Jazz music has produced some of the most talented pianists of all time. In this article, we will explore the top 30 best jazz pianists of all time, and delve into their lives and music, to gain an understanding of the genre.

From ragtime to swing to bebop to avant-garde and beyond, the piano has been at the forefront of jazz music’s development.

For aspiring pianists, listening to these artists can provide invaluable experience. Learning from their genius allows us to discover new and unique ways of approaching the piano.

The Best Jazz Pianists of All Time: Ranked (Top 32)

Thelonious Monk is widely regarded as one of the best jazz musicians of all time and one of the first creators of modern jazz and bebop. For much of his career, Monk played with small groups at Milton’s Playhouse.

Many of his compositions have become jazz standards, including “Well, You Needn’t,” “Blue Monk,” and “Round Midnight.” His spares and angular music had a levity and playfulness to it.

Monk was born in North Carolina but moved to New York City as a child, where, as a teenager, he began to gig as a professional pianist.

His eccentric playing style is defined by unusual pauses and messy, angular melodies. He was known for suddenly standing up and walking around to watch the rest of the band play as if he were in a trance.

He was posthumously awarded both a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his contributions to jazz. His music continues to be celebrated and performed to this day.

Art Tatum was a virtuoso pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and best jazz pianists of all time. He was known for his lightning-fast runs, complex harmonies, and technical mastery of the piano.

Tatum was born in Ohio and began playing the piano at a young age. He was blind in one eye and had limited vision in the other, but this did not stop him from becoming one of the most influential jazz pianists of all time.

Throughout his career, Tatum recorded extensively, both as a solo artist and in small group settings. His discography includes albums like “Piano Solos Vol. 2” (1950), “Tatum, Carter, Bellson” (1954), and “The Genius Of Art Tatum #5” (1954).

Some of his most famous compositions include “Tea for Two,” “Tiger Rag,” and “Body and Soul.”

Bill Evans was a jazz pianist and composer who is widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in jazz history. He was known for his impressionistic style, his use of modal harmony, and his ability to create beautiful, introspective melodies.

Some of his most famous compositions include “Waltz for Debby,” “Peace Piece,” and “Blue in Green.” In addition to his contributions as a performer and composer, Bill Evans also had a significant impact on the evolution of jazz piano playing.

His unique approach to the piano, characterized by his use of block chords and his innovative harmonic language, has influenced countless pianists who came after him.

Evans was also known for his deep understanding of classical music, which he incorporated into his jazz playing, creating a unique blend of the two genres.

Despite his untimely death at the age of 51, Evans’s legacy continues to live on, with his music still being studied and performed by musicians around the world, and he is cemented as one of the best jazz pianists of all time.

(McCoy Tyner at Kongsberg Jazz festival 1973)

McCoy Tyner was a jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most influential and best jazz pianists in music history. He was known for his powerful left-hand chords, his use of modal harmony, and his ability to create intense, driving rhythms.

Tyner was born in Philadelphia and began playing the piano at a young age. His career took a significant turn when he joined the John Coltrane Quartet in the early 1960s.

His work with the quartet, including on the renowned recording “My Favorite Things,” brought him international recognition.

Tyner’s compositions, such as “Passion Dance,” “Fly with the Wind,” and “Contemplation,” have become jazz standards. His innovative style and technical prowess have influenced generations of jazz pianists.

Despite his passing on March 6, 2020, in Bergenfield, New Jersey, Tyner’s musical legacy continues to inspire and influence musicians worldwide.

Herbie Hancock is a jazz pianist and composer who is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential jazz musicians of all time.

He was known for his use of funk, rock, and electronic music in his jazz compositions, as well as his ability to create complex, harmonically rich melodies.

Hancock was born in Chicago and began playing the piano at a young age. He played with Miles Davis in the 1960s and went on to form his own groups, which included bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams.

Some of his most famous compositions include “Watermelon Man,” “Maiden Voyage,” and “Chameleon.”

Earl Rudolph “Bud” Powell, an iconic American jazz pianist and composer, fundamentally changed the landscape of modern jazz through his virtuosic playing and innovative compositions.

Powell broke away from traditional left-hand piano functions, pivoting towards syncopated chords and long, fluid, single-note lines played with his right hand.

