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I thought I'd give Fats Waller a proper mention.
Thomas Wright 'Fats' Waller died of pneumonia aged 39. Not only prolific, but also consistently wonderful, he penned a great number of trad jazz standards, as well as several others for which he sold the rights for quick cash ('On The Sunny Side of the Street', for example).
His classics include an early co-written anti-racism piece, "What Did I Do (To Be So Black and Blue)?" (which became a hit for Louis Armstrong), 'The Joint is Jumpin', the frenetic 'A Handful of Keys' and the sublimely lovely 'Ain't Misbehavin'.
A great pianist (and organist), his style varied from the trad jazz for which he is famous, to Bach's organ pieces, to brathtaking improvisations.
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