Jazz recommendations for a beginner?

First of all, thanks all of you guys for the kind suggestions. It seems that the perception of most of you has been that I prefer vocals over instrumental, but actually I feel is the contrary. Yes, I liked Krall but actually I felt more atraction for Barber, and what I really really liked was tracks 2 and 11 (I forgot the track names) on Cafe Blue, does anyboby can tell me what kind of jazz (if it is jazz) is this? I also remembered that my Stereophile CD 3 had one jazz track ("Nevermind" from "Killer Bees" album with Airto Moreira and the Gods of Jazz), so I played that track yesterday at night and felt that kind of jazz is what I really like since it was similar (to me) to those tracks (2, 11) on Barber's cd. But I'm open minded for other kind of jazz that you think I could appreciate now, vocals or instrumental.

I agree with some of you that mentioned that about "taste adquired", and I don't argue "Kind of Blue" is a super album (the best for some of you) and that I might love it in the future, it's just that as a beginner I'm not ready to appreciate it yet, I found it somewhat repetitive.

Thanks again guys, I'm confident that you will put me on the right track with your suggestions. Any more recommendations?

jorge you can bet you will love "kind of blue" in the future.I'm also kind of new to jazz and I remember my first live show about 6 yrs ago, it was Terrence Blachard Quintet I tell you I left that place with a headache.There was so much stuff going on within those five guys that is was incredible.As you listen and learn more you will appreciate what those guys are doing and how difficult it is to reach a level of playing that high, hell you might event get into Tim Berne or John Zorn stuff, i know i did and I can get enough of it

Yes, I was thinking female vocals too Jorge. Two of the very best instrumental jazz albums I've purchased over the past year that you might enjoy are:

"Achirana" on ECM usually listed under Vassilis Tsabropoulos

"Detail" by Marc Ducret on Winter & Winter

The latter is rather progressive and edgy improvisational jazz guitar and is a wonderful recording if you like that kind of music.

Marco

PS OK, I'm editing my post after coming home and listening to cuts 2 and 11. I do enjoy both those cuts as well and would strongly suggest the Achirana CD I mentioned above. The Ducret is just a bit more edgy and if you prefer the more traditional it may be more hard to swallow. I love it, but realize it is not for everyone. To add to those two after listening to the cuts you liked I'm also reminded of another recent favorite that is rather unusual and hypnoticly melodic in a similar way to the cuts you mention, but a bit more sedate: Anouar Brahem "Le Pas du Chat Noir" on ECM also....just gorgeous!

I second the Crusaders. Try there Healing the Wounds and the latest Rural Renewal. If you like that, then try Wilten Felder last solo cd or Joe Sample's 'Best Of.' Also try Joe Becks' Back to Beck cd. You can get it for 3 bucks from Acoustic Sounds or Amusic Direct.

Jorge,

Without meaning to offend you & without meaning to be the "Jazz Police" - "Kind of Blue" is an awesome album!
My friend lent me the CD, which is a Sony SBM i.e. 20-bits, etc, etc & it promised to be a good recording. I heard it a few time & I just didn't like it! I wonder why the performers were making so much noise in all the tracks?? Where was the music? Anyway, I just had a gut feeling that I was missing something 'cuz everyone I spoke to - young or older - expressed to me just how great this album is & that it represents some seminal Jazz work.
So, I bit the bullet & bought the Classic Records re-issue LP from Music Direct.
I can tell you emphatically & confidently that it completely changed my opinion of this album! The LP is just dynamite & the CD version just plain sucks!
The SBM recording CD might be a good recording but the LP takes this music to a higher level that the CD just *cannot* match. The synergy of the instruments in all the tracks is just incredible & the album now sounds like music.
Another thing that will help you (& it helps me a lot) is to read some liner notes & other info that you can find re. this album. This helps to explain the existing conditions of Jazz & the resp. artists during the year that the album was recorded. It helps to transport you to that era & mentally sets you up to listen to the music in the correct context. Some people call this their "mood" - somedays we want to rock the house w/ Rolling Stones, other days we want some calming music, still other days we want a seductive voice like Diana Krall, etc. To apprciate "Kind of Blue" you must set your mood correctly - it is "heavy" Jazz in that it is Bop Jazz, which is not casually listened to as background music while cooking dinner! Maybe one day you will when you become more acustomed to listening to traditional Jazz.
The new Jazz of Pat Barber & Diana Krall is very good & has its place but the traditional Jazz of Miles Davis, Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson, etc, etc. is richer music. It doesn't follow a conformist pattern that most music to today follows. Thus, the artists are able to show of their tremendous skills while still playing to a beat/rhythm! This same non-conformist accent is very much present in "Kind Of Blue" & is perhaps the reason it didn't appeal to you.
FWIW. IMHO. YMMV.