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Favorite Keyboard Players


Hardtail

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The Rainbow/DP thread got me thinking about keyboard players since Jon Lord is, IMHO, the guru of keyboard players.

 

Ok... he's my number #1 favorite. My others are:

 

Greg Rolie (I hated Journey when he left)

Steve Walsh

John Paul Jones (No Quarter is awesome!)

 

There's more, undoubtedly, that I like but these guys are my favorites.

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I've always liked Jon Lord, Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson (though he's kinda just rehashed the same stuff over the last decade), Tony Banks (except when he sings), Mark Kelly (Marillion), John Lawry (Petra), T Lavitz, Mickey Simmonds (Mike Oldfield, Fish).

"Newer" keyboardists I like include Ben Folds, Jeremy Sorenson (Unsearchable Riches), Josh Moore (Caedmon's Call), Charlie Lowell (Jars of Clay).

Best keyboardist I ever worked with? Gio Liqufatto!!! That guy can work his B3 and Leslie cab oh so nicely. If only he didn't make me carry it so much...

"Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion)

NEW band Old band

 

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There are others but these are the ones that come to mind right now:

 

Roy Bittan (E-Street Band, Dire Straits & Meat Loaf)

Pete Townshend (just listen to "Reign or Me" and his playing on Who's Next)

Benmont Tench (Heartbreakers)

Seth Justman (J. Geils Band)

Jerry Dale McFadden (Sixpence None the Richer & the Mavericks)

Ray Charles

Nicky Hopkins

Billy Preston

Lurch :P

 

 

Mudcat's music on Soundclick

 

"Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo-

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Stevie Wonder, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Larry Young, Jimmy Smith, Marino and Mu Carvalho from the keyboard corner forum, Bill Evans, Hiromi, the guy from Tribal Tech, Keith Jarrett, Art Tatum, Red Garland, Tommy Flanagan, Jaki Byard for sure, Monk, Ellington, Hampton Hawes, Wyn Kelly, Horace Silver, Phineas Newborn, John Taylor, Mulgrew Miller, Geoffrey Keezer - wow!, Bojan Z - wow!,

McCoy Tyner, David Sancious, Bernie Worrell! (maybe my favourite right there), Art Neville. . . etc.

 

Least favourite - Jools Holland - sorry!

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Hah basically all mine have already been said: Herbie, Monk, Keith Jarrett, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Horace Silver.

 

On the more contemporary side though I've really been enjoying John Medeski a lot and Robert Walter too. Both play more electric stuff, very funky, real cool. Definitely worth checking out Medeski, Martin, & Wood and Robert Walter's 20th Congress or some of his other projects, especially the stuff with Stanton Moore like Frequinox and 4 of Us.

Then you'll never hear surf music again...
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Bill Payne - Hands Down

AB-SO-FRICKIN-LUTE-LY! :grin:

 

Based just by what's on my iPod, here's my list:

 

Brent Mydland (saddest day of my life was the day we lost Brent)

Melvin Seals (JGB, its a Jerry thing you wouldn't understand. :smile:)

Billy Payne ("Feat!!!")

Billy Powell (Skynyrd, love the barrelhouse piano!)

Gregg Allman (ABB)

Chuck Leavell (ABB and others)

Gregg Rolie (esp. the first three Santana albums)

Nicky Hopkins (eveyone and their little brother)

Billy Preston (eveyone and their little brother)

Rick Wright (Floyd, esp. DSofM but really all of it)

Al Kooper (for just the B3 on "Like a Rolling Stone", also was Skynyrd's producer)

 

Off on a tangent:

The Gregg Allman thing is interesting. As mostly a piano player at about 14 I came across the ABB live Fillmore album, Duane Allman became (and still is, btw) my single greatest musical influence -- the jazz piano stuff all went out the window at approx. this time. What struck me was how great Gregg's organ playing totally setup Duane and Dickey to create that classic dual lead sound that is the ABB sound. My piano instructor at that time told me that was the day I became a musician instead of just someone who played a bunch of instruments. Its also when I first started playing electric guitars instead of just acoustics, :thu: though I still play my hand-me-down Martin every day.

