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