Like the music from the Mathew McConnaughey Lincoln commercial. Something that sounds like it should be following a private detective around the seedy underbelly of whatever. Piano and trumpet or sax…
Gotta get the de facto nomination out of the way… Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis and featuring John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Cannonball Adderley. Can’t get a more outstanding intro to piano/trumpet/sax jazz than that.
Other recommendations:
Moon Beams by the Bill Evans Trio
African Waltz by Cannonball Adderley (If anything, for the fact it has my utmost favorite version of “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”.)
Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus
Blue Train by John Coltrane
My Favorite Things by John Coltrane
Seconded:
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
I’ll add:
Miles Davis - 'Round About Midnight
Miles Davis - My Funny Valentine
The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2
Thelonious Monk - Genius of Modern Music: Volume 1
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin’ Else
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Moanin’
Also:
Stan Getz - Complete Roost Recordings
Charles Mingus - Blues and Roots
Dexter Gordon - Go
Horace Silver - Song for my Father
On the (slightly) more modern side:
Miles Davis - ESP
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles
Stan Getz - Sweet Rain
I just listened to a couple of MM’s Lincoln commercial.
Here’s one: - YouTube
That isn’t jazz. It is more like a piano score composed for a movie - lots of major chords and some cool tension built with unresolved chords along the way.
My gosh, putting on something like My Favorite Things by Coltrane, when he starts playing “outside” could not be more different.
Kind of Blue should always be listened to 
and doesn’t contain playing that would be as challenging to listen to a Coltrane later in his career, but it doesn’t sound much like the commercial.
I am not sure what I would point to that is similar to the commercial’s music. I am not a mellow piano soundtrack kinda guy. Part of me wants to recommend the classic New Age song Orinoco Flow by Enya: Enya - Orinoco Flow - YouTube it has flowery vocals and a bit more groove to it vs. that commercial music.
How is that vs. what you are looking for?
From that video clip, I think you might be looking at someone more like Keith Jarrett or Brad Mehldau.
Wow, I should have listened to the commercial first. That was totally NOT what I had in mind when you wrote “sounds like it should be following a private detective around the seedy underbelly of whatever”…
It’s more synthesizer-oriented but how about ambient music?
Jarrett maybe. Melhdau does some pretty sophisticated stuff.
Oh! I have one: http://www.amazon.com/In-Amsterdam-Live-at-Bimhus/dp/B000E1XODA
Fred Hersch - In Amsterdam. Brilliant composer and pianist. Accessibly - no whacky outside playing - but harmonically complex and wonderful. Can’t recommend this CD highly enough.
Listen to a generic jazz station on Pandora. When a song pops up that you like, make note of the artist and start a Pandora station for that artist, do the same thing when new artists pop up on that station you like. In very short order, you’ll have drilled down to exactly what kind of jazz you like.
Yeah, listening to the music in the various commercials, I’m not really hearing too much jazz there (at least none in any of the ones I watched.) But something like the Twin Peaks soundtrack might be up the OP’s alley (and it does have a jazz number or two in there.)
Really, all of these are GREAT…Sonny Rollins is another one whose “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” is a must listen, even if only on YouTube.
Like the music in the aforementioned ad(s) or not, I cannot help throwing a few more onto the pile…
Newport 1958 by the Dave Brubeck Quartet
Giant Steps by John Coltrane
Porgy And Bess by Miles Davis
Live At The Opera House by Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson
Getz Meets Mulligan by Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan (“I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” has to be heard to be believed…incredible production (and that goes for the entire album too) and atmosphere about it IMO.)
Jazz In Silhouette by Sun Ra (“Enlightenment” is another track that has an amazing atmosphere about it that can only be pulled off in jazz.)
Monk’s Dream by Thelonious Monk
Night Dreamer by Wayne Shorter
youtube as much Eric Dolphy as possible. Great multi-instrumentalist, died way too young.
If you’re in an experimental mode, try some Pharoah Sanders or Albert Ayler (sax players)
The pianist Thelonius Monk is somewhat idiosyncratic, perhaps, but highly engaging, maybe my fave.
Sorry, probably should have guessed there was more than none.
Here is the one I was talking about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fakTNw56mw8
This is slow and a little dark. Anyone know who this is? Or was it composed only for the commercial?
No clue, but go with Miles’ Kind of Blue. The commercial score is aspiring to be in that direction…
Ah…then try this “dark jazz” playlist.
Seconded, Kind of Blue is probably the closest to what you’re looking for.
You can also try some of the other Miles Davis albums I mentioned, especially 'Round About Midnight, Adderley’s Somethin’ Else or Monk’s Genius of Modern Music: Volume 1 but bear in mnd that not all the pieces on these are slow.
Three of my favorites:
Dexter Gordon - Body and Soul
Dexter Gordon - I’m a Fool to Want You
Ben Webster - When I Fall in Love
Ben Webster!! He is the best, smoothest tenor man ever. The best-of album King of the Tenors is amazing.
OP - you would do VERY well to check out his stuff.
Miles Davis is fine, but how about thinking a little more contemporary? One would be Bob James. You’ve heard him on Taxi, and he is quite prolific, recording with many contemporary artists, but it’s all jazz.
Sample: Take me to the Mardi Gras
Or how about Diana Krall. Not only consistent jazz, but she’s easy on the peepers, too.
Speaking of easy on the eyes, how about Candy Dulfer?
Dianna Krall is familiar. Off to Ebay. Thanks!