This novel approach mirrored the agility and speed of Parker and Gillespie, setting Powell apart as one of the era’s most consequential pianists.

Despite facing serious personal challenges and mental health struggles that affected his abilities, Powell’s profound impact on jazz remained undiminished.

From 1947 to 1951, amidst adversity and even racially motivated assault, he recorded groundbreaking music that reshaped jazz composition and performance.

Keith Jarrett is a jazz pianist and composer who is widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time.

He was known for his use of improvisation, his ability to create beautiful, melodic solos, and his use of classical music in his jazz compositions.

Some of his most famous compositions include “The Köln Concert,” “My Song,” and “Standards, Vol. 1.”

Jarrett’s discography is extensive, with albums like “Restoration Ruin” (1968), “Life Between the Exit Signs” (1968), “The Mourning of a Star” (1971), “Expectations” (1972), and more recent works like “No End” (2013) and “Ritual” (2014).

His most famous compositions include “The Köln Concert,” “My Song,” and “Standards, Vol. 1.”

Armando Anthony “Chick” Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist.

He was one of the most influential figures in jazz, particularly in the fusion genre, where he combined elements of jazz, rock, funk, and Latin music.

He began playing the piano at the age of four and was influenced by bebop and artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Horace Silver, and Lester Young.

Chich Corea began his professional recording and touring career in the early 1960s with artists like Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, and Stan Getz.

He gained significant recognition as a member of Miles Davis’s band in the late 1960s, where he participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the 1970s, he formed the band Return to Forever, which was a major force in the jazz fusion movement.

His compositions “Spain”, “500 Miles High”, “La Fiesta”, “Armando’s Rhumba”, and “Windows” are widely considered jazz standards.

He won 27 Grammy Awards and was nominated more than 70 times for the award, making him one of the most-nominated artists in the history of the Grammys.

Jelly Roll Morton, born Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe on October 20, 1890, was a pioneering figure in the history of jazz music and one of the best jazz pianists of all time.

An exceptional pianist and composer, Morton was known for his innovative use of ragtime, blues, and swing in his jazz compositions, and was one of the founding fathers of stride piano. He was known to be confident in his abilities and his impact on music as a whole, and apparently liked to state that he had actually invented jazz.

Among his most celebrated compositions are “Black Bottom Stomp,” “King Porter Stomp,” and “The Pearls.” Quote: ‘It is evidently known, beyond contradiction, that New Orleans is the cradle of Jazz and I, myself, happened to be the creator in the year 1902.’

Duke Ellington was an American pianist, composer, and bandleader who is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

He was known for his distinctive sound, his use of big-band jazz, and his ability to create beautiful, melodic compositions.

By the early 1920s, he was leading his own ensembles and soon became a pivotal figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

His orchestra, which he led for nearly 50 years, was known for its extraordinary musicianship and for the unique voice each member brought to Ellington’s music.

Ellington composed more than 1,000 pieces of music, extending beyond jazz to include works for stage, screen, and the classical concert hall.

Many of his compositions, like “Mood Indigo,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” and “Sophisticated Lady,” have become standards in the jazz repertoire.

Count Basie, whose full name was William James “Count” Basie, was born on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey. He was an American pianist, composer, and bandleader, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

As one of the leading figures in big band and swing music, his career spanned several decades, with his style and sound continuing to influence generations of musicians and listeners.

Basie got his start in music by playing the piano at a young age. As a young man, he toured widely on the Vaudeville circuit before eventually landing in Kansas City, which was a major center for jazz and blues music at the time.

There, he joined forces with Bennie Moten’s band, one of the top bands in the city, and honed his skills as a pianist and bandleader.

Basie’s recordings from the 1930s and ’40s, such as “One O’Clock Jump” and “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” have become jazz standards, loved and performed by musicians around the world.

Fats Waller, born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904, in New York City, was a pioneer in the development of modern jazz piano and is widely recognized for his contributions to the genre.

Not just a remarkable pianist, Waller was also an entertainer par excellence who lit up the stage with his engaging personality, witty humor, and infectious laughter.

His father, a Baptist preacher, initially discouraged Waller’s musical interests, but his mother recognized his talent and encouraged him.

He was known for his ability to create beautiful, melodic compositions, and his distinctive voice. He became one of the most successful jazz musicians of his time, recording hundreds of songs and performing in films and on Broadway.

