Jazz Recommendations


I am just starting to get into Jazz. I recently bought Thelonious Monk Quartet "Live at Monterey" and was blown away. Could you recommend other mainstream Jazz recordings that I should have in a basic collection to help me get started.
kadlec
One more. Fritzel's Jazz Band. You probably have to go to New Orleans to get this one, at Fritzel's Europeon Jazz Club on Bourbon St. They have live jazz there most nights, really good New Orleans style jazz. Some of the best musicians in town jam there. The cd is a recording of basically the house band. Very nice.
Return to Forever, "Romantic Warrior." "No Mystery" is also very good. This is "good" jazz fusion. The players are Chick Corea - Keyboards etc., Stanley Clarke - Bass extraordinaire, Al Dimeola - Guitar, Lenny White - Drums, percussion. Man, these guys are talented and tight. This is music from the mid 70's. It's out in re-mastered versions so the sound is superb, highly recommended.
Jazz is really diverse. What kind of music or artists did u like b4 getting into jazz, or even now?

My experience was I loved rock when I was a teenager (and still do!), then blues, then ended up in Jazz while listening to all 3 now!