Who are some of your favorite piano or keyboard players, in any genre, all-time?

[edthecynic]

wow....so many amazing piano players...nice thread


he also played the piano...Dave Brubeck

 

[Denizen]

Jerry Lee Lewis. How could "one of the most influential pianists of the twentieth century" have been overlooked in the foregoing discussion.

Jerry Lee Lewis is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and pianist, often known by his nickname, The Killer. He has been described as "rock & roll's first great wild man and one of the most influential pianists of the twentieth century." Wikipedia

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

Joe Zawinul

I saw them on that tour.

 

[skye]

he is the best of the best too! The Duke.

Duke Ellington: Take the A Train (solo piano)

 

[Borillar]

My favorite keyboard player is Rick Wakeman. Also like Jon Lord of Deep Purple - awesome organ playing. Richard Wright of Pink Floyd was an integral part of their sound.

 

[bluzman61]

Jerry Lee Lewis. How could "one of the most influential pianists of the twentieth century" have been overlooked in the foregoing discussion.

Jerry Lee Lewis is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and pianist, often known by his nickname, The Killer. He has been described as "rock & roll's first great wild man and one of the most influential pianists of the twentieth century." Wikipedia

Wow, I was JUST going to bring him up! He was just a fantastic piano player and singer. I purchased a CD of his that I believe he released in 1994, and he still sounded great. His vocals were a bit weaker, but his piano playing was top notch. I BELIEVE I still own the CD.

 

[bluzman61]

I have to put in a word for my two favorite blues pianists. They are Otis Spann, a wonderful pianist/keyboardist, and also a pretty fine singer, who worked with Muddy Waters from the late 1950's to around 1970. He died very young, around age 40, of cancer I believe. He was just fantastic, and he also released quite a few solo albums in his career. The ones I've heard are top-notch down home blues. The other fantastic blues pianist/keyboardist is Pinetop Perkins, who worked with Muddy Waters from around the early 1970's up until not that long before Muddy's death in 1983. Pinetop also released quite a few solo albums of his own. The ones I've heard, including one I own, are very good. He lived to be the ripe old age of 97 years, I believe, and passed away around 2016-17. He, in collaboration with Willy "Bug Eyes" Smith, a longtime drummer for Muddy Waters, released a great album in 2014, I believe the year was. Pinetop was 95 years of age for the recordings! His vocals are somewhat weak, but his piano playing still sounds pretty darn good. And I believe Smith was 78 years old at the time of the recording. His vocals are OK, and he played some pretty decent blues harp on it. I DON'T believe he played drums. So, Otis Spann and Pinetop Perkins, two blues pianists/keyboardists whose solo recordings are highly recommended.

 

[MarathonMike]

Herbie Hancock can't forget him. Here is an awesome live jam

 

[bluzman61]

Herbie Hancock can't forget him. Here is an awesome live jam

Great jazz player! Thanks for mentioning him, Mike.

 

[Shawnee_b]

A big thanks goes out to fellow poster Shawnee_b for giving me the idea for this thread. This would include ANY piano players, keyboard players, organ players, or even synthesizer players over the years. My favorites include - 1) Elton John, he's still my favorite all-time. Just a fantastic musician on keyboards. His work on "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding", the first track on his great double album, single CD Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is just jaw-dropping. 2) Billy Joel, not nicknamed The Piano Man for nothing, this guy has always been a great pianist and keyboardist. His early signature song, "The Piano Man" is ample proof of his talent. 3) Keith Emerson, the wonderful keyboardist for Emerson, Lake and Palmer, he was one of the earliest musicians to incorporate classical music into a rock music setting. He's my favorite of the "progressive rock" keyboardists. His style and pizazz were second to none among rock/classical players. 4) Paul McCartney, yep, THAT Paul McCartney, I liked pretty much all of his piano and keyboard work he did with the Beatles. The song, "Lady Madonna" immediately comes to mind. And I really like some of the keyboard work he's done on his solo albums. "Maybe I'm Amazed" is just fantastic, the studio AND the live versions. 5) Brian Eno, my all-time favorite piano, synthesizer and "ambient" keyboardist/player. His slow, beautiful ambient music is some of THE best and most relaxing ambient or "new age" music you'll ever hear. Highly recommended. Here are some of my favorites, who are some of yours?

You welcome my bro. I can't even address them all. Funeral for a friend so awesome. Love lies bleeding. We forget these. Why? So awesome. Yellow brick?

Joel is awesome. Look at Koln where family came out the trap door.

Damn, like I said can't address them all. Eno? got to look that up. Prob heard but doesn'r ring a bell in my rye addled brain. Sorry. Sir Elton, so good! Emerson Lake Palmer, oh shit.

 

[Shawnee_b]

wow....so many amazing piano players...nice thread


he also played the piano...Dave Brubeck

Brubeck, yeah! Memories

 

[Shawnee_b]

Damn so many good ones, got headphone ear! I'm deaf need phones

 

[beautress]

Richard Clayderman, hands down.

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[bluzman61]

Richard Clayderman, hands down.

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He's a fantastic pianist. Thanks for mentioning him, and thanks for the video, beautress.

 

[Denizen]

Vangelis, Kebu, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Leon Russel.

 

[Denizen]

Vangelis Chariots of Fire.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Nicky Hopkins... QSM

 

[bluzman61]

Vangelis Chariots of Fire.

Absolutely fantastic music. The soundtrack Vangelis did for that movie is one of my all-time favorite movie soundtracks. I also love the music Vangelis did for Blade Runner. Just brilliant work. Thanks very much for the post.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Leon Russell... with 2 l's

 

[Denizen]

Jeff Wayne, Forever Autumn.



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