15 albums worth listening to

OK, so I know that Jazz isn't the most popular form of music among the under-50 set, but I'm mostly fine with that. The only time that it gets to me is when I discover some new album (to me, anyway) and I want to share it with someone else, only to get a look like, "you're kidding me, right?" Yeah, I realize that it's not the most accessible music out there, but anyone that is willing to take the time to listen will find that there's a lot more musical "meat" in Jazz than in most other forms of music. I realize that there is a lot of it that doesn't have words, and there is a lot of it that can sound like random notes, but there isn't much that I can do for you if either of those things is a concern (other than tell you to be patient and keep listening). I also realize that one of the toughest things about Jazz is that, with so much music out there, it can be hard to know where to start. That is something that I can help with, and to that end, I've made a little list of CDs that anyone interested in Jazz should check out. They are in no particular order, and I won't bore you with much description of them. So, without further ado, here are 15 albums that are worth listening to:

1. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis - probably the one on the list that I would most recommend
2. Blue Train by John Coltrane - one of my first purchases and still one of my faves
3. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane - a recording so good, that there is a church built around it (no kidding!)
4. April in Paris by Count Basie - A great album to listen to if you are feeling intimidated by Jazz. Very easy on the ears.
5. Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis - shades aren't necessary, but they help
6. Blues and the Abstract Truth by Oliver Nelson - Weird name, good Jazz
7. Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - Sure, it's the album that gave us "The Girl from Ipanema" but that doesn't have to be a bad thing
8. In a Silent Way by Miles Davis - Miles was at the forefront of so many changes in Jazz. Here's an early mix of Jazz and Rock. So good.
9. Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock - Nautically themed jazz, whatever that means
10. Miles Ahead by Miles Davis - This time with an orchestra behind him
11. Out of the Cool by The Gil Evans Orchestra - The title makes more sense when you know a bit of Jazz history, which I'm not going to go into right now
12. Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter - great hard bop, 'nuff said
13. Waltz for Debby by Bill Evans - if you want to hear three people playing as one, this is the album
14. Workin' by Miles Davis - Really guys, are you getting the picture? Miles Davis is the coolest (and he didn't even have to pee his pants to get there)
15. Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk - Really, any one of his albums could fit here, this just happens to be the one I picked.

So, there it is folks. I happen to own all of these albums, and if anyone should be interested, I'm more than happy to lend them out. Really, give 'em a shot.