"The Greatest Jazz Piano Albums of All Time" & My Favorites

[gmonahan]

Oh my, so many.  The Evans/Lafaro trio things first, always. And Tatum, yes, but I go to the 20th century live things before the others. I have a particular weakness for Pete Johnson's boogie woogie recordings (especially "Dive Bomber"), and I go back to the first Basie/Peterson collaboration ("Satch and Josh") fairly often. I could listen to Bud Powell's Blue Notes forever. And few people can beat Kenny Barron. But I'm leaving out a zillion great piano players/performances I adore.

 

[Peter Friedman]

There are those who don't like LISTS. I am among those who do like lists. It gives me insight into the taste and opinions of others. Also as has has been stated, it may suggest some items that I have missed or overlooked.

Hutch is a prime list maker as I have followed his previous lists of jazz favorites from specific decades. I very much enjoyed seeing his selections.

It will take a bit of time to put it together, but I will post a list of some of my favorite piano trio recordings.

[Peter Friedman]

On 11/20/2025 at 10:16 AM, HutchFan said:

Yesterday, the pianist Ethan Iverson shared his list of "The Greatest Jazz Piano Albums of All Time" in a Substack post. 

I know many of you turn up your noses at these sorts of listicles.  But I enjoy them -- if only as a means of discovering new avenues to explore.  Plus, it's always fun to hear what & who resonates (and what & who doesn't) with working musicians whom we admire.

********************

As a sort of riff on Iverson's riff, I assembled a list of jazz piano recordings that are most important to me.  I'd be hesitant to call these the "greatest" jazz piano albums; I'm much more comfortable using a word like favorites.  By acknowledging the subjectivity of the enterprise, I feel like I have more "wiggle room" to make it personal.   

Anyhow.  Here's my list:

Geri Allen - In the Year of the Dragon (JMT/Winter & Winter)
Kenny Barron - New York Attitude (Uptown)
Richie Beirach - Elm (ECM)
Joe Bonner - The Lifesaver (Muse)
Joanne Brackeen - Keyed In (Tappan Zee/Columbia)
Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim - Ode to Duke Ellington (Philips JP/West Wind/Inner City)
Dave Brubeck - Jazz Goes to College (Columbia/Sony)
Ray Bryant - Here's Ray Bryant (Pablo)
Jaki Byard - Solo/Strings (Prestige)
George Cables - Why Not (Whynot/Trio/Candid)
John Coates, Jr. - In the Open Space (Omnisound)
Chick Corea - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (Solid State/Blue Note)
Stanley Cowell - We Three (DIW)
Anthony Davis [with James Newton] - Hidden Voices (India Navigation)
Kenny Drew - Kenny Drew Trio (Riverside)
Duke Ellington - Piano in the Foreground (Columbia/Sony)
Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby (Riverside)
