Favorite Pianists


I've recently become obsessed with great piano music. Not necessarily classical, just great. Like the thread I started regarding acoustic guitar, this follows the same lines. Who is your favorite? It doesn't have to be based on the ability to play fast or on the technical ability side of it. It just needs to be moving. Needs to be able to pull you in and tell a story of your past. I guess the best term to describe this is simply beautiful music.

As of right now, Ludovico Einaudi is my absolute favorite. I've listened to quite a bit of this genre lately and George Winston, Peter Kater and Kevin Kern all get high marks from me. But none of them move me like Ludovico Einaudi.

If you have an absolute favorite, just one that hits you like no other, post it. If you have several, list them.

Thanks!
tiggerfc
Wow, amazing that that was the first mention of Herbie Hancock!

How about some props for Bud Powell, McCoy Tyner as well?
In addition to the great ones mentioned about, Eddie Higgins has some great recordings on the Venus Label. SACD and LP's available.

If you're into vinyl, the Bill Evans 45 lp box set is fantastic
There may be a couple of other favorite pianist lists in another thread or two... Obviously Monk changed things a lot and was great. There's probably not anyone as earth shaking currently active, (maybe because now there's less new ground available to shake)... a few more good ones you might find in a jazz section:

Vijay Iyer
Don Preston
Paul Plimley
Cecil Taylor
Myra Melford
Matthew Shipp
Simon Nabatov
Achim Kaufmann
Horace Tapscott
Michiel Borstlap
Sophia Domancich
Jean Michel Pilc
Francois Bourassa
Sylvie Courvoisier
Classical - Glenn Gould
Jazz - Bill Evans
Rock - ?...I'll have to think a bit more about that.
For the life of me, I don't understand why Fred Hersch is seldom, if ever, mentioned in the same light as the above artists. So I'm doing it; Ha!