John Coltrane--Trane's Blues and Coltrane Plays the Blues. Doesn't get much better than this.
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers--Mosaic.. I like the fact that each member of the group had his own composition featured at some point by the group as a whole. This gig also included Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jyme Merrit on bass and Curtis Fuller on trombone. Nice chemistry felt amongst the members, which is really reflected in their music. Of course the usual stalwarts of Shorter with his innovative sax and Blakey with his muscular drumming form the nucleus; the addition of pianist Cedar Walton for this recording really works as well.