Some of his most famous compositions include “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and “The Joint Is Jumpin’.” Despite his early death at age 39 in 1943, he left a significant legacy in the jazz world, having recorded more than 500 songs.

James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894 – November 17, 1955) was an American pianist and composer who played a significant role in the evolution of ragtime into what eventually became known as jazz.

He was a pioneer of the stride piano style, which is characterized by a rhythmic left-hand pattern that supports melodic improvisation in the right hand.

Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Johnson was exposed to a wide range of musical experiences due to his proximity to New York City. His mother, a self-taught pianist, and his father, a store helper, and mechanic, were his first influences.

Johnson was a major influence on many key jazz musicians, including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk, and Fats Waller, who was his student.

He composed many hit songs, including the unofficial anthem of the Roaring Twenties, “The Charleston”. He remained the acknowledged king of New York jazz pianists through most of the 1930s.

Despite his significant contributions to early popular music and musical theatre, Johnson’s artistry and influence are often overlooked, leading musicologist David Schiff to refer to him as “The Invisible Pianist”.

Earl Hines, also known as Earl “Fatha” Hines, was an American jazz pianist, composer, and jazz bandleader. Hines was a highly influential figure in the development of jazz piano and played a significant role in shaping the history of jazz.

Dizzy Gillespie, the trumpeter who was a member of Hines’s big band, credited him with changing the style of the piano and influencing subsequent generations of pianists, including Bud Powell and Herbie Hancock.

His style was considered completely unique, and no other pianist could replicate his sound, as noted by Horace Silver. Count Basie regarded Earl Hines as the greatest piano player in the world.

Throughout his career, Earl Hines composed numerous notable pieces. Some of his most famous compositions include “Rosetta,” “Stormy Monday Blues,” and “Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues”.

Tommy Flanagan was an American pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

Flanagan’s music is characterized by his use of bebop, a style of jazz characterized by a fast tempo and complex chord progressions.

Among his most famous compositions are “Eclypso,” “Minor Mishap,” and “Beyond the Bluebird.”

These pieces showcase Flanagan’s ability to blend complex musical structures with emotive melodies, creating a unique sound that has stood the test of time.

Bob James, born Robert McElhiney James on December 25, 1939, is an American jazz keyboardist, arranger, and record producer.

He is a prominent figure in the jazz genre, particularly known for his contributions to fusion, a style that blends jazz with other genres like rock and funk.

Born in New York City, James began his musical journey at a young age, playing the piano and eventually branching out to other instruments like the trumpet, timpani, and percussion.

James’ career spans several decades, during which he has recorded hundreds of songs and performed with some of the most renowned jazz musicians.

His compositions are characterized by their beautiful melodies and distinctive sound, which have earned him a place among the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

Some of his most famous compositions include “Angela,” the theme song for the TV show Taxi, “Westchester Lady,” and “Nautilus”.

His music from his first seven albums has often been sampled and is believed to have contributed significantly to the hip-hop genre.

Joe Zawinul was an Austrian pianist, composer, and bandleader who is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. He was known for his use of fusion, his ability to create beautiful, melodic compositions, and his distinctive sound.

Zawinul was born in Austria and began playing the piano as a child. He went on to become one of the most successful jazz musicians of his time, recording hundreds of songs and performing with some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

In the late 1960s, Zawinul played with Miles Davis and contributed to the development of the jazz fusion genre. He co-founded the band Weather Report in 1971, which became one of the most prominent jazz fusion bands of the era.

Zawinul’s composition “Birdland,” performed by Weather Report, is one of the most recognized and influential pieces in the jazz fusion genre.

Kenny Kirkland, an American pianist, is celebrated as one of the most influential figures in jazz. Born on September 28, 1955, in Brooklyn, New York City, Kirkland’s journey with music began at the tender age of six when he first interacted with a piano keyboard.

In 1980, while on tour in Japan with Terumasa Hino, Kirkland met Wynton Marsalis, marking the beginning of a long and fruitful association with both Wynton and his older brother Branford.

Kirkland was the sole pianist on Marsalis’s subsequent releases Think of One, Hot House Flowers, and Black Codes (From the Underground), after sharing piano duties with Herbie Hancock on Wynton’s self-titled debut album.

