 | The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions by Miles Davis
Buy new: $32.47 / Used from: $35.00 Originally I loved the album, but now the "complete" is just more beauty to hear! Deep, fun, soulful, inspiring, and just damn brilliant from one end to the other.
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 | Monk's Music by Thelonious Monk
Buy new: $18.98 / Used from: $55.71 Hits me in the same magnitude as Kind of Blue, in terms of brilliance, and scope of viewpoint. Well You Needn't was never done better, nor Epistrophy.
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 | Out to Lunch by Eric Dolphy
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $4.67 Gee wiz, Dolphy was out there. This album is a little jarring for straighter tastes, but it is so appealing as well, from a sheer sound standpoint. All the players stay out of each others' way, yet get noisy, too.
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 | The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions by John Coltrane
Buy new: $27.98 / Used from: $13.94 Worth the double set! The tune "Africa" itself is the highlight, I think. It still gives me chills right from the opening bass figure. Big band, big ideas.
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 | Study in Brown by Clifford Brown
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $5.68 Not the most audiophile stuff, but great jazz. Clifford Brown died too soon, but was apparently playing his butt off right up until then! He was a monster on the trumpet!
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 | Hub Cap by Freddie Hubbard
Buy new: $8.97 / Used from: $2.04 More straight-ahead than his later stuff, if you're familiar with that. Inspired soloing, hard hitting all around, an invigorating standard jazz outing of the first order.
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 | The Wes Montgomery Trio - A Dynamic New Sound by Wes Montgomery Trio
Buy new: $11.98 / Used from: $4.75 A case could be made where this album isn't as exciting as some (Smokin' At the Half Note is more intense in its way,) but still, this one - his first(?) - is magic. Nice grooves on some, and the ballads are incredible. Great organ.
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 | Braggin' in Brass: The Immortal 1938 Year by Duke Ellington
Buy used from: $5.17 1938 was right in the middle of Duke's finest period: gradually outgrowing the smaller-scaled, subtle, early thirties "chamber" arrangements, but not yet on the A Train, and more broad Dorsey-esque sounds.
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 | 1961 by Jimmy Giuffre 3
Buy new: $35.98 / Used from: $24.99 I'll sound snotty saying it, but this is one of the smartest jazz records ever. Actually 2 jazz records, put together here. But it's so pleasant, too. Heart rending soft moments, fast dizzying stuff, too. Clarinet, Piano, Bass. Lots of space on it.
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 | East Coasting by Charles Mingus
Buy new: $8.98 / Used from: $5.64 There's Blues and Roots for honking and ripping on horns, and Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus for big arrangements, but this one is subtle, swinging, and comfortable.
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 | The Tatum Group Masterpieces, Vol. 1 by Art Tatum
Buy new: $11.98 / Used from: $6.69 My wife gave me the whole box set for my birthday in the early 90s, and it has been a staple ever since. It has helped my marriage, if you can believe that! Effortlessly virtuosic. The pianists pianist, with an amazing who's who backing him up.
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 | The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 by Bill Evans
Buy used from: $30.00 You can't go wrong here. I love Portrait In Jazz, and Everybody Digs Bill Evans, but this one has a good variety by a legendary group defining itself for the world.
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 | Red Norvo Trio with Tal Farlow and Charles Mingus: The Savoy Sessions by Red Norvo Trio
Buy used from: $25.00 Seek it out! Farlow thought he was getting an easy gig, but zow! Old Red Norvo gave him a workout. Young Mingus is brilliant with the rest - fantastic chamber jazz. (Genre defining, to me.)
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 | Fats Waller in London by Fats Waller
Buy used from: $30.82 I grew up with this one. One of my mom's vacumming soundtracks. Surreal organ stuff. Features a couple of songs that should be standards, but aren't. Adelaide Hall sings a few, here, and Fats sings a bunch and plays organ.
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 | Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock
Buy new: $7.98 / Used from: $1.30 "Chameleon" alone is worth the price of admission. Maiden Voyage is a great jazz record, but this is something else again. (Some would say it isn't jazz at all, I guess.) I'll show my age, but it was a big party album back then. (The *right* parties!)
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 | The Clarinets by The Clarinets
Buy new: $18.00 / Used from: $14.95 Boy, is this jazz? Classical? It's beautiful, if you like clarinets. 3 of them. Usually 2 bass and one Bb. Partly improv, unique. Very listening players.
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 | Undercurrent by Bill Evans
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $7.77 Beautiful duets, here. Their groove on "My Funny Valentine" (not a song I generally need to hear) is staggering. The song rolls lightly on, despite them both dropping out in pointilism...!
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