The Greatest Jazz Pianist

[dr_mabeuse]

Art Tatum. Simply incredible.

Thelonious Monk: a musical cubist, deconstructig melody into insane block chords. Takes simple melodies like "Tea for Two" and turns them inside out to expose the quivering pink musical meat.

Oscar Petersen: Nah. Too flashy.

Keith Jarrett? Too much fucking talent.

Joe Zawinul? Chick Corea?

Sorry. Too much beer at brunch.

---Zoot

P.S. Errol Garner. The one man I would pay to hear play the accordion.

 

[NoJo]

Damn, I thought you said Jizz pianist.

Well, now I'm here:

1 Art Tatum/Monk/Duke Ellington
2 McCoy Tyner/Bill Evans
3 Kieth Jarrett/Herbie Hancock/Joe Zawinul/Chick Corea


Check out Brad Mehldau too. Also, some of the Salsa guys like Charlie Palmieri.

 

[oggbashan]

Gershwin playing Gershwin.

I have a 78rpm record of the original piano version of Rhapsody in Blue played by Gershwin.

Where did I file it?

Og

 

[NoJo]

Gershwin playing Gershwin.

I have a 78rpm record of the original piano version of Rhapsody in Blue played by Gershwin.

Where did I file it?

Og

Gershwin was a genius. Duke Ellington, the "main man" of Jazz in the 30's, raved about him. But I wonder how much Gershwin improvised when he played -- the sign of a jazz pianist?

A lot of 20th century composers loved jazz and wrote music that contained Jazz idioms, but Gershwin alone actually sounded like a jazz musician when he performed. I have a vido of Gershwin and Fred Astaire jamming -- astaire was also a great Jazz pianist.

 

[Hooper_X]

Scott Joplin
Jellyroll Morton
Fats Waller
Oscar Peterson
Thelonius Monk
Duke Ellington
Count Basie
Art Tatum
Bill Evans

 

[Guest]

Joe Sample and David Benoit are going to be completely overlooked here aren't they?

Elitist bastards.

 

[Hooper_X]

How could I have neglected to mention Earl Hines... tsk tsk tsk.