Comments on: What's some good piano driven jazz?

Question: What's some good piano driven jazz?

TurkishGolds — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:26:50 -0800

Really good piano driven jazz? My father is a big fan of Dave Brubeck, and he's requested some piano-based jazz for Christmas. I'm totally clueless.

By: jeff-o-matic

jeff-o-matic — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:29:55 -0800

I'm no jazz expert, but I've heard some Thelonius Monk that was really good, and piano centric.

By: tomierna

tomierna — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:30:46 -0800

Chick Corea. Herbie Hancock.

By: zsazsa

zsazsa — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:34:19 -0800

Brad Mehldau is one of the newer guys; he's good, and he covers Radiohead for the kids.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:37:14 -0800

Chick Corea. Herbie Hancock.

Be sure you get early stuff from the early-mid 60's, before they went all synthisizery.

Bill Evans

Vince Guaraldi

McCoy Tyner

By: ldenneau

ldenneau — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:37:14 -0800

Bill Evans. (And all of the above.)

By: stet

stet — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:45:23 -0800

Marilyn Crispell's Amaryllis is spectacular, if perhaps a little out there. This recording is much less "avant" than her other work. It's really good.

Also, Monk and 'Trane was recently discovered in the Library of Congress archives, which is a neat story. By all accounts, it's a pretty amazing record, as well.

By: geoff.

geoff. — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:47:09 -0800

Bill Evans, The Complete Bill Evans on Verve. 18 CDs of Bill Evans wonderfullness. If you can't afford this at least get something with Sno Peas and Comrade Conrad.

By: sfenders

sfenders — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:47:44 -0800

Art Tatum "The most prodigiously gifted pianist in the history of jazz"

By: Aquaman

Aquaman — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:48:30 -0800

Don't forget Red Garland! The boxer-turned pianist has a style that other players said couldn't possibly work. Guess who was wrong!

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:50:32 -0800

D.D. Jackson is amazing.
Acquired taste. Let him grow on you.
Makes Bill Evans sound like Muzak.

By: Jaltcoh

Jaltcoh — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:54:45 -0800

I second the recommendation to get Brad Mehldau, especially The Art of the Trio Vol. 4. Warning: He's very unconventional, and I have the impression that he's kind of a "You either love him or hate him" pianist. But someone whose favorite jazz pianist is Brubeck would probably like Mehldau (choppy style, odd time signatures, etc.).

Monk would also be perfect, but that's such an obvious choice that I would make sure he doesn't already have a lot of Monk. (That goes for Evans and Tatum too.)

By: brautigan

brautigan — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:55:15 -0800

From a Uk perspective, be sure and check Stan Tracey out.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:59:03 -0800

The recently discovered and released (and mentioned above) Monk and Coltrane is really, really good.

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:02:56 -0800

Tony Bennett & Bill Evans Album
Beautiful album, great recording, Bennett is at the top of his game on this one. Beware the second album (Together Again) is not nearly as good. Pretty much any Bill Evans.

Song for My Father by Horace Silver.

Land of Giants by McCoy Tyner. Great progressive bop that never loses sight of the melody. Still sounds very fresh (I'm listening to it right now).

Adams Apple by Wayne Shorter. This is actually a sax album, but there's a lot of piano (Herbie Hancock) on it, and it's a brilliant album.

For Herbie Hancock, try Maiden Voyage. Yet another brilliant record.

By: turbodog

turbodog — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:05:48 -0800

Oscar Peterson and Junior Mance

By: crush-onastick

crush-onastick — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:09:38 -0800

ramsey lewis.

By: cior

cior — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:10:35 -0800

Gonzalo Rubalcaba, if you think he might like latin jazz.

By: TimeFactor

TimeFactor — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:17:05 -0800

George Shearing
Reuben Gonzalez

By: danb

danb — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:18:02 -0800

Definitely Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk. Chick Corea is a good recommendation too. I'm not all that into Brad Mehldau, but a lot of people seem to love him. Art Tatum is awesome, if a bit predictable.

By: cribcage

cribcage — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:22:38 -0800

[SELF-LINK WARNING]

I've been counting down my Top Ten Jazz of 2005 for the past week; and although I'm not planning to post #2 until Tuesday, it's a piano trio that is simply spectacular.

If you don't mind a costly recommendation: This Japanese label has some of the best piano trio records released in the last ten years. My favorites are the New York Trio records featuring Bill Charlap, Jay Leonhart, and Bill Stewart. Charlap's records with Blue Note have been praised, but I think those three Japanese records are his best work. You can find them on Amazon, or via this UK source.

By: timeistight

timeistight — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:38:18 -0800

Canada's own Oscar Peterson.

By: jeanmari

jeanmari — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 11:05:05 -0800

Definitely casting another vote for Oscar Peterson...brilliant.

By: Captaintripps

Captaintripps — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 11:19:15 -0800

Frank Kimbrough

By: 31d1

31d1 — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 11:39:24 -0800

PLus one for Thelonius Monk, and attempt to turn you on to the criminally under-remembered Herbie Nichols.

By: margaretlam

margaretlam — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 11:51:19 -0800

Hilario Duran, the Cuban version of Oscar Peterson.

By: dmo

dmo — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 11:52:12 -0800

I never get tired of Money Jungle by Duke Ellington, Charlie Mingus and Max Roach.

By: Guy Smiley

Guy Smiley — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 11:57:44 -0800

I really like the Tord Gustavsen Trio.

