Jazz Piano Trio / Spanish Guitar


Hello All,
I'm looking to broaden my musical pallet and I'd like to take some baby steps into jazz trios (piano, bass, drums). Please recommend some artists (groups?) that are easily accessible to virgin ears. I'd like to still hear a melodic line somewhere in the song, so nothing to avantgard or "free jazz"ish.... and of course sonic beauty is important as well, so I guess I'd be biased to more recent recordings.
I'm also looking for some recommendations of Spanish guitar artists. NO flamenco please, (yikes, too crazy for my tastes)..... just some beautiful Spanish guitar artists with albums that contain tracks that are solo guitar AND tracks with soft accompaniment.

"Momma let that boy play some rock and roll. Jazz is much too crazy, he can play that when he's old"

Guess I'm there, hehe :(
tgyeti
Oh I forgot The Ray Brown Trio. He is on several labels and almost all of his recordings are pretty good.
Spanish Guitar,
grisha goryachev
Narciso Yepes

I am a novice to jazz and you can't go wrong with the Bill Evans trio.
Wow,
Thank you for the wonderful responses. Like Lokie said, "This thread is going to cost me some $" ..... lol. I also should have mentioned I'm only looking in the CD format.

Thanks again!
I'll take you a bit off the mainstream track here. Here are a few that I've found on my frequent rotation list on a regular basis. These selections tend towards the moody and sometimes darker, low-key. They are all outstanding recordings:

Achirana which is currently only available used but well worth the price of admission IMO.

Changing Places or anything by Tord Gustavsen Trio

For Spanish Guitar, I'd point you to a different flavor:

Try Carlos Paredes on the Portugese guitar. Very beautiful.

Of course you cannot go wrong with Andres Segovia.

Also, for a more modern interpretation, and I don't know that much about her, check out Milica Ilic. If you search out her video's on YouTube you can get a sense of her playing. Sadly not too much on recorded music from her, but her playing is beautiful, as is she.