Listening to jazz records for the specific purpose of knowing what you’re doing playing in a combo setting— playing “regular” mainstream jazz. We’ll leave listening related to very modern playing as a separate topic. And big band playing, and playing the drums in general, and a broader jazz education in general, and broader development as an artist in general.
The following are the generally expected frame of reference when playing with experienced players— tunes tend to get handled the way they’re played on these records, and the good players all listened to them a lot, and may reference them in their playing, and will recognize when you reference them in your playing.
Miles Davis – All of the 50s quintet with Philly Joe Jones, plus Milestones, and Kind of Blue. And Bags’ Groove, and Something Else by Cannonball Adderley.
Charlie Parker – Any compilation including all the famous tunes.
Bill Evans – All the records with Paul Motian, plus Every Body Digs Bill Evans.
Thelonious Monk – All of his records from the 60s give very clean looks at his tunes, especially Monk’s Dream and Criss Cross. And the Blue Note compilations of his 78 releases. And anything else frankly.
Clifford Brown / Max Roach – All of this group’s recordings.
Ahmad Jamal – Live at The Pershing, other records with Vernell Fournier.
Bud Powell – The Amazing Bud Powell
Sonny Rollins – Plus 4, Saxophone Colossus, Tenor Madness, Newk’s Time. Everything with Max Roach.
Art Blakey – At The Café Bohemia, At The Jazz Corner Of The World, A Night In Tunisia, The Big Beat, Moanin’.
Horace Silver – Most of his 60s records, especially Song For My Father and Silver’s Serenade, plus 50s albums Blowin’ The Blues Away, Horace Silver Trio on Blue Note.
Lee Morgan – Sidewinder, Rumproller
Oliver Nelson – Blues And The Abstract Truth
John Coltrane – Blue Train, Giant Steps, Coltrane’s Sound, My Favorite Things.
Wayne Shorter – Adam’s Apple, Speak No Evil, Juju.
Wynton Kelly – Any.
Joe Henderson – Page 1, Mode For Joe, Inner Urge
It’s a lot, but it’s not that much. I’m certainly forgetting some important things— there are probably some Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, Freddie Hubbard records that could be on there. And of course that reflects my own listening, and the people I’ve played with over the last 35+ years. Different communities may have an emphasis one way or another. Players, let me know in the comments if I’m missing something major.