By: converge

converge — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:28:58 -0800

Cecil Taylor.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:37:00 -0800

Another vote for Red Garland and Herbie Nichols, both too little remembered today, and Matthew Shipp is superb (if on the out-there side; anyone who likes Crispell should enjoy Shipp, though).

Wait a minute, has no one mentioned Keith Jarrett? Get At the Deer Head Inn (with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian) or The Melody At Night, With You (solo). Wonderful stuff.

By: geekhorde

geekhorde — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:44:20 -0800

Anything by Ahmad Jamal. But especially the early stuff.

By: Jaltcoh

Jaltcoh — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:54:17 -0800

Wait a minute, has no one mentioned Keith Jarrett?

Yes, if you can find an album where he doesn't hum or grunt along with the music, that would be a very good choice.

By: jeanmari

jeanmari — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 14:18:10 -0800

Wait a minute, has no one mentioned Keith Jarrett?

Yes, if you can find an album where he doesn't hum or grunt along with the music, that would be a very good choice.

Oh, Lord yes. Like his piano, hate the grunting/ humming/ moaning thing.

By: tentacle

tentacle — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 14:25:39 -0800

Michel Camilo's piano (latin jazz) makes me feel like my brain is on fire. In a good way. "Live at the Blue Note" is a great album.

Also, another vote for Brad Mehldau.

On my list of heard-he's-good-but-haven't-had-a-chance-to-listen-yet is Marcus Roberts ("Alone With 3 Giants" is the album recommended to me).

By: joseph_elmhurst

joseph_elmhurst — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:12:08 -0800

Yet another vote for Bill Evans. His classic sets from the Village Vanguard were recently released in a box set on Fantasy. If you've heard Miles Davis' Kind of Blue then you've heard some of Evans' work.

For Monk I'd go with the two Genius of Modern Music albums on Blue Note (get the 2001 remasters).

Also hop in the wayback machine and get yourself some Fats Waller. Although he's not as jaw-droppingly amazing as Art Tatum, there's so much joy and hokum in his playing/singing that any "serious" piano jazz collection would be sad without it.

[On preview: Oscar Peterson and Bud Powell (hell, even Glenn Gould) hum along with their playing. It's a jazz soloist thing.]

By: twirlypen

twirlypen — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:11:26 -0800

duke ellington! brilliant pianist. he's usually thought of as a composer or bandleader, but his piano is brilliant. try 'Piano in the Foreground' or 'Piano in the Background'. Also, if you can get your hand on a CD called 'the Ellington Suites', listen to 'The Single Petal of a Rose'. That song is simply the most brilliant piece of music I have ever heard.

By: rossination

rossination — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:35:31 -0800

Brad Meldhau's "Anything Goes" is slightly more accessible -- certianly anyone who likes Brubeck would dig it. I seriously reccomend it. Also, Bill Charlap. For some pretty esoteric stuff, try Keith Jarret, but be warned that he's pretty out there. You won't find many walking basslines, for instance.

By: trip and a half

trip and a half — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:57:03 -0800

Teddy Wilson

By: Joseph Gurl

Joseph Gurl — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:57:55 -0800

If he's a Brubeck guy, steer clear of Cecil Taylor (fucking amazing, but probably not yr dad's thing). Aim for the Bill Evans. There's a low price double cd called "The Art of the Duo" on Verve that's pretty available.

Thelonious Monk should be a necessity, as well; Monk is a bit strange, but most people can enjoy him easily, and he was an undeniable genius (with Kenny Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker, he was one of the originators of Bebop).

For pyrotechnics, Art Tatum and (pre-breakdown) Bud Powell will wow any crowd. Fast and super "jazzy".

I think there's still a lot to be said for stride-era players, notably James Johnson, but recordings tend to be rough cause that was a long time ago.

By: cbrody

cbrody — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:53:57 -0800

Julian Joseph is a bit of a megastar in the UK (with his own radio show) and I'm pretty sure that Brubeck fans would enjoy his style. I'd recommend his first album, The Language of Truth.

By: kindall

kindall — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 21:40:11 -0800

Anything by Ahmad Jamal. But especially the early stuff.

Ahmad Jamal's Crystal was one of the first jazz albums I ever bought. I bought it because the cover was the same as my freshman calculus textbook. I turned out to like it an awful lot. So, yeah.

I think there's still a lot to be said for stride-era players, notably James Johnson, but recordings tend to be rough cause that was a long time ago.

There are some modern stride players. I don't know much about stride, frankly, but I recognize the name Dick Hyman as being associated with the style.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 00:05:14 -0800

If you're interested in more "accessible" piano jazz (i.e., not so intellectual) I'd strongly recommend any of the great early stride players like James P. Johnson or Jelly Roll Morton, but particularly Earl 'Fatha' Hines.

Hell, I'm feeling generous today. I want you to hear this one live recording of Earl Hines I've got so badly that I'm going to rip it for you to download. Earl Hines - Sometimes I'm Happy [mp3] (recorded live in NYC, 1968). When you're listening to it, keep in mind that from 1:42 on (till just about the end) the entire melody is being played with one hand while he keeps the right hand playing that little ta-da-ta-da over and over again. OVER AND OVER AGAIN. The build-up and release is Fucking Awesome.

I could listen to this song ten times in a row and every time my feet just start moving...

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 00:06:07 -0800

Ooh, damn, that's streaming media. Well, if you want the MP3, just email me and I'll send it over.

By: quiet

quiet — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 00:33:56 -0800

Marcus Roberts' alone with three giants is my favourite jazz piano album ever.

By: Penguin

Penguin — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 06:54:31 -0800

Dave McKenna