In 1985, Kirkland joined the Blue Turtles, a jazz-pop studio-and-touring backing band assembled by Sting. Despite the band’s short lifespan, Kirkland maintained his musical relationship with Sting, contributing piano and keyboard parts on subsequent studio albums.

Kirkland’s discography includes albums like “First Meeting” (1979), “Kenny Kirkland” (1991), and “Thunder and Rainbows [Sunnyside]” (1993). His compositions, such as “Dienda,” “Mr. J.C.,” and “Chance,” are celebrated in the jazz world.

Scott Joplin, often referred to as the “King of Ragtime,” was a pivotal figure in the development of ragtime music, a genre characterized by its syncopated, or “ragged,” rhythm.

He is one of the pioneers and founding fathers of jazz music and specifically, jazz piano. Joplin left home as a teenager to become a traveling musician, performing in bars and dance halls across the American South.

His travels eventually took him to Chicago for the World’s Fair of 1893, a pivotal event that helped popularize ragtime music nationwide.

Joplin’s success with “The Maple Leaf Rag” allowed him to focus on composing more ragtime works, and he went on to create over 40 ragtime pieces, a ragtime ballet, and two operas. His other notable compositions include “The Entertainer,” “Solace,” and “Peacherine Rag,” among others.

His efforts to elevate ragtime from its origins in African-American dance halls and saloons to the concert stage paved the way for the acceptance of jazz and other forms of African-American music in mainstream culture.

Despite his contributions to music, Joplin’s later years were marked by hardship. His second opera, “Treemonisha,” was never fully staged during his lifetime, and he suffered from neurosyphilis, which led to his admission to a mental asylum in 1917.

He died later that year at the age of 48.

Teddy Wilson, born Theodore Shaw Wilson on November 24, 1912, in Austin, Texas, was an American and one of the best jazz pianists.

He was renowned for his elegant and virtuosic style. His piano playing was highly influenced by Earl Hines and Art Tatum, and he was described by critic Scott Yanow as “the definitive swing pianist”.

He worked with Louis Armstrong and his orchestra between 1931 and 1933 and also understudied Earl Hines in Hines’s Grand Terrace Cafe Orchestra before moving to New York to perform with Benny Carter’s Chocolate Dandies in 1933.

In 1935, Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Carl Bellinger were discovered by producer John Hammond at a house party held by Mildred Bailey.

Hammond arranged several recording sessions for them, which led to the formation of the Benny Goodman Trio, consisting of Goodman, Wilson, and drummer Gene Krupa (and, later, Lionel Hampton).

Wilson passed away on July 31, 1986, in New Britain, Connecticut, but his legacy as a pioneering and influential jazz musician endures.

Red Garland, born William McKinley Garland Jr. on May 13, 1923, in Dallas, Texas, was an American modern jazz pianist known for his work as a bandleader and his collaborations with other jazz greats during the 1950s.

Garland began his musical studies on the clarinet and alto saxophone but switched to the piano in 1941. He joined the trumpet player Hot Lips Page and played with him until a tour ended in New York in March 1946.

He became famous in 1954 when he joined the Miles Davis Quintet, featuring John Coltrane, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Chambers. Davis, a fan of boxing, was impressed that Garland had boxed earlier in his life.

The group recorded their famous Prestige albums, including “Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet” (1954), “Workin,” “Steamin’,” “Cookin’,” and “Relaxin’.” Red Garland passed away on April 23, 1984, in Dallas, Texas.

George Shearing was British and widely regarded as one of the best jazz pianists of all time. He was known for his use of bebop. He played with some notable jazz musicians such as Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, and Mel Tormé.

He was the composer of over 300 titles, including the jazz standards “Lullaby of Birdland” and “Conception”.

Shearing made his first BBC radio broadcast during this time, after being befriended by Leonard Feather, with whom he started recording in 1937. In 1940, Shearing joined Harry Parry’s popular band.

Around 1942 he was recruited by Stéphane Grappelli to join his band, which appeared at Hatchets Restaurant in Piccadilly in the early years of the war, and subsequently toured as “the Grappelly Swingtette” from 1943 onward. Shearing won six consecutive Top Pianist Melody Maker polls from this time onward.

