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The piano has been an integral part of jazz music since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Piano jazz refers to the specific techniques pianists use when playing jazz. Piano jazz is an important tool of jazz musicians and composers for teaching and learning jazz theory and set arrangement. Like the guitar, for example, the piano is one of the instruments in a jazz combo that can play both single notes and chords rather than only single notes as do the saxophone and trumpet.
Jazz piano has played a leading role in developing the sound of jazz. Early on, black jazz musicians created ragtime on the piano. As the genre progressed the piano was usually featured in the rhythm section of a band, which was typically configured as one or more of piano, guitar, bass, or drums. Over time, playing piano-accompaniment in ensemble sets and bands evolved from being primarily a time-keeping function (consisting of repetitive left-hand figures) to a more flexible role. Ultimately, the skilled pianist was free both to lead and to answer the instrumental soloist, using both short and sustained, chordal and melodic, fragments - a technique known as 'comping'.
The list of jazz pianists who had a significant influence on the jazz movement is huge, but here is a snapshot of some of the bigger names: