Jazz piano poll

[escher]

Not really familiar with Raducanu, but Ianci Körössy need be added to my list - hell of an amazing player!

Other Europeansof interest:

René Urtreger
Giorgio Gaslini
Bernard Peiffer

Never heard of Urtreger before and Raducanu.
Just because you've mentioned the french Tatum (Peiffer) I'd like to mention also Umberto Cesàri, the italian Tatum, not known as D'andrea, Pieranunzi, Bollani and guys like that but considered by many the greatest italian pianist ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPQ8NQZJlFU

[Florestan]

Not really familiar with Raducanu, but Ianci Körössy need be added to my list - hell of an amazing player!

Oh yes, Jancsi too! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A1nos_K%C5%91r%C3%B6ssy

You should explore Răducanu in depth, he was in a league of his own. A most excellent pianist (who actually started as a double-bass player), a very funny and gentle person and an exceptional causeur (his TV-recorded interviews are legendary in Romania). If you can find any of his recordings do not hesitate to buy.

[Karl Henning]

Ah, an instigator, eh? 

[Florestan]

Ah, an instigator, eh? 

If I did not instigate people to explore Romanian culture, who would? 

[Karl Henning]

If I did not instigate people to explore Romanian culture, who would? 

Oh, I did not mean you, dear fellow!  I was [re-] interpreting causeur as instigator 

[Florestan]

Oh, I did not mean you, dear fellow!  I was [re-] interpreting causeur as instigator 

I was actually wondering whom you referred to --- and I took my chance. 

Johnny was really one of a kind. He was a true gentleman, he had a marvelous sense of humour and a huge musical culture (his favorite composer was Schubert, and of the latter´s work his favorite genre was Lieder). If you understood Romanian you´d enjoy his interviews big time, I can bet on it. 

[king ubu]

@Florestan: Thanks, will indeed try and check out Raducanu some day!

As for Ianci/Iancsi/Yancy/Yancsy/etc., he's of Hungarian descent, I assume? Not that it matters, of course, but his family name looks decidedly Hungarian to me!

@escher: You might have heard Urtreger backing Miles on the soundtrack of Louis Malle's classic "L'ascenseur pour l'echafaud" - hist first album from around that time was a Bud Powell hommage, and the young french dude pulls it off with class! A few years later, he was part of HUM (Humair-Urtreger-Michelot) which recorded some albums (a 3CD set on Sketch collected the one from around 1960 and a 70s one, adding a new recording on the final disc - highly recommended, just called "HUM" and likely quite OOP, alas). Urtreger is still around, some of his stuff has been reissued on his sister's label Carlyne, he also has a few recent recordings out (a trio one from last year, and a slightly older one with singer Isabelle Georges, she who recorded with Sirba on naïve).

The Italian Tatum, alas, I don't know (yet) - but I love me some Italian jazz. In the piano department, Giorgio Gaslini is pretty excellent, though if I think of his recordings, I think more of ensembles and compositions than of piano, hence he didn't make my list, initially.

Pieranunzi is hit and miss for me, sometimes he's a tad too pleasant to my ears - but yes, the trio with Johnson and Baron is outstanding indeed - reminds me I have some stuff by them to add to my shopping list!


Finally, just in case anyone wonders why Bill Evans doesn't make my list - not easy to put in words, but I just don't really connect with him that much. Love his earliest work, when he was a hard-swinging piano player (up to 1958 or so), and yes, of course I adore the trio recordings with Scott LaFaro and a very young Paul Motian (he got so much better later!) and many other recordings he made - I own most of his music in form of various box sets, but still, he's not as close to my heart as the ones on the list.

[Florestan]

@Florestan: Thanks, will indeed try and check out Raducanu some day!

As for Ianci/Iancsi/Yancy/Yancsy/etc., he's of Hungarian descent, I assume? Not that it matters, of course, but his family name looks decidedly Hungarian to me!

Yes, that is correct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A1nos_K%C5%91r%C3%B6ssy

[Henk]

Mengelberg
Janssen

[escher]

there are still great or amazing players not yet mentioned, like:

Ran Blake
Chris Anderson
Jimmy Rowles
Albert Dailey
Stan Tracey
Marian McPartland
Roland Hanna
Kenny Barron
Clare Fischer

[San Antone]

Some classical pianists who also played and recorded jazz

Friedrich Gulda



György Cziffra

https://www.youtube.com/v/FdftsCJuldE

And of course Andre Previn

https://www.youtube.com/v/3XRwYUUAMsQ

[king ubu]

there are still great or amazing players not yet mentioned, like:

Ran Blake
Chris Anderson
Jimmy Rowles
Albert Dailey
Stan Tracey
Marian McPartland
Roland Hanna
Kenny Barron
Clare Fischer

Ran Blake - dang! Definitely belongs onto my list. Several of the others (Rowles, Anderson, Dailey, Hanna) I enjoy a lot as well. Barron is more hot and cold, somehow ... and brings to mind Mulgrew Miller, with whom he played some great duos (not sure they recorded officially, don't think so). McPartland, of course: her "Piano Jazz" show was great! Admire how she could play with virtually anyone without having to deny her own personality.

Clare Fischer is a fairly recent discovery for me, though he definitely recorded some fine things, but I tend to think of him more of as leader/composer/arranger. My fault, I guess.

Brings to mind another forgotten giant: Johnny Guarnieri - he who could've been the one true heir to Tatum (okay, Solal is a contender of course!), had he attempted to go for a proper "career".

[Leo K.]

He would not displace either of my two choices, but it was Marcus Roberts who got me to re-attune my ears to the Rhapsody in Blue

http://www.youtube.com/v/Xrs135MAvJc

Amazing recording. I saw him in a trio setting back in the late 90's. Great artist!

[Leo K.]

Monk and (someone else) Bud Powell. 

[Henk]

And you can always start your own poll/topic about younger pianists, Henk.

You are right. It was not a sensible comment. Sorry, Brian.

[jochanaan]

Before his recent passing, I had the privilege of hearing and (on a couple of memorable occasions for me) jamming with Joe Bonner.  Maybe I'm prejudiced because of my personal association with him, but I believe he belongs on a list of great jazz pianists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm0wHbwPu0A

[Trazom H Cab]

Had to give my vote to the largely forgotten Errol Garner, even though that era of jazz is not my favorite (prefer be-bop and avant-garde free jazz). His technique was phenomenal, and he had a wonderful sense of rhythm and lyricism although he never learned to read music. Arguably Art Tatum had an even more formidable technique than Garner (and likely every other human who ever lived), but ultimately I do not find his music as compelling.

You also forgot:

Cecil Taylor and Horace Tapscott

Garner definitely.  And I love Cecil Taylor, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans and Bud Powell.  Mary Lou Williams is certainly worth a mention.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

A lonely voice for  Ahmad Jamal.

[Trazom H Cab]

Jelly Roll Morton

[Bogey]

Evans and Hancock. Brubeck almost made the cut.