Underrated jazz greats

David Sylvian, I agree.

My list is tooo big.

Mark Nauseef
Freddy Studer
Torsten De Winkle
Marcus Stockhousen
Johanes Enders
Wolfgang Hafner
Fish for Fish
Nils Peter Molvaer
Marcus Wasilewski
Vlatko Stefanowski
Terje Rypdal
Filipe Catherine
Charlie Mariano
Jasper Vant Hoff
Bo Stief
Allan Holdsworth
Pere Ubu
Curlew
George Cartwright
Pierre Moerlen
David Sylvian
Mick Karn
Jon Hassel
Jah Wobble
Pop Mechanics
Oregon(Roscoe Mitchell)
Sun Ra
Edie Jobson

Viridian,

Great call on Toshiko Akioshi. What a great performer!

My brother went to high school with their daughter, and we used to go see the Akiyoshi-Tabackin Big Band at Dante's in North Hollywood whenever we had the chance.

Kenney Barron, Al Foster just to name a few!!

Illinois Jacquet.as good as the best and liitle known,relatively speaking.

Three off the top of my head..

Stuff Smith

Mary Lou Williams

Sun Ra

I am totally intrigued by these responses. Let me be provocative, and state that i believe that Paul Desmond never got the recognition he deserved. So often, i see this erroneous reference that Dave Brubeck wrote "Take Five". Paul was an extremely thoughtful player, quoted phrases intelligently, and played with a wit and lyricism that is almost unequalled. He wrote some excellent music as well. He seemed to be under the thumb of Brubeck, contractually and otherwise, until he emerged as his own talent and recorded with some very superb and sympathetic musicians such as Jim Hall, Don Thompson, Ed Bickert, etc.

There is not enough time and not enough space to pay tribute to the legion of underrated Jazz artists.Not to mention underpaid.This list would be a very long one and never be complete.
Great as a noun,as in "importance or distinction in a field"
Herbie Nichols-Masterful composer and master of the obtuse and extraordinary in the modern Jazz era.Toiled in the shadow of Thelonious Monk,his rhythmic sense and harmonic adventures turned each tune into a dramatic Jazz opera.
Great as an adjective,as in " unusual.A considerable degree of power and intensity" Warne Marsh- a gift beyond explanation as a tenor saxophone improviser.A direct line from Lester Young to Charlie Parker to his quest to play beyond the lick,the cliche,to create fresh and stunning solos each and every time with a tone as personal as your child's whisper.He did this in the face of Coltrane and later in the onslaught of the avant Garde.He did it with a rare conviction and he proved the best music is always heard by the least amount of people.
Just two names you should know.