Joe Pass

Not really contemporary or scientific or anything.

allmusic.com is a pretty good reference. The two albums that "got me" into jazz are pretty much considered classics: Miles Davis' Kind of Blue and John Coltrane's My Favorite Things. Brubeck had some pretty spotty moments, so you got his best one. Any good music store will have various encyclopedias of jazz albums.

More adventurous choices, and totally subject to my own opinion:

Miles Davis, Jack Johnson (a film soundtrack of all things, but great)
Miles Davis, Ascenseur a la Escafold (I totally butchered that title, and it's also a film soundtrack, but much earlier, more "classic" sounding).
Miles Davis, In a Silent Way (transitional into his fusion sound)
Coltrane, Blue Train
Coltrance, A Love Supreme (fantastic, but quite experimental with regards to what you'll hear at a standard jazz nightclub)

I'm a fan, but not an expert, but all of these albums would generally be accepted as somewhat _necessary_ for a larger understanding of jazz history. Just take advantage of the fact that lots of great jazz musicians have reasonably priced "best of" packages that are a great way to dip your feet. Trial and error can be fun.

Every home with a sound system of some sort needs at least one copy of Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue. You really cannot go wrong, there. Not exactly "contemporary", I guess, as it was recorded in 1959. Then again it's only a little older than I am, and I like to at least think of myself as being contemporary. Please don't burst my bubble.

On preview, what bardic said. I'd probably add Waltz For Debbie by Bill Evans, who played piano on Kind Of Blue.

Five albums I love, as I flip through my CD booklet:

Eric Dolphy, Out to Lunch
Bud Powell, The Scene Changes
Hank Mobley, Soul Station
Art Pepper, Meets the Rhythm Section
Art Blakey, Moanin'

Nice music for a Saturday night.

Don Byron's Ivey-Divey

Wayne Shorter, JuJu
Sonny Rollins, Live at the Village Vanguard
Dexter Gordon, Our Man In Paris
Pat Metheny/Charlie Haden, Beyond the Missouri Sky

Nice ones bmarkey. Though of the four, I've never found Pat Metheny as great as many do. Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter, just amazing.

Thanks. Sounds good. Kind of Blue is on every list; I guess I'll add it to mine. :- ) I'll look into a bunch of the other ones as well. I looked at another Marsalis album (forget which Marsalis), but the wife said I was only allowed to have two that trip. :-(

I had a girlfriend, back in the day, who played Metheny's American Garage the first time we slept together. An excellent introduction.

*ahem*

I find him very approachable, yet not in a Kenny G way. (Perish the thought.)

Not exactly "contemporary", I guess, as it was recorded in 1959.

The Jazz Corner's show for that night was billed as "contemporary jazz" and included Brubeck's "Take Five" (recorded in 1959 also), so I think "contemporary" refers to about 1960.

I’m not much of a jazz-head, but lately have been greatly enjoying The Bad Plus, a piano-bass-drums trio who strike me as contemporary and approachable but still plenty jazzy.

Derek Bailey - Ballads
Ground Zero - Plays Standards
Spaceways, Inc. - Thirteen Cosmic Standards by Sun Ra and Funkadelic
Otomo Yoshihide New Jazz Quintet - Tails Out (including an awesome rendition of "Strawberry Fields Forever")

herbie hancock?