Mirrors (India Navigation, 1980)
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um (Columbia, 1959)
Pharoah Sanders: Karma (Impulse!, 1969)
Charlie Haden: Dream Keeper (Blue Note, 1990)
Anthony Braxton: Alto Saxophone Improvisations (Arista, 1979)
Cecil Taylor: Nefertiti (Freedom, 1962)
Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus (Prestige, 1956)
David Holland: Conference of the Birds (ECM, 1972)
Modern Jazz Quartet: Fontessa (Atlantic, 1956)
Joe McPhee: Topology (HatART, 1981)
George Russell: Ezz-thetics (Riverside, 1961)
Henry Threadgill: When Was That (About Time, 1982)
Guillermo Gregorio: Ellipsis (Hat Art, 1997)
John Coltrane: Giant Steps (Atlantic, 1959)
Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil (Blue Note, 1964)
Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame (Columbia, 1971)
Weather Report: I Sing the Body Electric (Columbia, 1972)
George Lewis: Solo Trombone Records (Sackville, 1976)
Borbetomagus: Barbet Wire Maggot (Agaric, 1983)
David Torn: Best Laid Plans (ECM, 1985)
Butch Morris: Dust To Dust (New World, 1990)
Dexter Gordon: Go (Blue Note, 1962)
Butch Morris: Testament (New World, 1995)
George Russell: Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature (Soul Note, 1980)
Charles Mingus: Presents (Candid, 1960)
Andrew Hill: Point of Departure (Blue Note, 1964)
Leroy Jenkins: Solo Concert (India Navigation, 1977)
Sam Rivers: Streams (Impulse!, 1973)
Muhal Richard Abrams: Levels and Degrees of Light (Delmark, 1967)
James Newton: Mystery School (India Navigation, 1979)
Toshiko Akiyoshi: Desert Lady (Columbia, 1994)
Paul Bley: Dual Unity (1971) (Freedom, 1973)
Myra Melford: Even the Sounds Shine (HatART, 1994)
Charles Mingus: Oh Yeah (Atlantic, 1961)
Gato Barbieri: Latin America (Impulse!, 1973)
Charles Earland: Black Talk (Prestige, 1969)
Anthony Braxton: For Alto (Delmark, 1968)
John McLaughlin: My Goals Beyond (Columbia, 1970)
Matthew Shipp: Circular Temple (Quinton, 1990)
Archie Shepp: Mama Too Tight (Impulse!, 1966)
Roscoe Mitchell: Sound (Delmark, 1966)
James Newton: Luella (Gramavision, 1983)
Max Roach: Freedom Now Suite (Columbia, 1960)
Coleman Hawkins: Body & Soul (RCA Victor, 1939)
Cecil Taylor: Conquistador (Blue Note, 1966)
Leo Smith: Mass on the World (Moers, 1978)
Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue (Blue Note, 1965)
Julius Hemphill: Dogon AD (Freedom, 1972)
Michael Formanek: Wide Open Spaces (Enja, 1990)
Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Karyobin (Island, 1968)
Charles Mingus: Tijuana Moods (1957) (RCA, 1962)
Steve Lacy: Regeneration (Soul Note, 1982)
Bobby Previte: Claude's Late Morning (Gramavision, 1988)
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (Capitol, 1949-50)
Randy Weston: Blues To Africa (Freedom, 1974)
Sam Rivers: Crystals (Impulse!, 1974)
Dollar Brand: Sangoma (Sackville, 1973)
Albert Ayler: Witches and Devils (Freedom, 1964)
Maria Schneider: Evanescence (Enja, 1992)
Jeanne Lee: Conspiracy (Earthform, 1974)
Oregon: Distant Hills (Vanguard, 1973)
McCoy Tyner: Sahara (Milestone, 1972)
Steve Lacy: Scraps (Saravah, 1974)
Matthew Shipp: Pastoral Composure (Thirsty Ear, 2000)
Duke Ellington: The Far East Suite (RCA, 1966)
Sonny Rollins: Freedom Suite (Riverside, 1958)
Don Cherry: Symphony For Improvisers (Blue Note, 1966)
Rova Saxophone Quartet: Cinema Rovate (Metalanguage, 1978)
Marty Ehrlich: Traveller's Tale (Enja, 1989)
