Whatever piano you hear on a modern jazz album has been influenced by one of the artists that is covered in these reissue multi-cd box sets. The 1950s and 60s were key years in the evolution of jazz piano, so delving into any of these artists gives you a sense of the roots of today’s ivory.
One of the more overlooked pianist of the 50s and 60s was Randy Weston, who spent a number of years in Africa. His style is like a first cousin of The cheerful first cousin of Thelonious Monk, except 
for my money I tend to go to him more often because his canon of compositions kept growing, as opposed to Monk tending to stick to his guns. His mix of bop and Monk is revealed in these two essential multi disc sets. His African roots ae showing with guest Dizzy Gillespie/tp along with Billy Harper-Dewey Redman/ts, and percussionists like Azzedin Weston on earthy material like “African Cookbook” and “African Village Bedford-Stuyvesant 2” Weston shows strength in trio and solo format for rich digital working on “Zulu” and “If YOU Could See Me Now” on a ’55 album, while 
bringing in bop saxist Cecil Payne on a calypso’d “Hold Em Joe” and a swinging “It’s All Right With Me”. A ’57 trio, again with Payne, Abdul Malik/b and Willie Jones/dr is just as strong on his own “JK Blues” and a rich read of Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t”.
A landmark at the Five Spot in 1959 has Weston teamed with Coleman Hawkins/ts, Roy Haynes/dr among others for a fairly loose 
an swinging night with the team stretching out on “Spot Five Blues” and Weston delivering a wondrous take of his classic “High Fly”. His next release featured another eternal tune, “Little Niles” while his next two 1960 albums have him returning to his West African mode with a larger band including vocalist Martha Flowers, Slide Hampton/tb, Jimmy Cleveland/tb, Ron Carter/b, Kenny Burrell/g and narration by Tuntemeke Sanga” with a similar set bringing in Freddie Hubbard, Yusef Lateef and Budd Johnson handling Melba Liston’s creative charts for “I Got Rhythm” and “Honeysuckle Rose”. Jazz at its marrow.
Between his stints as a sideman for Billie Holiday and his duets with Steve Lacy, the dark toned Mal Waldron put together some creatively harmonious sessions as leader and sideman. A session with him as a leader with Idrees Sulieman/tp and Gigi Gryce/as deliver a cool breeze on “Stablemates” and a bluesy “Yesterdays”. Next year, he returns to his late employee’s “Don’t Explain” with John Coltrane/ts, Jackie McLean/as and Art Taylor/dr. A 1957 led by Thad Jones along with Frank Wess, Teddy Charles, Doug Watkins and ringer Elvin Jones has the team jamming through “Blues Without Woe” and “Potpourri”. The same year, he jams with Kenny Burrell/g and Art Farmer/tp on a swinging “ Earthy” and intricate “The Front Line”. A sextet session led by vibist Teddy Charles focus mostly on originals like ‘Reiteration” and “Bunnie”, with a pretty read of “Everything Happens to Me”. He was on a handful of sessions Prestige, most creative is a teaming with Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers/b, Bobby Jaspar/ts and a pair of trumpeters for a warm read of “Soul Eyes” and a bopping “CTA”. Last but not least is a one off with 4 alto saxists (Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Sahib Shihad and Hal Stein) bopping with Tommy Potter/b and Louis Hayes/dr on ballads like “Don’t Blame Me” and upbeat tunes like “Kokochee”. Bop on the shady side.
Duke Pearson was better known as a composer, but his albums are strong and mature. His 1959 debut with Lex Humphries/dr and Gene Taylor/b has him emphasizing standards like “Black Coffee” and a few originals like “Two Mile Run”. The same year with Gene Taylor/b and Humphries he is a melancholy mood for “I’m A Fool To Want You” and “When Sunny Gets Blue” . A 62 session as a leader has him bopping with “Jeanine” and glowing on “Angel Eyes” with a clever take of “I’m An Old Cowhand” with the same year in a quintet with Donald Byrd/tp and Johnny Coles for a hip little “Hush” and buoyant “Child’s Play”. Pearson’s most famous album as a leader featured Joe Henderson/ts and future long term mate Donald Byrd/tp on the swinging “Wahoo” and classy “Amanda”. Two sessions with Byrd as leader included one with guest tenor Hank Mobley in1960 for an earthy “Ghana” and bopping “Lex” while the 1962 released album with bari man Art Pepper joining the front line includes the snazzy “The Cat Walk” and lovely “Say You’re Mine”. Rich and rewarding obscurities.
Best known as a sideman for Dizzy Gillespie and Dinah Washington, Junior Mance created an impressive catalogue of his own. His 1959 debut with Ray Brown/b and Lex Humphries/dr introduces his bluesy feel on “A Smooth One” and “Whisper Not” with his trio followup the next year mixing Ellingtonia like “Main Stem” with his own “The Uptown”. A gig at the Village Vanguard with Ben Riley/dr and Larry Gales/b have him swinging hard on “63rd Street Theme” and digging into “Smokey Blues”. Mance gets smokey with Bob Cranshaw/b and MickeyRoker in a 1962 meeting with a glorious rendition of Ellington’s “Creole Love Call” with a trip to Kansas City on “The Jumpin’ Blues” . Last is an uptempo session with Mickey Roker/dr and Ron Carter/b on a bebopping “Out South” and “Happy Time”
After leaving John Coltrane, pianist McCoy Tyner worked on creating his own voice on Impulse Records in the early 60s. Tyner showed his mainstream heart in trio format with ‘Trane alumni Elvin Jones/dr and Richard Davis/b for the ballad “Sunset” and intricate “There Is No Greater Love”. A mix and match of trios with trio and sextet formats with Jimmy Garrison/b, Albert Heath/dr, saxists Frank Strozier and John Gilmer include a driving “A Night In Tunisia’ and fervent “Three Flowers”. A gig at Newport with Clark Terry/tp-fh, Charlie Mariano/as, Micky Roker/dr and Bob Cranshaw gives space for the rhythm team on “Monk’s Blues” while the team jams on “Newport Romp”. Tyner sounds classy and upscale with Henry Grimes/b and Roy Haynes for the trio album with “Blues Back” and “Reaching Forth”. A late night feeling session focusing on ballads with Steve Davis/b and Lex Humphries includes “Satin Doll” and a velvety “Star Eyes”. My own personal favorite is Tyner’s taking on the Ellington songbook with clever takes of “Caravan” and “Duke’s Place” with Coltrane pals Jimmy Garrison/b and Elvin Jones/dr in an album reminiscent of Coltrane’s Ballad album. It’s that surprisingly good.