Foxymoron (aka TO j-student and blogger Andrea Chiu) asks: I just want some instrumental jazz (no vocals) to play at home while I cook, read the paper, surf, etc...who should I start with?
Here's my response:
Start with Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis.
Recorded in 1959, it's an absolute, unqualified masterpiece and remains sublimely cool to this day.
Forget laundry and homework. Mix a great martini, turn your lights down to appropriate level of jazz club darkness, and enjoy! :)
My Favorite Things, by John Coltrane. On the title track, he'll pick your soul up and spin it around like a snowflake on a winter breeze.
A Love Supreme, by John Coltrane. The intensely spiritual 'Trane's musical love letter to God (BTW, there's a Church of John Coltrane in San Fran).
For a movie introduction, find the doc A Great Day in Harlem. It's about the 1958 taking of a photo in Harlem for Esquire magazine that included the leading lights of jazz. Some stunning performance footage. See the photo at http://www.harlem.org/.
Another great film is 'Round Midnight, a 1986 work by Bertrand Tavernier.
A film I haven't seen is Bird, a 1988 biopic about Charlie Parker, directed by jazz fiend Clint Eastwood, but you can find some reviews here.
Check out Downbeat magazine.
Spend a late Friday afternoon at the Rex.
I haven't been in the Imperial Public Library for a while (note: a bar very near Rye High -- Victoria St. and Dundas West), but once upon a time, it had a great jazz jukebox. If it's still there, experiment.
Listen to Jazz Beat on CBC Radio One on Sunday nights or After Hours on Radio Two during the week.
And (how the hell did I forget this?) there's also Jazz.FM91 any time in Toronto. :)
Oh yes, and read On The Road, by Jack Kerouac (which you should do even if you hate jazz. :) )
Addendum:
Culturekiosque has a list of the top jazz albums of the 20th Century.
Here's Jazzitude's essential jazz recordings.
NPR has a basic jazz record library.
WGBO (Jazz 88) has, not surprisingly, a list of 88 jazz records you should have.