Almost any album reorded by Blue Note through the mid 60s is GREAT. Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard etc. For the West Coast sound Contemporary recordings oh Shelly Manne, Hampton Hawes, Art Pepper etc. Most recordings on Prestige or Riverside are also great. Earlier recordings by Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Wardell Grey, Bud Powell are also excellent. From the 70s and 80s recordings on Muse, InnerCity and Steeple Chase are also excellent. Try samplers from OJC(Fantasy) and Blue Note etc to get an idea of what styles suit you best. Most jazz fans are into the Hard Bop sound, defined by the Blue Note recordxings of the 50s throgh the mid 60s.
