Here is an interesting artist that's new to me, and I wanted to share his music.

Excellent!

In Jazz, designating any one instrument as “the most important” is, at best, pointless. Just as pointless as designating any one player on any given instrument as “the best”. At worst, it belies a lack of appreciation for some of the basics and nuances of the art form; IMO.

In an art form in which individuality is a key aspect of true excellence the idea of “best” is like saying that Granny Smith apples are the “best” apples. There may be a best Granny Smith, but it doesn’t make that the best of all apples. Try saying that to someone that loves Honey Crisp apples instead! Moving on to bananas 😊:

No instrument in Jazz is “the most important”. First, piano was not the first harmony instrument to gain widespread use in (early) Jazz ensembles; the banjo was. Going even further back in the birth of Jazz, it was the guitar in the blues that was the most common harmony instrument. So, what makes an instrument “important”? Seems to me that, once again, it is what is done with it in the sense of how it innovated and contributed to the development of style in jazz. As such, ANY instrument can, and many did, accomplish that. Some of the best and most innovative Jazz was played by, for instance, Sonny Rollins in his piano-less trio recordings. And, how does one reconcile the notion with the fact that a relative minority of the greatest musicians in jazz played piano?

Thanks for the New Orleans clips. A lot of good stuff.

Gee, thanks for the warm welcome; and don’t worry....

**** Listening to Trane, Bird, or Miles, playing solo would be cruel and unusual. ****

For you. That explains much.

Enjoy.  Cruel and unusual punishment? :

https://youtu.be/qPCBqSy3lwk