A sorely underexposed figure and a major influence on Miles Davis, pianist Ahmad Jamal isn't generally ranked among the all-time giants of jazz, but he impressed fellow musicians and record buyers alike with his innovative, minimalist approach. Jamal's manipulations of space and silence, tension and release, and dynamics all broke new ground,... [+] Read More

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George Duke showed a great deal of promise early in his career as a jazz pianist and keyboardist, but has forsaken that form to be a pop producer. Inspired early on by Les McCann, he worked with a trio in San Francisco during the mid-'60s. In 1969, Duke accompanied Jean-Luc Ponty, recording with the violinist. After eight months with Don Ellis'... [+] Read More

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An excellent if generally overlooked advanced hard bop pianist, Hal Galper studied at Berklee (1955-1958) and then worked in many groups, including with Chet Baker, Stan Getz, the Brecker Brothers, Bobby Hutcherson, and with such singers as Joe Williams, Chris Connor, and Anita O'Day. He played electric piano (an instrument he has since dropped)... [+] Read More

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One of the many jazzmen who started out playing hard bop but went electric during the fusion era, Joe Sample was, in the late '50s, a founding member of the Jazz Crusaders along with trombonist Wayne Henderson, tenor saxman Wilton Felder, and drummer Stix Hooper. The Crusaders' debt to Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers wasn't hard to miss -- except... [+] Read More

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A potentially significant pianist playing in the modern mainstream, Joey Calderazzo's career got off to a strong start with a series of fine Blue Note albums. He studied classical piano from age eight, discovered jazz a few years later, and hit the big time when he joined Michael Brecker's band in 1987. He went on to record with Brecker, Bob... [+] Read More

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Joe Zawinul belongs in a category unto himself -- a European from the heartland of the classical music tradition (Vienna) who learned to swing as freely as any American jazzer, and whose appetite for growth and change remains insatiable. Zawinul's curiosity and openness to all kinds of sounds made him one of the driving forces behind the... [+] Read More

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Mike Nock has long been one of the top modern jazz keyboardists to emerge from his part of the world. Nock began taking piano lessons from his father when he was 11. He began gigging four years later and at 18 moved to Australia. After heading a trio that toured England in 1961, Nock went to the U.S. to attend the Berklee College of Music. After... [+] Read More

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A versatile arranger and composer, Vince Mendoza's music falls between post bop and crossover, often being both creative jazz and music with pop sensibilities. Mendoza began playing piano and guitar when he was six and grew up around music. He played trumpet in high school and studied composition at Ohio State University in addition to learning... [+] Read More

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