Pat Metheny, INDEED! - pretty much anything, except Zero Tolerance for Silence which is not for beginners or even casual jazz fans.
Keith Jarrett - the compilation "rarum: Selected Recordings" is a great overview of his work from '74 to '94, then in no particular order Live at the Blue Note, Whisper Not, Tokyo '96, Koln Concert, La Scala, The Melody at Night with You, My Song, Belonging, Arbour Zena, on and on.
Dave Holland Quintet - especially Not for Nothin', Prime Directive and What Goes Around (actually a big band recording).
Chris Potter, excellent young sax player - Travelling Mercies, Gratitude.
Charles Lloyd - recent recordings on ECM are great.
Kurt Rosenwinkel, great young guitar player - The Enemies of Energy.
Joni Mitchell, don't laugh or smirk, some of her stuff has a very real jazz feel to it - Hejira and other recordings post-1976, particularly one from 1980 with Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mayes, Wayne Shorter, Jack DeJohnette (I think that was the line-up.
Keith Jarrett - the compilation "rarum: Selected Recordings" is a great overview of his work from '74 to '94, then in no particular order Live at the Blue Note, Whisper Not, Tokyo '96, Koln Concert, La Scala, The Melody at Night with You, My Song, Belonging, Arbour Zena, on and on.
Dave Holland Quintet - especially Not for Nothin', Prime Directive and What Goes Around (actually a big band recording).
Chris Potter, excellent young sax player - Travelling Mercies, Gratitude.
Charles Lloyd - recent recordings on ECM are great.
Kurt Rosenwinkel, great young guitar player - The Enemies of Energy.
Joni Mitchell, don't laugh or smirk, some of her stuff has a very real jazz feel to it - Hejira and other recordings post-1976, particularly one from 1980 with Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mayes, Wayne Shorter, Jack DeJohnette (I think that was the line-up.