Orrin Evans - Flip the Script (Posi-Tone)
Clare Fischer - The State of His Art (Revelation)
Tommy Flanagan - Eclypso (Enja/Inner City)
Red Garland - Groovy (Prestige)
Erroll Garner - The Complete Savoy Master Takes (Savoy)
Michael Garrick - Cold Mountain (Argo/Vocalion)
Al Haig - Chelsea Bridge (East Wind)
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (Blue Note)
Sir Roland Hanna - Time for the Dancers (Progressive)
Barry Harris - Barry Harris Plays Tadd Dameron (Xanadu)
Hampton Hawes - Hamp's Piano [aka The Dynamic Hampton Hawes] (MPS)
John Hicks - Hick's Time: Solo Piano (Passin' Thru)
Andrew Hill - Dance with Death (Blue Note)
Earl Hines - Tour de Force (Black Lion)
Claude Hopkins - Soliloquy (Sackville)
Ethan Iverson [with Albert "Tootie" Heath & Ben Street] - Live at Smalls (Smalls Live)
Keith Jarrett - Treasure Island (Impulse)
James P. Johnson - Giants of Jazz: James P. Johnson (Time-Life)
Hank Jones - Bluesette (Black & Blue FR)
Wynton Kelly - Kelly Blue (Riverside)
Steve Kuhn - Remembering Tomorrow (ECM)
John Lewis [with the MJQ] - The MJQ Plays One Never Knows (Original Film Score for “No Sun In Venice”) (Atlantic)
Harold Mabern - Rakin' and Scrapin' (Prestige)
Marian McPartland - Ambiance (Halcyon/Jazz Alliance)
Jay McShann - Kansas City Hustle (Sackville)
Mulgrew Miller - Live at the Kennedy Center, Vol. 2 (MaxJazz)
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream (Columbia/Sony)
Phineas Newborn, Jr. - A World of Piano! (Contemporary)
Herbie Nichols - The Prophetic Herbie Nichols, Vol. 1 & 2 (Blue Note)
Walter Norris - Stepping on Cracks (Progressive)
Oscar Peterson - The Sound of the Trio (Verve)
Michel Petrucciani - Oracle's Destiny: Big Sur, California (Owl)
Enrico Pieranunzi - Perugia Suite (EGEA)
Jean-Michel Pilc [with Mads Vinding & Billy Hart] - Open Minds (Storyville)
Don Pullen - Healing Force (Black Saint)
Michelle Rosewoman - Contrast High (Enja)
Renee Rosnes - Kinds of Love (Smoke Sessions)
Jimmy Rowles - We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together (Xanadu)
Masahiko Sato [with Attila Zoller] - A Path Through Haze (MPS)
Martial Solal - Nothing But Piano (MPS)
Bobo Stenson - Serenity (ECM)
Art Tatum - The Complete Capitol Recordings, Vols. 1 & 2 (Capitol)
Cecil Taylor - The Cecil Taylor Unit (New World)
Mickey Tucker - Mister Mysterious (Muse)
McCoy Tyner - Sama Layuca (Milestone)
Mal Waldron - Moods (Enja)
Fats Waller - Piano Solos 1929-1941 (RCA Bluebird)
Cedar Walton - The Trio, Vol. 1 (Red)
Kenny Werner - Unprotected Music (Double-Time)
Randy Weston - Blues to Africa (Freedom/Arista-Freedom)
James Williams - Magical Trio 2 (EmArcy)
Mary Lou Williams - Free Spirits (SteepleChase)
Larry Willis - Steal Away (Audioquest)
Yosuke Yamashita - Clay (Enja)

