Not a complete list. Just a few I revisit often. Share yours in the comments!

John Coltrane – Live At Birdland

Elvin is bananas on this performance. You could really pick any of the Quartet records, but this is the one I go back to most.

Toto- IV

Porcaro! We all know these songs. My friends make fun of me for liking them too much. I do not care. Bathe me in that sweet Yamaha organ or whatever.

Neil Young – Harvest

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to learn how to play like Kenny Buttrey on this record. Slinky and small at times, orchestral and tremendous at others. Just awesome.

The Mars Volta – De-loused In The Comatorium

This is one of the first times a piece of music wigged me out. A friend called my roommate and I over to hear it right when it came out. We listened to it twice back-to-back and barely said anything. This band gets a bad rap for being kind of corny sometimes, but this album, along with Frances The Mute, is a real joy. Theodore is bonkers.

Maxwell – BLACKsummers’night (2009)

What a great band. Chris Dave is awesome.

Charles Lloyd, Zakir Hussain, and Eric Harland – Sangam

I think this is also billed as Sangam Trio. Another record that just flattened me out when I heard it. I put it on and did literally nothing other than listen. As I understand it, this was the first time Harland and Hussain met. Wild.

Probably more to come.