Kind of Blue by Miles Davis is the single most recommended starting point in jazz — and for good reason. It's melodic, unhurried, and deeply beautiful. Other excellent first albums: Dave Brubeck's Time Out, Bill Evans' Waltz for Debby, or John Coltrane's Ballads (for something slower and introspective).

Many jazz fans love vinyl for its warmth, especially for older recordings from the 1950s–60s. But modern CD and SACD releases of classic albums often use the same original masters and sound exceptional. Start with CD if you don't already own a turntable — you'll get tremendous quality without additional equipment.

Blue Note is arguably the most important jazz label in history. Between 1955 and 1967, they recorded an astonishing run of albums — Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter — that define the hard bop and post-bop eras. If a record has the Blue Note logo, it's almost certainly worth your time.

Not at all — but it can take a few listens to hear past the speed and complexity. Start with Charlie Parker's slower ballad recordings or Thelonious Monk's Quartet recordings, which give you more space to follow the melodic ideas. Once bebop clicks, it's enormously exciting. Think of it as jazz at full sprint.