Shearing became known for a piano technique known as “The Shearing Sound”, a type of double melody block chord, with an additional fifth part that doubles the melody an octave lower.

Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver, born on September 2, 1928, in Norwalk, Connecticut, was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly known for his contributions to the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s.

Silver’s parents were working-class individuals, with his father working for a tire company and his mother working as a maid and singing in a church choir.

Silver’s music was never as one-dimensional as it was sometimes portrayed as being. He aimed for “that old-time gutbucket barroom feeling with just a taste of the backbeat.”

His approach was reflected in the titles he gave to songs, like “Sister Sadie,” “Filthy McNasty” and “The Preacher,” all of which became jazz standards.

“Song for My Father,” probably his best-known composition, blended elements of bossa nova and the Afro-Portuguese music of the Cape Verde islands, where his father was born.

Les McCann, born Leslie Coleman McCann on September 23, 1935, in Lexington, Kentucky, is a renowned jazz piano player and vocalist, and one of the best jazz pianists. His greatest successes came as a crossover artist into Soul Jazz and Boogaloo.

McCann was a part of several groups, including Les McCann And His Magic Band, Les McCann Ltd., and Les McCann Trio, among others. He is also known by various names such as L. Cann, L. Mac Cann, L. McCann, and L. McCann.

He became an innovator in soul jazz, merging jazz with funk, soul, and world rhythms. He was among the first jazz musicians to include electric piano, clavinet, and synthesizer in his music.

In 1971, he and Harris were part of a group of soul, R&B, and rock performers–including Wilson Pickett, the Staple Singers, Santana, and Ike & Tina Turner–who flew to Accra, Ghana, to perform a 14-hour concert for over 100,000 Ghanaians.

Dave Brubeck, born David Warren Brubeck on December 6, 1920, in Concord, California, was an American jazz pianist and composer, and one of the best jazz pianists. He passed away on December 5, 2012, in Norwalk, Connecticut.

He is most famous for the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five,” written by his saxophonist. He was also known for the singles “In Your Own Sweet Way” and “The Duke,” and for the album Time Out.

Brubeck was noted for his use of different time signatures, such as the song “Pick Up Sticks” in 6/4, and “Unsquare Dance” in 7/4. He wrote the soundtrack for the animated television miniseries This Is America, Charlie Brown.

Some of his notable albums include “Gone With the Wind” (1959), “Brubeck à la Mode” (1960), “Time In” (1966), “The Light in the Wilderness” (1968), “Summit Sessions” (1971), “Private Brubeck Remembers” (2004), “Indian Summer” (2007).

Take Five (2009) is one of his best-known albums and definitely worth a listen for jazz enthusiasts. Brubeck is cemented as one of the best jazz pianists of all time.

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Youtube – (Take Five)

Born on March 26, 1979, in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, Hiromi is celebrated for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances, and her unique blend of musical genres such as stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical, fusion, and more

Hiromi’s debut album, “Another Mind,” was released in 2003, and she has been a regular on the touring and jazz festival circuit ever since.

Over the years, she has collaborated with a number of notable musicians, including bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Simon Phillips, and guitarist David Fiuczynski, forming Hiromi’s Sonicbloom.

Her work with the Trio Project, alongside Jackson and Phillips, has resulted in several albums, including “Voice” (2011), “Move” (2012), “Alive” (2014), and “Spark” (2016), with “Spark” reaching the number one position on the US Billboard of Jazz Albums.

In 2021, Hiromi had the honor of performing at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She also released “Silver Lining Suite” with a chamber-string quintet in the same year.

She has won multiple awards, including a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, a Rising Star: Piano award in DownBeat’s Critics Poll, and Best Jazz Act at the Boston Music Awards.

Her refusal to define herself or her music has not hampered her ability to successfully produce and share her music with the world, to critical acclaim, and become known as one of the best jazz pianists.

Strayhorn’s early life was marked by a move to the Homewood section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then to Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he lived with his grandmother.

His grandmother played a significant role in his life, and it was during this time that he developed an interest in music, playing hymns on her piano and listening to records on her Victrola record player.

By the age of 19, he was already composing for a professional musical, “Fantastic Rhythm”.Strayhorn’s compositions, such as “Lush Life,” “Take the A Train,” and “Chelsea Bridge,” have become jazz standards.

