[Please help me make my first collection]

"now I probably have close to 2,000"

Jesus, man. I know what sprees are like, and I'm sure this will only end badly, but magnificently badly. Jazz explodes everywhere.

Anywho, I had a few Mingus CDs I forgot to mention. I still have "Mingus Ah Um", but unfortunately, I lost everything else.

[Please help me make my first collection]

Why do you want a balanced collection? Why not have an unbalanced collection of stuff you really like?

MG

It's not to build a ballanced collection for the sake of having a broad, eclectic library, but I want find out what else I like. I tend to realize too late that, after listening to one sub-genre too long, I missed out on a lot of great listening. I'm not keen on my own tastes yet, so I want to get a glimpse of everything first. Thanks for your suggestion, and otherwise, I completely agree.

[Please help me make my first collection]

If anyone has a few suggestions to what would make a good, ballanced base for a jazz collection or an early jazz listener.

So far I have:

Getz/Gilepsie

Kind of Blue

Birth of Cool

A Love Supreme

Sonny Side Up

'Round About Midnight

Sketches of Spain

Something Else

Thelonius Monk with John Coltrane

(And a several others I lost or lent out, apparently permanently.)

I love all of it, and if anyone may know what else they think a listener, namely me, would like based on this, please, be my guest. I am open to any suggestions. I only recently discovered jazz and am just building my collection and tastes.

Thanks.