I have recently been getting into jazz music and I want some suggestions for great albums to buy.

I started with Richard Elliot, who a friend of mine was playing one night. I went about bought his album "Richochet" and I love it. I also downloaded a couple tracks from Candy Dulfer like "Lily Was Here" because some people told me she was great as a modern introduction to jazz, and I did like those songs a lot.

So... anything like that. Thanks!

Anything with Louis Armstrong or Bix Beiderbecke.

Jazz is a huge genre. It's changed and evolved a lot over the years, so you'll probably find stuff you love and stuff you hate. Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke are both fantastic.

A few classics everyone should hear:

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
Dave Brubeck - Time Out

Plus:
Anything involving Duke Ellington, Chet Baker, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk.

For more current stuff you may want to check out Super Silent, E.S.T and The Bad Plus.

I'm sure someone else can add to that list.

Keiko Matsui. Try her albums Sapphire, Dream Walk, and The Ring.

Coltrane and The Duke are pretty good, yeah.

http://www.mixcloud.com/oddio/birthday-jazz/

Keith Jarret. "Tribute" stands out for me, perhaps only because of the fantastic "Smoke gets in your eyes".
Also Gil Evans. He has made som amazing arrangements through the years.
For vocals check out Kurt Elling, Mark Murphy and Ella Fitzgerald.

Ohh.. And Kenny G.. You can't get much better then Kenny G! ;-)

You've gotten some great recommendations here, for sure. Here are a couple of the lesser known names that you might want to look into. Any of their albums/CDs/songs will fit the bill:

Billy Cobham- Great drummer. If you're into the drums, you'll enjoy his work.

Stanley Clarke- Phenomenal jazz guitarist.

John Blake- He turned the violin into a viable jazz instrument.

Cool... lots of youtubing and samples in my future to narrow these down. Thanks for all the ideas guys!

Some artist you might like, similar style to Richard Elliot . . . =)

Boney James -Body Language
Ronny Jordan - After 8
Earl Klugh - only downloaded some songs so. . .
Paul Hardcastle - compilations
Najee - older albums
Gerald Albright - Live to Love
Brian Culbertson - It's On Tonight
Fourplay - Between the Sheets
Pieces of a Dream - Pillow talk
Pamala Williams - Sweet Saxation
Cris Botti - When I Fall In Love
Marc Antoine - Madrid
Diana Krall - The Look of Love
Peter White - Confidential
Kim Waters - From the Heart

Edit: updated, my lady made some suggestions as she is a Richard Elliot fan

Despite my name I actually know fairly little about jazz music. My real-life nickname of Jazz came from the Jazzman comedy sketch, not from any musical leanings.

Girls
Anita O'Day (Incomparable!)
Shirley Horn (Travelin' Light)
Sarah Vaughan (After Hours)
Ella Fitzgerald (Ella in Berlin)

Guys
Gary Burton (Alone at Last, Chick Corea & Gary Burton in Concert 1979)
Miles Davis (Kind of Blue)
Chick Corea (Crystal Silence)
Charlie Parker (Bird - The Original Recordings of Charlie Parker)
Bill Evans (Sunday at the Village Vanguard)
Ben Webster (Soulville)
Oscar Peterson (Night Train)
Stan Getz (Sweet Rain)
Nat King Cole (Complete After Midnight Sessions)
Paul Desmond (Polka Dots & Moonbeams)
Yusef Lateef (Eastern Sounds)

I put two suggestions in for Gary Burton, just because I love vibes and his duets with Chick Corea are must hear. Alone at Last is a complete album with just him playing vibes.

You'd be hard pressed not to recognise a song from Travelin' Light, its standard background for any independent book shop or 'trendy' cafe ;)

Duke Ellington and John Coltrane are epic, yes.

I'm listening to "Better Git in Your Soul" right now on youtube... pretty good stuff.