Jazz Pianists
 

Sorry if there's already a thread like this, I did a few searches and couldn't find one.

Basically, I went to get records today, and picked up Solo Piano by Dave McKenna because I wanted something jazzy and it had a cool cover. Now I can't stop listening to it. I still have yet to venture into the world of jazz heavily, though I really like the sound. What I want are some suggestions of good jazz pianists. Anyone, whether you think I know them or not. Chances are I don't. Doesn't have to be a similar style to him or anything, just no terribly slow and boring smooth jazz stuff please :nono: Thanks in advance!

Here are some of my favorites:

http://img2.allposters.com/images/AC...JCCD-140-2.jpg

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/160/160553_1_f.jpg

http://jazzbluesclub.com/uploads/pos...9_23174876.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zhr5OATR-E...159f2_full.jpg

Thanks, the only ones that I think I really know are Thelonious Monk, Herbie Han**** if he counts, Duke Ellington, and a bit of Art Tatum's stuff. I've definitely heard of Chick Corea and Charles Mingus but never listened to them. I could be mistaken, but was Charles Mingus also very famous for playing bass? That's what I seem to associate his name with... But again, haven't listened to his music so I wouldn't know. I'll be checking these guys out!

Yes Charles Mingus is not very well known for his piano skills, but for his bass playing and arranger/composer skills, which is where I think largely the instrument most prominently came into play for him as it's generally the composers primary resource. Plays Piano is a rare album of him playing solo improvisational piano and, while its not a very well known album of his, it's absolutely gorgeous. To my knowledge its the only album he ever released with him on the instrument.

Mingus was known mainly as a bassist but he's really known more for his compositional prowess than just playing bass, so i can imagine him using other instruments and such

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg
http://jazz.com/assets/2008/4/27/alb...olnConcert.jpg

These two Keith Jarrett albums are my source for solo jazz piano. Definitely check them out.

He also plays piano throughout Oh Yeah (With a healthy dose of vocals) with Watkins on bass. He performs on piano on a few tracks on At Antibes as well as co-pianist on Ah Um for one track. He also has some tracks on Cumbia and Jazz Fusion, initially unreleased, but put on the album as bonus tracks on the albums rerelease.

If you want some avant-garde you should try this Cecil Taylor..
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/6318/cecil.jpg

It's a live performance in 1962 with Jimmy Lyons on sax and Sonny Murray on drums.

All hail Lennie Tristano.

"The New Tristano" is a must-have.

Thanks Engine, I really really liked Cecil Taylor. I couldn't find Trance, but listened to a live recording of Neferti, The Beautiful One Has Come. Absolutely fantastic. Lennie Tristano too was fantastic. And Charles Mingus. I hadn't the slightest idea that he played piano before, but Plays Piano was a really good album. Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I have enough to keep me busy for a bit.

I love jazz piano, and I found some great videos.

Here's a duet by Oscar Peterson and Count Basie called "Slow Blues"



Another duet by lesser-knowns John Lewis and Billy Taylor



And finally, one of my personal favourites - Dave Brubeck and his band playing "40 Days" in 1966.

I love Thelonious Monk. One of my favourite Monk albums is this one:

Monk Alone - The complete Colombia studio recordings 1962-1968
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

Simply mind blowing

Couldnt have said it better myself mate. 'Well You Needn't' is a fantastic piece of music. Others I like include Bill Evans, Bob James, Dave Brubeck & Herbie Hancock. Aaron Goldberg is another one worth checking out.

This may be a little outside of what you're looking for but Jelly Roll Morton is really worth checking out. He was one of the very early jazz pianists and died in 1941 so there aren't all that many recordings of him. I have one collection that's just called Jelly Roll Morton: the Pianist and Composer that's fantastic. If I remember correctly it was recorded all in one day sometime in the 30s (which was toward the end of his career) and it's just him on a piano solo playing mostly fast ragtime/early-jazz/whorehouse music.

<3

Ok. The Chick Corea album you recommended was great Satchmo, as well as the Bill Evans Trio album. The Koln Concert by Keith Jarrett was definitely one of my favorites out of all these recommendations. I also have been looking into Dave Brubeck, he's pretty ****ing amazing. Monk Alone is one of the few albums I've had in my collection, and I already love that one. Art Tatum was really cool as well, I listened to his album Piano Starts Here which is now probably the oldest album in my collection. The ragtime stuff is really hit or miss for me. While I really enjoyed that album, I absolutely did not like the Fats Waller track. Also, Jelly Roll Morton was interesting, but not for me. Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I've decided I need more avant garde jazz so I'll be hunting down that in addition to more by all these people.

Any chance I could get the Chick Corea album Satchmo? And Trance, Engine?

My favorite is Gene Harris. He is one dynamic pianist.

I posted this in the Albums You're Digging thread a while back, but this album deserves mention here about as much as this thread needs to be bumped.

The Red Garland Trio - Red Garland's Piano
Sweet and mellow piano renditions of some excellent jazz standards. Definitely on the bluesier side of the jazz spectrum. Red is quickly becoming my favorite jazz ivory tickler. Very recommended.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1035/...c59196.jpg?v=0

Chick Corea's Spain has a good bit of acoustic piano on it. Also, I'm surprised no one here has mentioned Dave Brubeck yet.