 

Great stuff! :grin:

 

John

GP sacred cow of the year: Jimmy Vaughan
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Bill Payne - Hands Down

AB-SO-FRICKIN-LUTE-LY! :grin:

 

Based just by what's on my iPod, here's my list:

 

Brent Mydland (saddest day of my life was the day we lost Brent)

Melvin Seals (JGB, its a Jerry thing you wouldn't understand. :smile:)

Billy Payne ("Feat!!!")

Billy Powell (Skynyrd, love the barrelhouse piano!)

Gregg Allman (ABB)

Chuck Leavell (ABB and others)

Gregg Rolie (esp. the first three Santana albums)

Nicky Hopkins (eveyone and their little brother)

Billy Preston (eveyone and their little brother)

Rick Wright (Floyd, esp. DSofM but really all of it)

Al Kooper (for just the B3 on "Like a Rolling Stone", also was Skynyrd's producer)

 

Off on a tangent:

The Gregg Allman thing is interesting. As mostly a piano player at about 14 I came across the ABB live Fillmore album, Duane Allman became (and still is, btw) my single greatest musical influence -- the jazz piano stuff all went out the window at approx. this time. What struck me was how great Gregg's organ playing totally setup Duane and Dickey to create that classic dual lead sound that is the ABB sound. My piano instructor at that time told me that was the day I became a musician instead of just someone who played a bunch of instruments. Its also when I first started playing electric guitars instead of just acoustics, :thu: though I still play my hand-me-down Martin every day.

 

Great stuff! :grin:

 

John

 

I'd like to know more about your "hand me down Martin"....

 

Inquiring minds what to know.... :grin:

Don

 

"There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by."

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296

 

http://www.myspace.com/imdrs

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though I still play my hand-me-down Martin every day.

 

I'd like to know more about your "hand me down Martin"....

 

Inquiring minds what to know.... :grin:

Oh, I'm not sure its worth anything, per se, though I'm not a Martin expert. I don't know the vintage, only that my grandfather (back in the day a professional fiddle player, standards pianist extraordinaire, etc.) had three Martins and gave me this one when I was probably 19 or 20 -- on the condition I play it every day. Which I still do. :thu:

 

I know its a D35 so I don't think it can be all that old, what, maybe 30 or 40 years is all? The nut and bindings are various stages of yellow now (except for one spot on the fretboard/neck binding at the second fret where I'm always grabbing F# on the low E string with my thumb walking an open D chord down to a full E), the top and pickguard have some scratches (I strum pretty wild, even now). I had the bridge piece ground down mebbe 15 years ago to lower the action. Honestly, I don't know what its worth, I think when the estate was selling off all his gear (fiddles, pianos, guitars, etc.) they sold his other two Martins for about $1000 each, that was just about 10 years ago. I remember being glad to have this one given to me, I couldn't have afforded to buy it back from the estate at that time for nostalgic reasons. Then again, instead of being a museum piece or "investment" this is one guitar that is well used which is what its all about anyway, right?

 

And who knows, if this one lasts that long maybe one day I'll hand it down my 9-year old son -- if he will play it every day. (We just started lessons for him this month.) :smile:

 

John

GP sacred cow of the year: Jimmy Vaughan
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Hey John,

 

PM me with the serial number, and I'll look it up for you and let you know it's age, and approx. value.

 

If the action gets any higher, a neck reset is a common thing for older Martins....I'd contact the factory if you think it's in need. If it's playing well, DON'T TOUCH IT!!!

Don

 

"There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by."

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296

 

http://www.myspace.com/imdrs

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Ellwood, I'm not setup to take pics tonight, I'll post some tomorrow am. Putting Elixir nanoweb lights on it tonight.

 

Don, PM sent. The action seems OK to me but my 9-year old son really struggled with it, maybe I'm just used to it? I'm thinking of getting a 3/4 acoustic with a low action for him or even a mini squier strat. ??? I'd hate to do surgery on the Martin unless it was really necessary. Then again, I'd probably pay more than what its worth to keep it playable, sentimental value and all...

 

On the subject of kids, my son knows most of my acoustic repertoire, the first song he wanted to learn was "Promises" by EC. :grin: Not sure how much his mother will appreciate that, but I couldn't be more thrilled. I'm actually taking him to see EC in concert (maybe I'll get a setlist and we'll go for sodas when EC plays "Cocaine").

 

John

GP sacred cow of the year: Jimmy Vaughan
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