Outstanding jazz piano solos, your favorites

[Homefromtheforest]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Bill Evan's solo on "flamenco sketches"...it's the one that immediately jumps to my mind. When I first heard it I was startled by the slowness and staggering sense of space and restraint. So simplistic yet it hit me like a brick!

[GA Russell]

A favorite album from my youth was Tomorrow Never Knows by Steve Marcus. Mike Nock takes a solo on Gary Burton's Half a Heart that I still enjoy 45 years later.

[soulpope]

Rather unheralded Chicago rooted pianist John Young`s solo on the title cut of Von Freeman`s "Young and Foolish" outing released on Daybreak in the early 80`s...

[Simon8]

Always liked this hell-raisin' solo by Eddie Costa (with Tal Farlow)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SagCCeZXZo

Edited September 24, 2014 by Simon8

[Simon8]

And this irresistible, drivin' intro by Red Garland (and Doug Watkins & Specs Wright) before Coleman Hawkins comes in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYScEdwQabI

[skeith]

It is too hard to pick... but one that I was listening to this week and just struck me a short and sweet is Herbie Hancock's solo on his own composition "Alone and I" --- just brilliant.

[Hardbopjazz]

The greatest piano solo I've heard was from Don Pullen. It was the Charles Mingus memorial concert at Carnegie Hall in 1979. Pullen's solo on "Sue Changes" goes above what a normal human being can physical do on a piano. He must have been so emotionally overcome from Mingus' death that he temporally possessed super human skills. It is sort of like a mother getting the strength to lift a car when her child is pinned under the wheel. Although this concert was never released I did manage to get a copy of this.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Hardbopjazz

[johnblitweiler]

I'd love to hear "Jimmy's Rocks" by Jimmy Yancey, from his 1943 recordings, again. All of Yancey's piano solos are perfect evolutions of themes into compact compositions. This one is a fast version of "Death Letter Blues." The great slow version of that theme is "At the Window," which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever.

[BillF]

I'd love to hear "Jimmy's Rocks" by Jimmy Yancey, from his 1943 recordings, again. All of Yancey's piano solos are perfect evolutions of themes into compact compositions. This one is a fast version of "Death Letter Blues." The great slow version of that theme is "At the Window," which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever.

[clifford_thornton]

The greatest piano solo I've heard was from the Don Pullen. It was the Charles Mingus memorial concert at Carnegie Hall in 1979. Pullen's solo on "Sue Changes" goes above what a normal human being can physical do on a piano. He must have been so emotionally overcome from Mingus' death that he temporally possessed super human skills. It is sort of like a mother getting the strength to lift a car when her child is pinned under the wheel. Although this concert was never released I did manage to get a copy of this.

wow.

Pullen was really something else, especially during the 1970s.

[gmonahan]

Monk's 20+ minute workout on "Round Midnight" on Riverside, where he deconstructs and reconstructs the tune several times.

Art Tatum's early version of Tiger Rag, where he does the same thing in 2 minutes flat.

Bill Evans on "I Do It for Your Love," Affinity with Toots Thielemans

Count Basie and Oscar Peterson both on "Jumpin' at the Woodside" on their first Satch and Josh album, Pablo.

gregmo

[BillF]

I'd love to hear "Jimmy's Rocks" by Jimmy Yancey, from his 1943 recordings, again. All of Yancey's piano solos are perfect evolutions of themes into compact compositions. This one is a fast version of "Death Letter Blues." The great slow version of that theme is "At the Window," which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever.

Speaking of piano as a solo instrument, I'd have to mention "Functional" from Thelonious Himself.

[paul secor]

I'd love to hear "Jimmy's Rocks" by Jimmy Yancey, from his 1943 recordings, again. All of Yancey's piano solos are perfect evolutions of themes into compact compositions. This one is a fast version of "Death Letter Blues." The great slow version of that theme is "At the Window," which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever.

Speaking of piano as a solo instrument, I'd have to mention "Functional" from Thelonious Himself.

Yancey and Monk may have lived in somewhat different worlds, but it sounds as if they drank from the same well.

[BillF]

I'd love to hear "Jimmy's Rocks" by Jimmy Yancey, from his 1943 recordings, again. All of Yancey's piano solos are perfect evolutions of themes into compact compositions. This one is a fast version of "Death Letter Blues." The great slow version of that theme is "At the Window," which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever.

