From the early rags and rolls of Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton on through the light jazz of David Benoit, the piano has been the instrument most affiliated with -- and most indicative of -- the many subgenres of jazz. The complexity and technical mastery of Thelonious Monk's Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 & 2 and the minimalist beauty of Paul Bley's Open, To Love each show the variety of performance expression available to the jazz pianist. The polyphonic possibilities of the instrument, as well as the inspired work of such young lions as Jacky Terrasson and Brad Mehldau, insures the legacy of this constantly evolving genre.
