The hell? I see Miles Davis mentioned several times in this thread, yet there is no mention whatsoever of Kind of Blue? For [i]shame[/i].
Anyways, I may not be a huge buff on the subject, but jazz is awesome in so many ways. As for specific albums and such…
- Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
- John Coltrane: Giant Steps
- Art Blakey: Ugetsu, Moanin'
- Sonny Rollins: The Bridge
- Duke Ellington: Money Jungle
Aside from the "classic" jazz artists, I've also taken a liking to jazz fusion (Steely Dan, Chick Corea, etc.). The other great thing about fusion (for me) is that it's full of technically amazing drummers. Like this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl5YQQq0Bs8.
Also, remember Jabberloop? Those guys who also put out an OOPARTS album? Well goddamn, that album rocked my socks. Area 51 + Fish in the Sky especially FTW.