Speaking of piano as a solo instrument, I'd have to mention "Functional" from Thelonious Himself.

Yancey and Monk may have lived in somewhat different worlds, but it sounds as if they drank from the same well.

It certainly does!

[Peter Friedman]

There are so very many favorites. Here are some of them.

Hampton Hawes solo on "Diablo's Dance" from Shorty Rogers and His Giants - RCA

This has a strong place in my jazz memory, as it was something that really grabbed me back in the early to mid-50's

when I first became interested in jazz.

Bud Powell's solo on "Dance of the Infidels" from the Paris Jam Session album by Art Blakey and the Messengers.

This 1959 session was after Powell had supposedly reached his peak and was in decline. However I really enjoy Bud's

very swinging and creative extended solo here.

Horace Silver's solo on "Base On Balls" from The Hank Mobley Quintet on Blue Note. It was a difficult choice as I almost

selected Silver's solo on "Soft Winds" with the Messengers, or the one on "Walkin'" from the Miles Davis All Stars Album also called Walkin'.

Barry Harris ' solo on "Luminescence" from the album of the same title by The Barry Harris Sextet on Prestige.

Kenny Barron's solo on "Voyage" from the Stan Getz Quartet album also titled Voyage.

Ray Bryant's solo on "Blues Changes" from Ray's Trio album on Prestige.

[GA Russell]

Monk's 20+ minute workout on "Round Midnight" on Riverside, where he deconstructs and reconstructs the tune several times.

Greg, what album is that on?

[Shawn]

Junior Mance on "Light And Lovely" from "The Tenor Scene". This piano solo was the reason I gravitated toward the Griff & Lock albums in the first place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui01MZOeVHo

Dave Brubeck's *almost* avant garde solo on "These Foolish Things" from Jazz At Oberlin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtx3Dw8aM60

[JSngry]

George Cables! Rhodes! David Lee! Sonny! Soprano! Crenshaw on wood! But mostly, George Cables! Rhodes! David Lee! Sonny! Soprano! Crenshaw on wood!

George Cables made the Rhodes work for him, really learned how to have a distinctive touch (and tone) on the instrument when everybody was saying it was impossible to do so.

[danasgoodstuff]

Meade Lux Lewis, Honky Tonk Train, the version on Bluenote

[gmonahan]

Monk's 20+ minute workout on "Round Midnight" on Riverside, where he deconstructs and reconstructs the tune several times.

Greg, what album is that on?

GA, I have it on the Complete Riverside Sessions box. Don't know if it was ever issued on one of Monk's Riverside albums, since I don't have those.

gregmo

[paul secor]

Monk's 20+ minute workout on "Round Midnight" on Riverside, where he deconstructs and reconstructs the tune several times.

Greg, what album is that on?

GA, I have it on the Complete Riverside Sessions box. Don't know if it was ever issued on one of Monk's Riverside albums, since I don't have those.

gregmo

My copy of Thelonious Himself (JVC XRCD) has it. It's also on the OJC CD issue.

Edited October 3, 2014 by paul secor

[Larry Kart]

Monk's 20+ minute workout on "Round Midnight" on Riverside, where he deconstructs and reconstructs the tune several times.

Greg, what album is that on?

GA, I have it on the Complete Riverside Sessions box. Don't know if it was ever issued on one of Monk's Riverside albums, since I don't have those.

gregmo

I have it on an old Riverside two-LP set.

[jazzbo]

There's something wrong with me. I have it on the two lp set, the OJC cd, the XRCD and the Complete Monk on Riverside cd box set. I love it!

[catesta]

Testing 1, 2, 3 .....Let's see if I remember how to post.

This is right up my alley since piano solos are often my favorite so here are a few I really enjoy.

Richie Powell - I'll String Along With You (Brown and Roach Inc.)

Joe Castro - Sunset Eyes (Teddy Edwards, Sunset Eyes)

McCoy Tyner - The Morning After (Hank Mobley, A Caddy For Daddy)

Erroll Garner - Teach Me Tonight (Concert by The Sea)

Bill Evans - Porgy (Waltz For Debby)

Steve Kuhn - Malaguena (Pete La Roca, Basra)

Edited October 8, 2014 by catesta

[JSngry]

Where the hell you been?!?!?!?!