One of the first things I learned about jazz came from Jerryl Coker’s classic book Listening To Jazz. In it he recommends that you take multiple listenings to any song you want to learn about. First for the melody, and then start separating the song into just the drums, bass, piano, then the rhythm section together and then the horns.
If you’re a bass fan, here are some of my favorite “bass” albums that you’ll have a field day with analyzing. They are from some of the most important and influential bassists in jazz history. Have fun!
Jimmy Blanton: The Blanton-Webster Band. Duke Ellington’s 1941 Orchestra was arguably his greatest, as it featured pioneering bassist Jimmy Blanton. On this 3 disc set, he’s featured on bass in front pieces like “Jack The Bear” and “Koko”, but also on some fantastic duets with Ellington on “Pitter Panther Patter” . Essential!
- Chubby Jackson: New York City 1949-Ooh What An Outfit. Best known for his bass work with Woody Herman, Jackson also led his own hard bopping outfit, and this album shows how hard a bass can hit. A real toe tapper!
- Oscar Pettiford: Deep Passion/Discoveries– A real pioneer of bebop bass, Pettiford creates a whole new language for the bass on these paradigm shifting albums, as his finger snapping bass work is complemented by his amazing cello playing
Ray Brown: Oscar Peterson On The Town. You can pick just about any Oscar Peterson trio album with Brown and Herb Ellis and you can’t go wrong. His albums of duets with Ellington entitled This One’s For Blanton is a true classic- Paul Chambers: Bass On Top. Paul Chambers was part of the classic hard bop rhythm section with Jimmy Cobb and Wynton Kelly, teamed up on sessions with Miles Davis, Art
Pepper, Wes Montgomery and beyond. His own albums are tasty treats, as this one has both guitarist Kenny Burrell and pianist Hank Jones. Sublime wonders 
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um/Tijuana Moods. You just aren’t going to go wrong with anything Charles Mingus touched from 1957-64. These two are simply on another level, with shifting directions, moods and grooves at the drop of a hat. Sui generis.- Scot LaFaro: Sunday at the Village Vanguard/Waltz For Debby. Scott LaFaro’s stint with Bill Evans’ trio (with drummer Paul
Motian) essentially changed the role of the bassist, as his explorative fingerings and harmonies freed up Bill Evans for a deeper emotional outpouring. These two albums are timeless treasures. 
Ron Carter: Miles Smiles/Alone Together. The quintessential post bop bassist. Ron Carter set the pulse for Miles Davis’ Second Classic Quintet. His set of duets with cool toned guitarist Jim Hall is a rococo treat.- Stanley Clarke: Stanley Clarke/School Days. Arguably the pioneer of electric
fusion bass, Clarke threw down the gauntlet on these eye opening sessions from the 70s - Miraslav Vitous: Weather Report.Overlooked these days, Vitous expanded the role of the bass on Weather
Report’s debut album, with the follow up “Live” album going into the stratosphere. - Jaco Pastorius: Jaco/Heavy Weather/Black Market. Has anyone advanced the bass since Jaco? I don’t think so. Weather Report’s 7th album had Pastorius hitting the ground running on “Gibraltor”, while “Teen Town” was the clarion call
for electric bassist. Ditto for Pastorius’ in-your-face solo bass take of “Donna Lee”, which was the “Giant Steps” for bassists.