Top 10 Jazz recordings ever

Charles Mingus Ah Um
Miles Davis Kind Of Blue
Patricia Barber Cafe Blue
Oscar Peterson Night Train
Miles Davis Birth Of The Cool
Bela Fleck and The Flecktones Little Worlds
Thelonius Monk Straight No Chaser
Return To Forever Romantic Warrior
John Coltrane A Love Supreme
Miles Davis Bitches Brew

It shocks me that a long list of audionuts would reply to this question without mentioning Louis Armstrong Plays King Oliver. This is probably the demo LP and song(St. James Infirmary) that I've heard offered as a reference by more audiophiles and jazz fans than most of the others combined.

From all the recommendations I have to agree that the best vocals LPs to start with are:
Johnny Hartman & John Coltrane
Ella Fitzgerald - "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie"

Another that I'd add is Billie Holiday -Songs For Distingue Lovers Cheers,
Spencer

I think it is also important to mention the medium. Vinyl or cd etc. I have some vinyl that sound better than the cd and vice versa.

In addition to all of the above, Cassandra Wilson, "Blue light Til Dawn" is a good one. She is the only female vocalist in my collection, that I see before me when she sings. Not because she is the most beautiful, or has the most beautiful voice; but because she is the most unique and "authentic". Every album say's "Hello world, here I am; can you dig it?"

Excellent recordings, but not nessessarily my favorites

Jazz at the Pawnshop
Midnight Sugar
Cafe Blue
Jazz Samba
Someday My Prince Will Come
We Get Requests
Porgy and Bess (Ella and Louis)
At the Bluenote Keith Jarrett (6 disc set)
Live at the Villiage Vanguard Bill Evans)
New York Reunion sacd(Tyner)
Charles Lloyd Canto

Great recordings