11-21-08: Tvad
Strictly answering the question posed, the best LP I purchased in 2008 was unquestionably Pat Metheny's "80/81". Wow. What a great performance and recording.
I have a couple of those. One I rescued in n/m condition from a dollar bin.
It's hard to beat the '70s ECM LPs for artistic, musical, and sound quality. I have ECMs of Metheny, Gary Burton, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Ralph Towner, Eberhard Weber, and John Abercrombie.
The Concord jazz albums of the '70s and '80s are stunning in every way too--The LA Four, Great Guitars, Laurinda Almeida & Charlie Byrd, Ross Tomkins, Cal Collins, Woody Herman.
Besides that Diana Krall Christmas album, my other favorite find in 2008 was Count Basie and the Kansas City Six on Pablo, with Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Louie Bellson on drums, plus Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Joe Pass, and Willie Cook.
Great music, great sonics, and kick-ass acoustic bass.