I made this list about 9 years ago and I just came across it again. I realized that I should put it here so it’ll be more accessible than in my FB feed. I don’t mean it as any judgement on things I’ve omitted, this is just a starting point to find the path through the huge world of Jazz that you belong on.
Relatively frequently I get into a conversation where I mention that I am a Jazz fan, and that I play Jazz piano, and someone asks me: "So tell me what to listen to in Jazz...", at which point my brain locks up and I stammer, forget everyone's name... so I made a list and I'm sharing it here FWIW:
(Artist * means important -- Suggested recordings -- not in any order, not really grouped at all, just my opinion from my listening so far )
*Ahmad Jamal -- The Legendary Okeh & Epic Recordings
*Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Art Blakey Quintet --
*Art Tatum -- Piano Grand Master 1-3, The Tatum Group Masterpieces
Anita O'Day -- Anita O'Day Live in Tokyo
*Bill Evans -- Portrait in Jazz, Sunday at the Villiage Vanguard
Bix Beiderbecke -- Bixology
Bobby Timmons -- This Here is Bobby Timmons
*Bud Powell -- Paris Sessions
*Chick Corea -- Piano Standards
Chucho Valdes -- Fantasia Cubana Variations on Classical Themes
*Clifford Brown & Max Roach -- At Basin Street
*Dave Brubeck Quartet -- Time Out, Time Further Out
*Freddie Hubbard -- Red Clay
Gonzalo Rubalcaba -- Inner Voyage
*Herbie Hancock -- Corea Hancock (Live), Maiden Voyage, Speak Like a Child
Hiromi -- Spiral
*Horace Silver -- Song for My Father
*Jelly Roll Morton -- Greatest Hits
*John Coltrane -- Afro Blue Impressions
*Keith Jarrett -- The Koln Concert, Standards Vol.1, Standards Vol.2
Louis Armstrong -- Hot Fives and Sevens
Mary Lou Williams -- Live At The Cookery (Live), Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Mary Lou Williams esp "What's Your Story, Morning Glory"
Les McCann & Eddie Harris -- Swiss Movement
*McCoy Tyner -- Soliloquy, McCoy Tyner and the Latin All-Stars
Mose Allison -- I Don't Worry About A Thing
Nina Simone -- Feeling Good - The Very Best of Nina Simone
*Oscar Peterson -- Night Train, Oscar Peterson Et Joe Pass A La Salle Pleyel
Ramsey Lewis -- Ramsey Lewis's Finest Hour
*Sonny Rollins -- A Night At The Village Vanguard
*Stan Getz -- Captain Marvel, Sweet Rain
*Thelonious Monk -- Thelonius Monk Quartet with John Coltrane - At Carnegie Hall
Tony Bennett -- Tony Bennett and Bill Evans (two albums)
Vince Guaraldi Trio -- Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus
*Wayne Shorter -- Adam's Apple