Jazz newbie

Bill Evans Trio - Waltz For Debby and Sunday at the Village Vanguard
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson
Chet Baker Sings
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Dave Brubeck - Time Out (#1 seller of all time)
Milt Jackson & Wes Montgomery - Bags Meets Wes
Charles Mingus - Ahh Umm

Cheers,
Spencer

I only realized I’m a jazz lover in the last 6 months. Here’s what I did to figure out what styles I liked and it’s worked perfectly and is a ton of fun. 
Go to your local record shops and just start buying a ton of used records. Spend a few hundred bucks and enjoy the journey of experiencing new music! Turns out for me, I’m a huge Stanley Turrentine fan and I love jazz with a heavy blues influence. Stanley with the 3 Sounds Blue Hour album is musical bliss!

You can spend all kinds of time and money running around to record stores and coming home to check everything out.  That's the old PITA way many of us had to use because it was our only choice.  I'm telling you, learn to use the internet tools we all have access to now.  Again, try "Jazz Aficionados."  Or explore the web any way you choose - there are plenty of great sources out there.  Check out sound clips.  Learn the modern way.

Keegiam is correct. What is available on line is a treasure trove of incredible performances; in print, out of print and historical (never in print). It is also a fantastic and inexpensive way to approach the learning experience in a way that is both very interesting and actually helps in keeping one more open to periods in the music that may not be, AT FIRST, the most accessible or enjoyable.

Jazz, like all serious art forms, has a strong evolutionary element. From a historical or chronological standpoint, artists build on what came before; and for the new listener, having at least some familiarity with the early periods in the music is very helpful. For instance, you are much more likely to understand and appreciate ‘60s (and later) Miles Davis if you are familiar with earlier Miles. Late Coltrane, if you are familiar with ‘50s Coltrane; and ‘50’s Coltrane if you have listened to at least some Dexter Gordon. Etc, etc.

Enjoy the ride!