Jazz recommendations for a beginner?


Hello, I purchased my first 3 jazz cds just to experiment: Cafe Blue (Pat Barber), Love Scenes (D. Krall) and Kind of Blue (M. Davis). Now I want to officially start listening more jazz. I really liked tracks 2,3,4,9,10 and 11 on Barber's cd, almost every song on Krall's, but honestly 'Kind of Blue' was not too much of my taste. So based on this brief comments, has anybody some good recommendations for a beginner? I'd appreciate your suggestions. Thanks.
Jorge R.
jorge_err
Well I didn't mean to insult anybody-if you like Ms Krall then fine,I like lots of things other folks don't.
I tend to think Kind Of Blue( ground breaking as it was in it's day) is on the mainstream of what I would call traditional Jazz.
The other obvious one being Dave Brubecks Take Five-my feeling being that if you don't like these,then well you are into the area of pop/light/smooth or whatever you want to call it Jazz.
Kenny G and the like.
When I started off listening to Jazz,I was recommended Kind Of Blue and well I loved it....that to me is Jazz,the traditional link from what Jazz was into what Jazz became.
A lot of Jazz takes some listening and is challenging and I just think if you don't like KOB well...you are going to struggle with a lot of the greats.
Newbee you are probably right Davis,Coltrane et al they were never mainstream per se but well Kind Of Blue is the biggest selling Jazz album ever...and to me these names along with Ellington and Armstrong are in the line of traditional Jazz.
It's a bit like if you are into movies...Kubrik,Scorsese et al didn't mean ditto at the Box Office.
I recommend you to tune to FM91.1(Toronto). The only 24 hours all Jazz radio station in North America or even in the world !!!
You can listen to it through internet.

Go to www.jazz.fm and get connect....

Cheers.............
Ben, Firstly let me say that I addressed my comments to you because of earlier comments you made several years ago and which are referred to in this thread. You undoubtedly have a great depth of knowledge on this subject and I should think we would both agree on most things. However, where we part ways is your reaction to an inquiry of a newbie to jazz based on his inability to understand Davis' music and the fact that he likes Krall - you (and others more by implication) seem to want to dismiss him and assign him to the dust bins of elevator music. I would think those of us who heard and appreciated the music of Davis et al were well prepared to hear it thru past experience with the works of other jazz musicians. At best your post makes you sound elitist. Were I you, I would have (and actually did) post a list of good jazz practioners, whose recordings are easy to obtain, and enjoy, without an inate or acquired understanding of jazz. I wouldn't dismiss a classical newbie just because he couldn't comprehend Mahler. We who know should try to lead these folks by introducing them gently. I appoligize in advance for the sermon.
I have found that guests at my house who have little Jazz experience typically enjoy Stan Getz - any of his 3 Brazilian-style LPs. The most popular though is Getz/Gilberto. I generally see their foot tapping from the first track on (my silent indicator of the right choice).

Also, I agree with Newbee. As you explore any creative medium, particularly music, food, art, audio equipment. more, I believe you will become very comfortable with the less complex items first and soon migrate to more challenging material. It is a natural progression and that is the fun of it. The Audiogon crowd can certainly provide ideas to explore at each milestone in your journey.

Enjoy