I love Spain. Excellent Corea album.

Dave Brubeck is great too. Take Five is a must have classic jazz album.A lot of his more popular stuff, like Take Five, isn't all that piano-centric. He did release a nice album a couple of years ago called Indian Summer, which is him doing some solo piano standards, and it is definitely worth checking out as well.

One thing about both of those albums is that the stars allow the subalterns to shine -- John Pattitucci in Corea's case, Paul Desmond in Brubeck's case; but isn't that the height of musicianship?

Oh you're absolutely right, and such is the nature of jazz in general. It's history is built upon it's bandleaders mentoring and showcasing its supporting talent. I'm just saying that I think the implied focus of this thread (I could very well be talking out of my ass) is piano trios and solo piano, but the fact that you recommended Brubeck, such a great and legendary musician, pretty much blows my theory out of the water, so I'll shut up now.

Naw, naw...I just like context, is all. And St Pauli Girl.

eta: Just thinking that with musicians, generally, two (or more) heads are better than one. I've always loved playing more for collaboration than kudos, myself.

Take Five is Brubeck at his best, I think. I have never really delved into Corea's music, but I will now.

The other day I read something that said both Brubeck and Corea are scientologists. Hmmm.

Scientologists? Dun Dun DUUN.

Nah, just kidding.

I always liked pretty much any song by Louis Armstrong.

jazz pianist
 

i'm surprised that no one named one of the greatest jazz pianist ever...[nat king cole]many may not know of the nat cole trio who were well known before nat started his fabulous singing career.

Michel Petrucciani 1962-1999
Rather than being boring with an incomplete introduction to Petrucciani, i prefer posting a link.
http://www.jazzpages.com/txtext/petrucciani_voce.htm

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8jSRtmXILV...trucciani2.jpg

This thread is hurting for some Andrew Hill.



Check out "Black Fire", "Judgment!", "Point Of Departure" and "Compulsion!!!!"

Wow - that's good stuff. Here I'll post another exciting link


Whoa, that sounds fucking great

Thank you both. I hadn't heard of either of these pianists

Dude, where's the love for Michel Legrand?

He's not only a capable jazz pianist, but he also has written tons of scores for movies.





Here he is jamming along with the one and fucking only master of the gypsy violin Stephan Grappelli.

I accidentally made a new thread about this. Whoops! Anyway, I love Oscar Peterson and McCoy Tyner. They both are masters of phrasing and technical ability. However, I think that often times Wynton Kelly gets less credit than he deserves. He was a pioneer of jazz-based r&b and wrote songs for Oscar Peterson for several years before joining a more contemporary-flavored soul band in the 70s.

Oscar PEterson is amzing, however i feel that his jazz can get a lil repetitive.

My favorites would have to be Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Herbie Han****, Thelonious Monk, and Horace Silver.

I'm not a big fan of some of Corea's more fusion-based stuff. Synths get on my nerves very easily. Plus, his music can get kind of busy, in a bad way.

Peterson uses the same rhythmic patterns over and over, sure, but I think they are so good that he's probably just doing what is best both for himself and for the listeners. Plus, with a discography spanning 30+ years, you should start to expect a little repetition :)

Bud Powell,Thelonious Monk,Bobby Timmons,Count Basie,Teddy Wilson.

I think, when it comes down to it, Art Tatum is the most technically brilliant Jazz pianist of them all in my opinion anyway (and Rachmaninoff), and critics who say that by being such a talent and, essentially his jazz going up its own arse by being so articulated, he loses the 'Jazz', are just a bunch of twats trying to keep their jobs and pervert the minds of their readers to their pretentious unconcerned viewpoint.

"Moonglow" has to be my favorite of his.

Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, (although people say he never really swung because of his classical training, he is brilliant and has showcased unbelievable talents in his quartet).

Oscar peterson I have always loved, however, when it came to his later work I found he had lost his energy from when he had started, and had reverted to the sort of lobby and club Jazz. Still have his Tonight record somewhere.

Its a shame that Nat King cole is not recognized for his piano playing, he really was an accomplished pianist. I would post a link, but it seems I'm not allowed to; although I promise my intentions are strictly non-internet spam..
He did Edward Macdowell's To a wild rose with Oscar Moore and it is absolutely brilliant, both their performances. You can find it on youtube, it seems to be quite rare.

I volunteer at the same place as his half brother. we go different days, but every few weeks we catch up and join each other for lunch.
just though that was neato when I found that out.

Albeit not known for his piano work, Sun Ra is a pretty incredible pianist. Apparently he learned to site read at the age of 10, completely self taught, and has pretty much consistently testing the bounds of what the keyed instrument can do throughout his career.

A great example of his piano work is the album "Aurora Borealis".

I used to live a couple of blocks from Oscar Peterson

Of course, Bill Evans is pretty great. One of my favorite jazz solos is from his Sunday at the Village Vanguard:



Absolutely amazing.