Out with the '50s, in with the '60s, and boy, does the quality of this year's music reflect the changing tides in the cultural landscape. Note the influx of blues albums on this list, as well as the amount of times that Porgy & Bess-related material features on here (a movie adaptation released that year caused numerous jazz and R&B artists to cover tracks from the musical -- two full-length album adaptations are included here).
Charles Mingus -- Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland
Steve Lacy -- Reflections
Ritchie Valens -- Ritchie Valens
Ray Charles -- The Genius of Ray Charles
Cecil Taylor -- Looking Ahead!