FYI: Look at all the artist on that LP. If they are playing standards then check each of them out as well. Normally, birds of a feather play together....well you know what I mean. If you don't normally when they collaborate they stay within a certain sound.
When I look at 50's and 60's jazz I look to see if they are playing standards. Usually, when they are the album will be a serious session. It's okay to have a couple or more of original cuts but the guidline I use is make sure they are playing some serious standards. Gershwin, Cole Porter... those cats. Another thing to look for when the artist from the 50's and 60's list a cut like Mr. Kelly's Blues, or A Long Drink of the Blues check it out. Usually these cuts last over half the side of an LP and it usually a serious session. A long Drink of the Blues takes up a whole side of an LP, over 15 Minutes. So look at the standards and the players. You will soon know the quality players. Many of the LP's during this era had each player doing a solo. It is easy to find many audiophile LP's out there but check out the Players (the band)too. This should have you collecting many pieces of fine jazz for a long time. Pay particular attention to how each instrument is portrayed in each cut.
If you listen to Bill Evans Peace, Piece, Pieces you will hear Cannonball Adderly blow some serious sounds on sax. But most important the leader Bill Evans (piano) will simply take you home with his melodic piano playing. You can hear him pour his emotions into each keystroke. Also, Ray Brown is a force on Acoustic Bass to be heard. I have never heard a bad LP with Ray Brown on it. Period. Check out Sonny Rollins (tenor Sax) on Comtempory and RCA especially.
Some of these guys had a period when they played Advantgarde. I call this free jazz or head music. A very Complicated structure. They didn't play standards in free jazz or Advantgard. And Last to to Ebay to music then records or CD's and search by the labels. I have listed some of the good ones: Bluenote, Fantasy, Contempary, Muse, Limelight, Riverside, Savoy, Black Jazz, Strata EAst, Pablo,Columbia, RCA, Mercury, Pacific Jazz, Soul NOte, Emarcy, Verve, Norgran, Atlantic, Roulette, Impulse, Discovery and many more.
Get a Goldmine Jazz Collectors Guide or price guide. It will tell you much information about the labels and some info about the artist. If you like Gene Ammons he recorded many and I mean many LP's on Prestige. Happy Hunting. Oh one more thing visit http://www.wdcdradio.com/ in Philadelphia, PA. They have many jazz reissues starting around $8.00. I have been buying these for about 3 years. Some on 180 Gm vinyl and from time to time some on 200 Gms. There are a couple other companies like them on Ebay too.