Don Byron: Tuskegee Experiments (Elektra/Nonesuch, 1990-91)
Sonny Sharrock: Ask the Ages (Axiom, 1991)
Pat Metheny: As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita (ECM, 1980)
Paul Motian: Conception Vessel (ECM, 1972)
Henry Threadgill: Just the Facts (About Time, 1983)
Chick Corea: Inner Space (Atlantic, 1966)
Paul Rutherford: Gentle Harm of the Bourgeoisie (1974) (Emanem, 1976)
Terje Rypdal: Odyssey (ECM, 1975)
Franz Koglmann: Cantos I-IV (1993) (hatHUT, 1995)
Bill Frisell: Before We Were Born (Elektra, 1988)
Ralph Towner: Diary (ECM, 1973)
Lol Coxhill: Ear Of The Beholder (Dandelion, 1971)
Martial Solal: Four Keys (Pausa, 1979)
Guillermo Gregorio: Approximately (Hat Art, 1996)
Art Pepper: No Limit (Contemporary, 1977)
Lennie Tristano: The New Tristano (Atlantic, 1960)
Charlie Haden: Haunted Heart (Verve, 1991)
Oregon: Music Of Another Present Era (Vanguard, 1972)
Charlie Haden: Etudes (Soul Note, 1987)
Terje Rypdal: Eos (ECM, 1983)
Don Cherry: Orient (BYG, 1971)
Rova Saxophone Quartet: As Was (Metalanguage, 1981)
Maria Schneider: Coming About (Enja, 1995)
Rova Saxophone Quartet: Daredevils (Matalanguage, 1979)
Rova Saxophone Quartet: Invisible Frames (Fore, 1981)
Lennie Tristano: Wow (Capitol, 1950)
Hank Roberts: Black Pastels (Polygram, 1987)
Hank Roberts: Little Motor People (Polygram, 1992)
James Newton: Water Mystery (Gramavision, 1985)
Pat Metheny: Bright Size Life (ECM, 1975)
Duke Ellington: Black Brown and Beige (RCA, 1943, as private edition; Prestige, 1977)
Weather Report: Weather Report (Columbia, 1971)
Don Byron: Music for Six Musicians (Elektra, 1995)
Don Byron: Bug Music (Nonesuch, 1996)
Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles (Blue Note, 1964)
Roscoe Mitchell: Nonaah (Nessa, 1977)
Don Cherry: Relativity Suite (JCOA, 1973)
Art Ensemble of Chicago: Fanfare For The Warriors (Atlantic, 1973)
Art Blakey: Moanin' (Blue Note, 1958)
Coleman Hawkins: Rainbow Mist (Delmark, 1944)
Marcus Roberts: Deep in the Shed (Novus, 1989)
Horace Silver: The Cape Verdean Blues (Blue Note, 1965)
Anthony Braxton: Five Pieces (Arista, 1975)
Miles Davis: In a Silent Way (Columbia, 1969)
Evan Parker: Saxophone Solos (Incus, 1975)
Duke Ellington: In A Mellotone (1940) (RCA, 1957)
Don Pullen: Capricorn Rising (Black Saint, 1975)
Dave Brubeck: Time Out (Columbia, 1959)
Wayne Horvitz: Bring Your Camera (Elektra, 1991)
Kip Hanrahan: Vertical Currency (Pangea, 1985)
Lennie Tristano: Manhattan Studio/ New York Improvisations (Elektra, 1956)
Borbetomagus: Borbeto Jam (Cadence, 1985)
Guy Klucevsek: Flying Vegetables of the Apocalypse (XI, 1991)
Zeena Parkins: Something Out There (No Mans Land, 1987)
Butch Morris: Current Trends In Racism (Sound Aspects, 1986)
David Torn: Cloud About Mercury (ECM, 1987)
Oscar Peterson: Night Train (Verve, 1962)
Steps Ahead: Modern Times (Elektra, 1984)
Bobby Previte: Pushing The Envelope (Gramavision, 1987)
Bill Evans: Explorations (Riverside, 1961)
Bobby Previte: Dull Bang, Gushing Sound, Human Shriek (Dossier, 1987)
Marty Ehrlich: Emergency Peace (New World, 1990)
Roland Kirk: Rip Rig & Panic (Limelight, 1965)
Jimmy Giuffre: Thesis (Verve, 1961)
Marty Ehrlich: Malinke's Dance (OmniTone, 2000)
Rova Saxophone Quartet: Crowd (1985) (Hat Hut, 1986)
Anthony Braxton & Rova Saxophone Quartet: The Aggregate (Sound Aspects, 1989)
String Trio Of New York: Rebirth of a Feeling (Black saint, 1983)
Nimal: Nimal (RecRec, 1987)
Jimmy Giuffre: Western Suite (Atlantic, 1958)