John Coltrane

With a successful career of over 50 years and more than 300 recordings, Creed Taylor is best known for producing early albums by Quincy Jones and Larry Coryell, and for his own label, CTI Records, which defined the sound of jazz in the 1970s. He died Tuesday at age 93.

So many recently discovered and previously unreleased jazz collections were produced this year. Here are my top five picks, in no particular order and based solely on my personal taste.

The 1965 recording of Coltrane’s spiritual suite performed live at the Penthouse Club in Seattle was finally released on Oct. 22. Robin Lloyd spoke with saxophonist and writer Steve Griggs about the long journey and many stories surrounding the landmark album.

The 13th Annual PDX Jazz Festival takes place in Portland, OR, February 18-28 with a special focus on the music and associations of John Coltrane, who…