Jazz for aficionados

Although being mired in the past is not atypical of jazz heads, I offer some current faves: Brad Mehldau kills me, as well as Bill Charlap's trio (I mixed one of their live shows recently)...John Scofield, Frisell's "Beautiful Dreamers" band are one of the most movingly soul stirring live acts on the planet...Jeremy Pelt...etc.

My favorites:
"Jazz at the Pawnshop"
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio "Midnight Sugar"
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio "Autumn in Seattle"
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio "Misty"
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio "What a Wonderful Trio"
Grover Washington, Jr. "Prime Cuts"
Stanley Turrentine "The Story of Jazz"
Sarah Vaughan "Sarah+2"
Sarah Vaughan "After Hours"
Sarah Vaughan "How Long Has This Been Going On"
Sarah Vaughan "Crazy and Mixed Up"
Anything by Patricia Barber

With the 60's and earlier days covered so well, I'd like to make a few suggestions, mostly in a 70's/80's vein, and heavy on guitar influence:

any of the albums by Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass--there are a handful of them, and they shouldn't be hard to find.

John McLaughlin: The Inner Mounting Flame (Mahavishnu Orch.)
My Goal's Beyond (side 2--the first side will not be everyone's cup or tea, but the rest will make it worth your while)
Live at Royal Festival Hall (with trio)

Jim Hall: Jim Hall Live! (with trio)

Gary Burton and
Chick Corea: Crystal Silence

Wolf_garcia, I'm glad you brought that up. Music can not be created in a vacuum, the musician must have something to inspire him, he has to feed on the broader society and other musicians, creativity does not come out of thin air, as so many people believe.

The overall quality of life outside of your perfect listening room, in this country, has been deteriorating for years, and that's reflected in the creativity of the musicians, or more specifically the "music". In the past, there was so much more to feed the musicians creative muse, as well as many more creative musicians. This is reflected in today's music. While the musicians today, might be as good as the musicians of yesterday, the music just ain't there. No one has searched harder for new music than me. Every year I'm left with the option of something new and boring, or going back to the past.

Brad Mehldau is very good, but his music just doesn't convey the living emotion of jazz musicians in the past. I would love to spend an evening out listening to his music live, but in my listening room, I could do so much better, that it's doubtful Brad would get much play.

Even the best musicians who are still alive from better times in the past, don't seem to do much better than Brad Mehldau; consequently my search for the best music always takes me back to the past in hopes of finding something I haven't heard before. Although I'm in what's called a "phase lock loop", I will give every musician you mentioned a thorough listen.

While I would have said it without the slightly condescending edge, I agree with Wolf's basic premise; if not all his choices. I chose my must-have list using two criteria: a bow to what I know of Orpheus' preferred style, and because, for me, a must-have is a recording that has stood the test of time; it is something truly special in the scheme of one's understanding of the music. I love Scofield. But, a must-have? Maybe for guitar heads (sorry for not practicing what I preach) maybe. Frissel is a different story; a brilliant player who will certainly be put on the highest pedestal in the future; IMO. Speaking of Frissel, a player who has played with Frissel often and who has usually left me shaking my head over the adulation that he receives is Joe Lovano; until very recently. He is developing into a true giant.

I don't subscribe to the idea that the best jazz has already happened; or rather, that no new jazz will ever equal that of the past. The music is too vibrant and deep for that. I just don't think that the more contemporary jazz has yet been put in the proper context. Additionally, I don't think it is fair to judge it (from the standpoint of it's value in the overall history of the music) while taking our own individual cultural, age, and even more personal biases out of the equation.