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Your Favorite Legacy Jazz Pianists

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By Michael Ricci
June 29, 2024
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Member votes were tabulated and this list represents our favorite legacy jazz pianists. Fully transparent and easily verifiable, All About Jazz's favorite legacy pianists poll was conducted during the 2023-2024 calendar year and ran up through June 28, 2024. We want to thank every member who participated in creating this impressive list for the next generation of jazz enthusiasts to discover.

Bill Evans

Thelonious Monk

Oscar Peterson

McCoy Tyner

Bud Powell

Duke Ellington

Chick Corea

Art Tatum

Ahmad Jamal

Horace Silver

Dave Brubeck

Jelly Roll Morton

Count Basie

Red Garland

Erroll Garner

Wynton Kelly

Hank Jones

Fats Waller

Tommy Flanagan

Cecil Taylor

Hampton Hawes

Mary Lou Williams

Sonny Clark

Cedar Walton

Earl Hines

Marian McPartland

John Lewis

Joe Sample

Bobby Timmons

Lennie Tristano

Herbie Nichols

Kenny Drew

Teddy Wilson

Michel Petrucciani

Horace Parlan

Mal Waldron

Jaki Byard

Phineas Newborn, Jr.

Gene Harris

Vince Guaraldi

Ramsey Lewis

Andrew Hill

Geri Allen

George Shearing

Billy Strayhorn

Esbjorn Svensson

Carla Bley

Kenny Kirkland

James P. Johnson

Harold Mabern

Mulgrew Miller

George Duke

Don Pullen

Paul Bley

Les McCann

Barry Harris

Al Haig

Shirley Horn

Randy Weston

Hazel Scott

Sun Ra

Jessica Williams

Alice Coltrane

Duke Jordan

Willie "The Lion" Smith

Dr. John

John Taylor

Billy Taylor

Junior Mance

Ellis Marsalis

Jimmy Rowles

Russ Freeman

Duke Pearson

Lou Levy

Walter Davis Jr.

John Hicks

Elmo Hope

Hoagy Carmichael

Ray Bryant

Jay McShann

Roland Hanna

Frank Kimbrough

Dorothy Donegan

Horace Tapscott

Ronnie Mathews

James Williams

Stan Tracey

Pete Jolly

Dick Twardzik

Stan Kenton

Blossom Dearie

Antonio Carlos Jobim

Lil Hardin Armstrong

Larry Willis

Freddy Cole

Stanley Cowell

Muhal Richard Abrams

Michel Legrand

Jutta Hipp

100

Allen Toussaint

101

Carl Perkins

102

Dave Frishberg

103

Walter Bishop, Jr.

104

Nat King Cole

105

Joe Zawinul

106

James Booker

107

Scott Joplin

108

Lyle Mays

109

Eddie Higgins

110

Fats Domino

111

Mike Longo

112

Meade Lux Lewis

113

Andre Previn

114

Hilton Ruiz

115

Don Friedman

116

Rubén González

117

Bebo Valdes

118

Charlie Palmieri

119

Kenny Drew, Jr.

120

Tete Montoliu

121

Dave McKenna

122

Walter Norris

123

Professor Longhair

124

Jacques Loussier

125

Dodo Marmarosa

126

Albert Ammons

127

Henry Butler

128

Joe Albany

129

Jan Johansson

130

Otis Spann

131

Masabumi Kikuchi

132

Big Maceo

133

Jimmy Durante

134

Sir Charles Thompson

135

Paul Smith

136

George Wallington

137

Ronnie Ball

138

Ellis Larkins

139

Dick Wellstood

140

Art Hodes

141

Hod O'Brien

142

Michael Garrick

143

Richard Twardzik

144

John Bunch

145

Mike Renzi

146

Jack Wilson

147

Cliff Smalls

148

Donn Trenner

149

Alan Clare

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