[~FreT~]

J.S. Bach...?

Edit: No, Chopin. Maybe. Yeah I guess.

Edit: Yes! Chopin. Yes.

[Gwenny]

Elton John.... (just kidding)

Without a doubt Mozart. SIMPLY. Without a dobut. Mozart.

[teejman]

For classical, I'm torn between J.S. Bach, and Mozart.

as for modern jazz, I'd say Jaimie cullum

[dalavr]

Ben Folds.

[seventoglory]

Bach, that dude could shred like nobodies business. <-----me listening to the goldberg variations.

[jengoesup]

Well, aren't these mostly composers? So aren't you measuring most of them based on the music they composed instead of their skill as a piano player? I mean, if that's what you're doing then fine: but I wouldn't be surprised if there are players out there who have better technical or musical ability than any of the great classical composers ever had, or if they even had better musical interpretations

*edit* And for the record, I saw Cyrus Chesnut last night...he's a pretty fine pianist/improvisationalist.

[seventoglory]

Nah, Ill stick with bach. Not only did he have a technical mastery of the instrument. He greatly advanced it with his tempering system making the piano what it is today. The baroque era was the highlight of keyboard/piano music in history IMO.

[leiarose]

Originally Posted by jengoesup

Well, aren't these mostly composers? So aren't you measuring most of them based on the music they composed instead of their skill as a piano player?

Exactly.

Rubenstein is up there.

[Decency]

Modern Day pianist would be the late Anthony Burger -RIP-

[rossini7]

I agree that Liszt is likely the best all time classical pianist. I also agree that people are judging someone's composing, not their ability to play piano. Chopin, although an absolutely amazing composer, was too weak/sickly to even correctly play his pieces (by his own admission). I love Nat King Cole and he was an amazing pianist and is certainly worthy of note, especially as he did vocals too. In all of the King Cole Trio songs, it is he who did the piano. He had such clean playing and speed and improvisational skills, he was really quite an amazing performer. Although maybe not the best all time, he is certainly one of the best jazz pianists and my favorite.

[Rainer.]

Bill Evans, Thelonius Monk, Oscar Peterson, Lyle Mays, Count Basie, Duke Ellington...

[Mattlock]

Ben Folds and Dave Brubeck

[RK_lover]

Me!!! lolz..........

Uh, I'd say that Bach is my favorite of the great composers....

And what about the 5 year olds who can play the classics?

[timber]

oscar peterson, perhaps...

[Artisan]

Beethoven and Chopin are my favorite composers. And I love Yundi Li's and Evgeny Kissin's interpretations of their music. I have also heard Beethoven's Tempest sonata performed by Spencer Myer, and I really liked it.