Help me select few vinyl LPs

I like diskogs, because I can find near mint or mint vinyl of albums that are not "current" pressings. I  usually source new releases from Amazon. I suggest that your friend considers using diskogs to catalog what he purchases. It makes it a lot easier, when visiting record stores, to determine whether you already own an album. 

Dan

Another vote for the Blue Note Tone Poet series, any of the pressings there would be a fine addition to a collection. 

Oscar Peterson is an artist worth collecting as well. Lots of great choices, here's one that I think is very well done: https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/175940/The_Oscar_Peterson_Trio-On_A_Clear_Day_-_Live_in_Zurich_1971-Vinyl_Record?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_5unBhCMARIsACZyzS32zXiVzfK8Q7-7LHCSY_IQC4xhqkhc-GGmccCqD3ZPQreh4Jkgy-caAjwjEALw_wcB

Look for a Blue Note compilation album

One Night With Blue Note Preserved is a fun 3-4 LP  may have to buy used but a great collection of musicians

A card with a note that the Amazon gift card enclosed is intended for him to select/buy LP's for his 'new' TT setup transfers your excitement for his TT, and transfers the content choice to him.

Amazon card, because whatever he chooses to spend the money on, i.e. garden rake, clothing  .... is easily returnable.

Acoustic Sounds are my go to source for new vinyl. Their in house record pressing /  reissues have been nothing short of amazing. They offer quite a few Analogue Productions reissues around $50, and they offer UHQR versions of limited titles. The sound quality, jackets, boxes, and goodies included have always impressed me. 

 https://store.acousticsounds.com/c/405/UHQR_Vinyl_Record

 https://store.acousticsounds.com/l/507/Analogue_Productions

I agree on the gift card idea, but it is nice to receive an actual gift. Maybe a selecting one or 2 records and including a GC would be a nice way to go.