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Can I suggest you pick up The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Written by Richard Cook and Brian Morton. Published by Penguin and in paperback (ISBN-10: 0141023279 and ISBN-13: 978-0141023274). Now in its 8th edition, its about 2000 pages and covers every jazz genre. It's a brilliant reference guide.
I've been listening to Sun Ra a lot lately, so my suggestion would be Jazz In Silhouette. It's one of his more accessible albums and kicks off with enlightenment, which is beautiful. Cosmic Tones/Art Forms or Atlantis are more standard/freer sounding Sun Ra. In fact you can't go wrong with most of the Evidence issued Sun Ra cds.
One of my long time favourites is Ornette Coleman, and I would recommend the Beauty is a Rare Thing box set, which collects his early recordings for Atlantic. Failing that pick up Shape of Jazz to Come from that period or his most recent release, Sound Grammar.
And Out To Lunch definitely fits the bill of a 'classic.'
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