 

Whaddya think?

I'd love to hear from other forum members about their favorite jazz piano albums.

 

 

HutchFan, Your list inspired me to put together a list of my favorites. However I modified it to select only  Piano Trio albums. In some cases it was a very difficult choice, and on another day I might pick a different album.

 

Monty Alexander - Threesome - Soul Note 

Kenny Barron - Live at Bradleys - EmArcy

Bruce Barth - Live at the Village Vanguard - Max Jazz

Count Basie - For The First Time - Pablo

Richie Beirach - Summer Night - Venus

Alan Broadbent - Everything I Love - Discovery

Ray Bryant - trio - Prestige

George Cables - But Beautiful - M & T

Bill Charlap - Souveniers - Criss Cross

Cyrus Chestnut - Midnight Melodies - Smoke Sessions

Stanley Cowell - We Three - DIW

Harold Danko - Hindsight - Steeplechase

Walter Davis,Jr. - Live Au Dreher - Paris Jazz Corner

Kenny Drew - If You Could See Me Now - Steeplechase

Bill Evans - Explorations - Riverside

Tommy Flanagan - Eclypso - Enja

Don Friedman - Days Of Wine And Roses - Soul Note

Red Garland - Red In Bluesville - Prestige

Benny Green - Happiness: live At Kumbwa - Sunnyside

Al Haig - Portrait of Bud Powell - Trio

Tardo Hammer - Tardo's Tempo - Sharp Nine

Roland Hanna - Glove - Storyville

Barry Harris - Magnificent - Prestige

Hampton Hawes - Blues For Bud - Black Lion

David Hazeltine - Close To You - Criss Cross

Tamir Hendelman - Destinations - Challenge

Fred Hersch - ECT - 

John Hicks - Is That So - Timeless

Eddie Higgins - Again - Venus

Elmo Hope - Meditations - Prestige

Pete Jolly - Yeah - VSOP

Hank Jones - Blues-Ette - Black & Blue

Duke Jordan - Two Loves - Steeplechase

Dick Katz - 3 Way Play - Reservoir

Roger Kellaway - Heroes - IPO

Wynton Kelly - Full View - Milestone

Steve Kuhn - Years Later - Concord

John Lewis - Delaunay's Dilemma - EmArcy

Mike LeDonne - Common Ground - Criss Cross

Lou Levy - The Kid's Got Ears - Jazzizz

Jan Lundgren - A Swinging Rendezvous - Marshmellow

Pete Malinverni - A Very Good Year - Reservoir

Ronnie Mathews - Lament For Love - DIW

Bill Mays - Summer Sketches - Palmetto

Dave McKenna - The Piano Scene - Koch

Mike Melvoin - You Know - City Light

Mulgrew Miller - Live At Yoshi's ,Vol.1 - Max Jazz

Paul Moer - Trio - Del-Fi

Thelonious Monk - Unique - Riverside

Dado Moroni - Live In Beverly Hills - Resonance

Bill Mays - Summer Sketches - Palmetto

Phineas Newborn,Jr. - Here is Phineas - Atlantic

David Newton - Inspired - Bright New Day

Hod O'Brien - Blues Alley- Third Set - Reservoir

Horace Parlan - No Blues - Steeplechase

Jeb Patton - Tenish: Live in New York - Cellar Live

Carl Perkins - Introducing

Oscar Peterson - We Get Requests - Verve

Enrico Pieranunzi - Live In Paris - Challenge

Bud Powell - Trio - Roost

Eric Reed - Blue Monk - M & T

Renee Rosnes - A Time For Love - Video Arts

Jimmy Rowles - Our Delight - VSOP

Rob Schneiderman - Smooth Sailing - Reservoir

Shirley Scott  - Skylark - Candid

Norman Simmons - In Private - Savant

Rossano Sportiello - Strictly Confidential - Arbors

Frank Strazzeri - I Remember You - Fresh Sound

Charles Thomas - The Finishing Touch - Space Time

Bobby Timmons - Easy Does It - Riverside

McCoy Tyner - Reaching Fourth - Impulse

Cedar Walton - Cedar - Timeless

Kenny Werner - With A Song In My Heart - Venus

James Williams - I Remember Cliffordm - DIW

Claude Williamson - New Departure - Interplay

Larry Willis - How Do You Keep The Music Playing - Steeplechase

Mike Wofford - Live at Anthenaeum - Capri

Richard Wyands - Reunited - Criss Cross

 

 

 

 

[HutchFan]

Fantastic list, @Peter Friedman!  You've got lots of albums listed that I intend to explore.   

 

[dicky]

3 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:

Kenny Barron - Live at Bradleys - EmArcy

Plenty in that list I enjoy and plenty there I've never heard, but the 2 volumes of Kenny Barron at Bradley's I particularly love.

Bradley's was a bar, not a club. The piano was situated near the front window. Many performances I saw there (John Hicks, Roland Hanna) were simply solo piano. These 2 Barron trio discs/albums sound so alive and capture a wonderful moment in time that are now, regrettably, long gone.  

[Niko]

Thank you Peter and Hutch an for those nice lists!

[clifford_thornton]

On 11/21/2025 at 4:23 PM, Gheorghe said:

This is about trio recordings, right ? 

 

Well how about the Monk album for Prestige, the one with Little Rootie Tootie and so on ? 

McCoy Tyner Super Trios was very much heard when I was in the last year of High School.

Bud Powell ”Time Waits” was my favoruite Bud Powell Trio album. But also the one from Paris, Montmatre 1962 or so with Round Midnight, Night In Tunisia, Shaw Nuff, Thelonious, and so on is one of the best for me. 

I like also the Trio album Horace Silver did in the early 50s for Blue Note. 

IIRC, Ethan's list is a bit more broad and includes Cecil's ensemble recording for Impulse! and some others. He kind of ignores Masabumi Kikuchi's pre-2000s recordings by saying they aren't "mature" or whatever, which is a gross oversight given that his 70s work is of incredibly high quality.