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

[Denizen]

Jean-Michel Jarre:

 

[Denizen]

Leon Russell on piano on Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen:

 

[Shawnee_b]

Good stuff Denizen. The second Jean Michael good, first couldn't hear right I;m deaf!

 

[Denizen]

Good stuff Denizen. The second Jean Michael good, first couldn't hear right I;m deaf!

Try this one. It is very loud.

 

[Compost]

 

[Compost]

My only complaint about Gould is he sometimes hummed while he played.

 

[katsteve2012]

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?

Errol Garner

 

[katsteve2012]

Jimmy Smith

 

[katsteve2012]

As far as jazz pianist, this lady is one of the best out there today IMO. I've seen her play live 4 times, and she keeps getting better.

 

[edthecynic]

Barbara Dennerlein

 

[Maxdeath]

Sorry but I consider Rick Wakeman of Yes fame to be the top keyboard player. If I had to choose after that it would be Billy Joel. Then kind of a toss up of Keith Emerson or Elton John.
Elton started out great but toward the end I could have cared less about his work.

No reason to BE sorry, Max. Wakeman was and still IS a great keyboard player. He JUST missed my top 5, he would be my #6. His work on the early Yes albums, especially on Close To The Edge and Fragile, is just fantastic.

One of the reasons I have him as my number one is not only his work with yes but also his work after he left. Journey to the Center of the earth if you listen to the keyboards is amazing.
I think that Eltons 11/17/70 live album was his best. About the time he did yellow brick road I was starting to see what I felt was a decline in his work.

 

[MarathonMike]

Richard Clayderman, hands down.

​

Wow that brings back memories! My Mom loved Richard Clayderman and got a book of his arrangements for my lessons.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Good stuff Denizen. The second Jean Michael good, first couldn't hear right I;m deaf!

Try this one. It is very loud.

Yeah loud! Had my headphones on, russian tube amp. Good!

 

[the other mike]

Tony Banks

 

[Ridgerunner]

My apologies... I have already mentioned Nicky Hopkins once before in this OP, but the man was just so talented 50+ years ago... His name is on more albums than RCA and that is setting in on recording sessions for other musicians, not to mention the groups that he was part of for 40 years...

I seen Billie Preston play with the Rolling Stones in Stuttgart, Germany in 1976... Life was good...

 

[petro]

Since the thread got bumped.
In popular music I really liked Joe Jackson...

 

[the other mike]

This is the best piano improvisation I've ever heard.

I'll let our friend Rick Beato fill you on on Martha Argerich.

Some of my other favorites.....
Tony Banks

Keith Emerson
Billy Powell
Gregg Rolie
Jonathan Cain (Journey )
Jordan Rudess
Elton John
Billy Joel
Diana Krall
Derek Sherinian
Rick Wakeman
Chick Corea
Donald Fagan
Last but not least....
Jon Lord

 

[the other mike]

 

[LA RAM FAN]

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?

yeah Billy Joel is the first one who immediately came to my mind,then yeah elton john like you said,another really good one is kevin kronen i think is the last name of reo spedwagon the best of them all of course that cant be refuted is jerry lee lewis,the guy could play it with his feet no less. oh another one that comes to mind is mickey gilley,he did a good jerry lee lewis impersonation.

 

[Ridgerunner]

jerry lee lewis,the guy could play it with his feet no less. oh another one that comes to mind is mickey gilley,he did a good jerry lee lewis impersonation.

It's because they Lewis & Gilley & Jimmy Swaggart were percolating on the same bloodline...

Lewis used his voice and hands brilliantly...
Gilley used his hands and brains to run a successful business...
Swaggart counted money elderly ladies sent him for preaching...