My fave jazz players are:
Oscar Peterson (especially Night Train)
Charlie Hunter (just mentioned him in another thread)
Miles
Brubeck
Bill Evans (Conversations With Myself...wow)
Charlie Parker
Coltrane
Art Tatum
Cannonball Adderly
One of my other favorites is pianist
Marian McPartland. She lives in my hometown, and does a concert every year with our high school's jazz band. When I was in high school, I played piano in the jazz band and I had a chance to get very close with Marian. My god, there is nothing like trading four's with Marian during a concert. I couldn't match her to save my life, but she always gave me the chance.
She used to recommend records to me, and if she had an extra, she'd leave it on her porch for me to pick up while she was out of town touring. I still have her copy of Miles' "Seven Steps To Heaven."
She has an NPR show called "Piano Jazz." It's essential listening.