Jazz Recommendations


I am just starting to get into Jazz. I recently bought Thelonious Monk Quartet "Live at Monterey" and was blown away. Could you recommend other mainstream Jazz recordings that I should have in a basic collection to help me get started.
kadlec
HI, here's yur first 100 jazz records for the cold winter nights:
# John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1964)
# Charles Mingus: The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady (Impulse!, 1963)
# Albert Ayler: Spiritual Unity (ESP, 1964)
# Sun Ra: Atlantis (Saturn, 1967)
# Lennie Tristano: Descent into the Maelstrom (Inner City, 1952)
# Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note, 1966)
# Ornette Coleman: The Shape of Jazz To Come (Atlantic, 1959)
# Don Cherry: Mu (BYG Actuel/Get Back, 1969)
# Carla Bley: Escalator Over The Hill (JCOA, 1971)
# Anthony Braxton: Saxophone Improvisations (America, 1972)
# Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue (Columbia, 1959)
# John Coltrane: Ascension (Impulse, 1965)
# Art Ensemble of Chicago: Les Stances A Sophie (Nessa, 1970)
# Eric Dolphy: Out to Lunch (Blue Note, 1964)
# Lennie Tristano: Crosscurrents (Capitol, 1949)
# Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1969)
# Charles Mingus Pithecanthropus Erectus (Atlantic, 1956)
# Albert Ayler: Vibrations (Debut, 1964)
# Thelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners (Riverside, 1956)
# Charlie Haden: Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse!, 1969)
# Tim Berne: Fractured Fairy Tales (JMT, 1989)
# Sun Ra: The Magic City (Saturn, 1965)
# John Coltrane: My Favorite Things (Atlantic, 1960)
# Ornette Coleman: Free Jazz (Atlantic, 1960)
# Paul Bley: Open, To Love (ECM, 1972)
# Anthony Davis: Lady of the Mirrors (India Navigation, 1980)
# Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um (Columbia, 1959)
# Pharoah Sanders: Karma (Impulse!, 1969)
# Charlie Haden: Dream Keeper (Blue Note, 1990)
# Anthony Braxton: Alto Saxophone Improvisations (Arista, 1979)
# Cecil Taylor: Nefertiti (Freedom, 1962)
# Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus (Prestige, 1956)
# David Holland: Conference of the Birds (ECM, 1972)
# Modern Jazz Quartet: Fontessa (Atlantic, 1956)
# Joe McPhee: Topology (HatART, 1981)
# George Russell: Ezz-thetics (Riverside, 1961)
# Henry Threadgill: When Was That (About Time, 1982)
# Guillermo Gregorio: Ellipsis (Hat Art, 1997)
# John Coltrane: Giant Steps (Atlantic, 1959)
# Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil (Blue Note, 1964)
# Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame (Columbia, 1971)
# Weather Report: I Sing the Body Electric (Columbia, 1972)
# George Lewis: Solo Trombone Records (Sackville, 1976)
# Borbetomagus: Barbet Wire Maggot (Agaric, 1983)
# David Torn: Best Laid Plans (ECM, 1985)
# Butch Morris: Dust To Dust (New World, 1990)
# Dexter Gordon: Go (Blue Note, 1962)
# Butch Morris: Testament (New World, 1995)
# George Russell: Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature (Soul Note, 1980)
# Charles Mingus: Presents (Candid, 1960)
# Andrew Hill: Point of Departure (Blue Note, 1964)
# Leroy Jenkins: Solo Concert (India Navigation, 1977)
# Sam Rivers: Streams (Impulse!, 1973)
# Muhal Richard Abrams: Levels and Degrees of Light (Delmark, 1967)
# James Newton: Mystery School (India Navigation, 1979)
# Toshiko Akiyoshi: Desert Lady (Columbia, 1994)
# Paul Bley: Dual Unity (1971) (Freedom, 1973)
# Myra Melford: Even the Sounds Shine (HatART, 1994)
# Charles Mingus: Oh Yeah (Atlantic, 1961)
# Gato Barbieri: Latin America (Impulse!, 1973)
# Charles Earland: Black Talk (Prestige, 1969)
# Anthony Braxton: For Alto (Delmark, 1968)
# John McLaughlin: My Goals Beyond (Columbia, 1970)
# Matthew Shipp: Circular Temple (Quinton, 1990)
# Archie Shepp: Mama Too Tight (Impulse!, 1966)
# Roscoe Mitchell: Sound (Delmark, 1966)
# James Newton: Luella (Gramavision, 1983)
# Max Roach: Freedom Now Suite (Columbia, 1960)
# Coleman Hawkins: Body & Soul (RCA Victor, 1939)
# Cecil Taylor: Conquistador (Blue Note, 1966)
# Leo Smith: Mass on the World (Moers, 1978)
# Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue (Blue Note, 1965)
# Julius Hemphill: Dogon AD (Freedom, 1972)
# Michael Formanek: Wide Open Spaces (Enja, 1990)
# Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Karyobin (Island, 1968)
# Charles Mingus: Tijuana Moods (1957) (RCA, 1962)
# Steve Lacy: Regeneration (Soul Note, 1982)
# Bobby Previte: Claude's Late Morning (Gramavision, 1988)
# Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (Capitol, 1949-50)
# Randy Weston: Blues To Africa (Freedom, 1974)
# Sam Rivers: Crystals (Impulse!, 1974)
# Dollar Brand: Sangoma (Sackville, 1973)
# Albert Ayler: Witches and Devils (Freedom, 1964)
# Maria Schneider: Evanescence (Enja, 1992)
# Jeanne Lee: Conspiracy (Earthform, 1974)
# Oregon: Distant Hills (Vanguard, 1973)
# McCoy Tyner: Sahara (Milestone, 1972)
# Steve Lacy: Scraps (Saravah, 1974)
# Matthew Shipp: Pastoral Composure (Thirsty Ear, 2000)
# Duke Ellington: The Far East Suite (RCA, 1966)
# Sonny Rollins: Freedom Suite (Riverside, 1958)
# Don Cherry: Symphony For Improvisers (Blue Note, 1966)
# Rova Saxophone Quartet: Cinema Rovate (Metalanguage, 1978)
# Marty Ehrlich: Traveller's Tale (Enja, 1989)
# Don Byron: Tuskegee Experiments (Elektra/Nonesuch, 1990-91)
# Sonny Sharrock: Ask the Ages (Axiom, 1991)
# Pat Metheny: As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita (ECM, 1980)
# Paul Motian: Conception Vessel (ECM, 1972)
# Henry Threadgill: Just the Facts (About Time, 1983)
# Chick Corea: Inner Space (Atlantic, 1966)
Marilyn Crispell's trio recordings on ECM, especially "Storytelling". Beautiful, complex, delicate, and totally engaging.
Ray,I got the 'Jazz Cello' cd,after your mention of it.It has become a favorite.What is best about it imho is the accompaniment to Ray's playing is some really first class small ensemble 'jazz' and the choice of the material is excellent.Thanks.
kool double4w...your exp pretty much describes mine too though b4 jazz and did a detour into blues.

check out manute kache's neighborhood w/ tom stanko and jan garbeck....acoustic modern jazz
Henry,There is a lot of chemistry going on with Ray Brown and Gene Harris,,very good choice!Double4w,Im glad you enjoyed Jazz Cello,,I just finished listening to Live at Scullers and Dont get Sassy,,my jaw hit the floor when "But not for Me" started playing Wow!Ill not rest untill I own everything Rays done!Thanks guys!