Jazz recommendations?

Ray Bryant is a soulful player with great chops but never assaults you with them. His music can make you happy at the purely sensory level, but also rewards the musically aware. Not super well known but is one of my automatic recommendations to people who don't know jazz but would like something accessible to listen to. His Montreux '77 concert album is great, but I like all of his Cadet and EmArcy stuff too.

The one and only Oscar Peterson --(OP trio) Sat night at the blue note, Oscar Peterson and the bassists etc.

Check this out. Might be what you are lookin for.
Hiroko Kokubu - New York Uncovered

Click the link...you can listen to samples from this cd...

http://www.xrcd.net/Shopping/shopexd.asp?ccode=VICJ-61241

Ahmad Jamal, "Cross Country Tour"

Bill Evans, absolutely, but do not forget "Sunday at the Village Vanguard"

Billy Taylor, "Ten Fingers, One Voice" (in reference to your intended use, this was the ONLY cd I could listen to while studying for the NY bar exam)

I just enjoyed a new release that came out this week, The Body and Soul Sessions by the Philippe Saisse Trio. Jazzy renditions of popular favorites, like Steely Dan's Do It Again, the Beatles' Lady Madonna, and James Taylor's Fire and Rain. If not quite in the "smooth jazz" genre, it's very close.