Under Appreciated Jazz Piano Players


The same is the case for any instrument but I would like to mention some piano players that never seem to be mentioned enough. This list is off the top of my head, I am sure you other members have some to add.
Ahmad Jamal
Hampton Hawes
Don Pullen
Horace Silver
Stanley Cowell
Red Garland
Winton Kelly
McCoy Tyner
John Lewis
Kenny Barron
BoBo Stenson.....
spindrifter
McCoy Tyner underappreciated? I suppose you could say he is so phenomenal that any appreciation is not enough (could say the same for Bill Evans or Keith Jarrett) but McCoy is generally regarded as among the top three or four pianists in jazz. Same comments on a lower scale for Silver, Garland, Kelly, Rubalcaba and Jamal. All very renowned, and deservedly so.

Here are some of my picks (limited to living pianists), off the top of my head:

Jessica Williams
Benny Green
John Hicks
Geoff Keezer
John Campbell
Dave McKenna
Lynne Arriale
John Taylor
David Hazeltine
John Coates, Jr.
Enrico Pieranunzi
Richie Beirach
Bill Charlap
Chris Anderson
Larry Willis
Bill Mays
Jessica Williams
John Taylor
Good lists, guys. I'll include another "baker's dozen" that deserve wider recognition (unfortunately, about half of them are now deceased):
1. Roland Hanna
2. Tommy Flanagan
3. Michel Petrucciani
4. Jimmy Rowles
5. Erroll Garner
6. Marian McPartland
7. Chucho Valdez
8. Michel Camilo
9. John Hicks
10. Barry Harris
11. Cedar Walton
12. Kenny Drew
13. Gene Harris
Here's another one, sparked by seeing the name Kenny Drew - Kenny Drew, Jr. (the son) has a phenomenal technique and plays interesting material.
Marcus Roberts
Here's one you might not expect--one of my personal "under appreciated" which is Chick Corea. I never really appreciated his brilliance until he did the Mozart Sessions.