Best Jazz pianist

Yeah, i likemost of them a lot.
The ONLY one I dislike is Art Tatum. Like Salieri sez' to Mozart: Too many notes!!!
Could Art Tatum even PLAY a bar without adding in a trill?
Drives me crazy.
Now Peterson and Tristiano add 'extra' stuff in.. but it is decent and reasonable...
Basie, now there is a minimalist! Only the notes needed.. no more!

Elizabeth, you can always be counted on to cut thru the BS and get to the right answer.

I agree about Tatum. I have his solo Masterpieces set, and I don't play them very much. After a while they all sound the same. Show off.

Peterson is not always great, but he is at least always very good. Sort of like clint eastwood in the movies.

Basie's style of playing in Jazz is sort of like B.B. King's style of playing the blues. The right note, at the right time, no more or less. You nailed it.

I should correct something I said earlier. I said the Duke could swing, but I meant the Count, as in Basie. Not that the Duke doesn't swing, just not on the piano. Hard to believe I got them mixed up.

In terms of sheer technique, it is hard to come up with someone who had more than Oscar Peterson in the jazz world. He is also one of my favorites musically, though I like Bill Evans and Monk as well.

In addition to Foster_9's list; Bobby Timmons, Sonny Clark, McCoy Tyner,Red Garland, Bud Powell, and Hank Jones.