His work is celebrated for its melodic beauty and distinctive swing. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984, a testament to his enduring influence on music, and his legacy as one of the best jazz pianists.

(Soiree de Bonne Volonte 1963 in Hilton Hotel te Amsterdam, Image Credit: Jack de Nijs for Anefo, no changes were made. This image has a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license. The image can be found on WikiCommons here.)

Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was one of the best American jazz pianists, celebrated for his swing playing and ballads.

Garner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and began playing piano at the age of three, demonstrating a natural talent for music from a very young age.

Despite being self-taught and never learning to read music, Garner’s skill and creativity led him to become one of the most influential pianists of his time.

Garner’s best-known composition, the instrumental ballad “Misty,” has become a jazz standard. First recorded in 1956 with Mitch Miller and his orchestra, “Misty” played a prominent part in the 1971 motion picture “Play Misty for Me”.

He released music on over 40 labels and received multiple Grammy nominations, and his published catalog contains nearly 200 compositions.

Garner’s influence extended beyond his music, as he was one of the most televised Jazz artists of his era, appearing on TV shows all over the world, including Ed Sullivan, Dick Cavitt, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, and many others.

Ahmad Jamal is a renowned American jazz pianist, composer, and educator, widely recognized for his innovative use of space and time in his musical compositions.

Born on July 2, 1930, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jamal began playing the piano at the age of three and pursued a music career that spanned over seven decades.

His unique style, characterized by a minimalist approach and clever use of silence, has had a profound influence on many artists, including the legendary Miles Davis.

His innovative approach to trio playing set new standards for the format and influenced a generation of pianists.

In addition to his contributions as a performer, Jamal has also been an active educator, sharing his knowledge and passion for music with younger generations.

He was a recipient of the American Jazz Masters Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, a testament to his significant contributions to the jazz genre, and his place as one of the best jazz pianists.

Ramsey Lewis is one of the best jazz pianists and composers, known for his captivating performances and unique style.

Born on May 27, 1935, Lewis has had a prolific career in the music industry, contributing significantly to the jazz genre. His music has been celebrated worldwide, and he has left an indelible mark on the jazz scene.

Lewis’s music is characterized by his innovative use of the piano and his ability to infuse traditional jazz elements with contemporary sounds.

Throughout his career, Lewis has received multiple accolades and awards in recognition of his contributions to the music industry. His music continues to inspire and influence musicians and music lovers around the world.

(This image has a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license. The original image was taken by an unknown photographer. The image can be found on WikiCommons here. No changes were made)

George Duke was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter, and record producer, born on January 12, 1946, in San Rafael, California. He was one of the best jazz pianists of the 20th Century.

In the late 1970s, Duke began to fuse jazz with pop, funk, and soul music, which led to his album “Reach for It” entering the pop charts.

This success attracted a more funk- and R&B-oriented audience to his gigs, and eventually enabled him to develop a parallel career as a hit-making producer.

He produced albums for Dee Dee Bridgewater, the duo A Taste of Honey, Jeffrey Osborne, Deniece Williams, and many more artists, including Take 6 and his cousin Dianne Reeves.

Duke’s music was not only popular during his lifetime but continues to influence artists today. His tracks have been sampled by hip-hop artists including A Tribe Called Quest, MF Doom, Example, and Common.

The American bassist Thundercat (aka Stephen Bruner) made a memorable version of “For Love (I Come Your Friend)” for his 2011 album “The Golden Age of Apocalypse”.

George Duke passed away on August 5, 2013, but his legacy lives on in the music world.

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This rounds off our list of the 32 best jazz pianists! Below you will find a list of 68 more of the best jazz pianists taking us to a round 100! You can find out more about these pianists and others on this wiki page.

Related:

The Best Classical Pianists of All Time (Top 30)

The Best Rock Pianists of All Time (Top 12)

Whilst this is not an extensive list of all the jazz pianists that have ever lived, the 32 in this article provide an excellent foundation for aspiring jazz pianists and jazz enthusiasts.

However, If you are trying to learn jazz piano techniques and leave your personal lasting mark on jazz as well, then check out the pianists below as well.

I hope they will help to expand your understanding of the genre and unlock new and interesting ways of approaching the instrument, allowing you to find your own personal and unique sound on the piano.