Where do I start with... "artist"?

I find rateyourmusic much better than allmusic when it comes to ratings. While looking at an artist's page just click the rating header to place them in order by rating...start at the top.

There's artist I like and there's a band with the artist and there are artists in the band having solo albums with other bands and with other artists and other artists also having solo albums and playing with other bands...

New music should never end.

Thanks for your responses. I checked out allmusic, bestalbumsever and rateyourmusic. These are wonderful sites, each serving up the information in somewhat different but valuable ways and I will join them all. But there is something so much more direct about getting the kind of info offered above by Mofimadness and Martykl above regarding the artist(s)I wanted a quick introduction to. Maybe I'm being lazy but I feel like I know where to start with Richard and Linda Thompson just by seeing these two posts. Also, here at Agon I can ask about jazz, salsa or classical as well. Can someone help me get started with The Modern Jazz Quartet?

Basil Fomeen,johnny lester and his toy piano,Ted Fio Rito...

Check out the ratings at allmusic for the mjq. Concorde is a great album but allmusic will rate them all and their ratings for the mjq are right on IMHO.