# Great jazz pianists



## Guest (Oct 3, 2020)

Starting this off with Art Tatum:






The filigree can be somewhat overwhelming and seems to belong to the style of this pianist. But there can be no doubting the virtuosity.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

This will sound probably as a rant, so sorry for that, but I'm not sure why in discussions about jazz pianists technique seems very often the focus. Virtuosity doesn't mean great musician. That said I recognize the amazing talent of Art Tatum, and I admire especially his ability with harmonies that was absolutely mindblowing for the time, but he didn't have a great sense for form and breathing of the tune for me. I would prefer to listen to Duke Ellington on the piano and his limited technique any day of the week personally (or even Tatum's friend and rival Clarence Profit).
Also a strange thing is that Tatum is one of the few important jazz pianists who wasn't a relevant composer for some reason, and I tend to gravitate more toward those who were also great composers.
Like Andrew Hill, Herbie Nichols, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Sun Ra, Denny Zeitlin, Horace Silver, Mary Lou Williams. Big fan also of Ran Blake, Legendary Hasaan, John Dennis, Herbie Hancock, Mal Waldron. Actually a tons of others too. I love jazz pianists.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)




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## Guest (Oct 3, 2020)

How about Herbie Hancock!?


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

Not in any order but for me Mary Lou Williams, Mel Powell, Oscar Peterson, John Williams, Art Tatum, Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons, André Previn, Erroll Garner, George Shearing, Jessica Wiliams, and not forgetting Dudley Moore, when not being a comedian, and Hoagy Carmichael, better known for his voice, Jools Holland plays a mean boogie. Many more that I enjoy but may not be great in the full sense of the word


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Off the top of my head

Scott Joplin (pre-jazz)
Art Tatum
James P. Johnson
Willie "The Lion" Smith
Fats Waller
Earl Hines
Duke Ellington
Count Basie
Andrew Hill
Thelonious Monk
Mal Waldron
Herbie Hancock
Bill Evans
Keith Jarrett
Marcus Roberts
Jon Baptiste


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2020)

I've learned quite a lot about jazz from a friend who is a trombonist and who ran a jazz club in our city from the late 1950s. He's also an Ethnomusicologist and knows a great deal about what he calls NOM (New Orleans music). We have had some musicians at our community music group who've played in NO at various gigs over the years. He identifies Herbie Hancock as one of the most significant jazz pianists of all.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

NOM is wonderful. I grew up in Louisiana and miss the spirit of the folk, the food and of course the music.

Prof Longhair - "Fess"
James Booker
Allen Toussaint
Dr. John (Mac Rebenack) - who I had the good fortune to work with a bit.

A great place to find Nola music is *here*.


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2020)

SanAntone said:


> NOM is wonderful. I grew up in Louisiana and miss the spirit of the folk, the food and of course the music.
> 
> Prof Longhair - "Fess"
> James Booker
> ...


In one of our music group sessions (sounds like psychology!!) we had a clarinet player explaining the main elements of improvisation. He said it wasn't strictly impro because everybody had rehearsed their chords and moves beforehand. He knew his and when he was teaching he'd rehearse them in his head whilst on playground duty!!

Thanks for the link, SA.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

My favorites:
Bill Evans
Monk
Herbie Hancock
Bud Powell
Fats Waller
Keith Jarrett
Duke Ellington
Jackie Byard
Don Pullen
Mary Lou Williams
Joanne Brackeen
Marian McPartland
Chick Corea
Hank Jones

Other acoustic/electric players I've listened to a lot are Joe Zawinul, George Duke, Lyle Mays and Hermeto Pascoal. After 38 years of jazz listening there are still some greats I haven't really listened all that much including Earl Hines, George Shearing, Victor Feldman, Herbie Nichols.

Honorable mentions: Kenny Barron, Horace Silver, Tommy Flanagan.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

starthrower said:


> My favorites:
> Bill Evans
> Monk
> Herbie Hancock
> ...


Those would be on my list as well, if I had thought a bit longer about it. Lyle Mays was a friend, we were at North Texas State Univ. together. We lost him recently - way too young.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Another name I failed to mention - *Barry Harris*.


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2020)

SanAntone said:


> Another name I failed to mention - *Barry Harris*.


Do you have a particular link for this?


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Bobo Stenson is favorite on the other side of the pond. And I forgot the late, great McCoy Tyner.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Christabel said:


> Do you have a particular link for this?


Barry Harris website

Last Master of Bop


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

starthrower said:


> Bobo Stenson is favorite on the other side of the pond. And I forgot the late, great McCoy Tyner.


Agree, on both counts.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Something a bit more out there.






He's a maniac here. But I can hear definite patterns.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

John Hicks
Red Garland
Wynton Kelly
Herbie
Evans
Kenny Drew
Andrew Hill
Albert Daily
Uri Caine
Walter Davis, Jr.
Joe Albany
Elmo Hope
Sonny Clark
Jaki Byard
Kenny Barron
Mal Waldron
Paul Bley
Marilyn Crispell
Myra Melford
Craig Taborn
Monk
Bud
Hod O'Brien
Frank Kimbrough
Don Pullen
Dick Twardzik
Barry Harris
Bobby Few
Steve Colson


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2020)

My trombonist friend has just written to tell me Herbie Hancock was known as "The Professor" around the bordellos of NO.


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