Who were your Primary Influences?

[retrokeys]

Obviously Jimmy Smith but also Felix Cavaliere.

 

[HammondDave]

aka the Old Farts thread.

 

As I have said before,... "Hey you little shit! Get off my thread!!!!" (Shaking fist wildly)

[HammondDave]

Pot, LSD, and incessant masturbation as a teen.

 

LOL thread over.

 

Leave it to Kanker to speak the truth....

[opdigits]

The artists that inspired you to decide... "I must play Piano/Organ/Synths!"

While I was in 4th grade in Shreveport, LA, my folks bought a player piano and about 30 piano rolls, that mostly turned out to be of the honky-tonk/boogie-woogie style of music (Jelly Roll Morton, Meade Lux Lewis, Bix Beiderbecke and the like) along with some standard PPPP ("pizza parlor player piano") fare like Winchester Cathedral, and other oddities like "Shrimp Boats Are A-coming."

 

Although I had become aware of the music my parents listened to (mostly big band artists from the WWII era ... my Dad loved the instrumentals and my Mom loved the vocalists, as well as more contemporary artists like Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Sinatra and the like) it was these amazing piano roll artists that decided me to take up the instrument. I credit them and them alone for creating that initial spark!

 

Whether those (mostly) QRS piano rolls were created by the original artists or reproduced by very talented QRS employees I don't know (though I suspect the former). Does anybody here know?

 

Shortly thereafter, and on into the future, as I matured into listening to radio rock, pop, Motown, etc, and whatever us pre-teens listened to in those days, that music and those artists influenced my personal style, ability and to branch out into other keyboard instruments (organ, synth), but it was those piano greats from the teens, twenties and thirties of the last century that made me decide to become a piano player.

 

As to who is an influence on my style, with the exception of some Reggae keyboardists and some Country keyboardists, most of my influences have been mentioned above.

[Ekewaka]

I tried to play like Jan Hammer on Moog on my upright piano back home. That's a challenge.

[HSS]

My top four are Ray Charles, James Booker, Kenny Kirkland and Bruce Hornsby.

 

Honorable mention to Dr. John, Billy Preston, Henry Butler, Richard Tee, Oscar Peterson and Professor Longhair.

 

I'm with you on your list. I would add Otis Spann, Floyd Cramer, Katie Webster, and of course Mr. Smith.

 

When I was living in N.O. from '82 to '89, I caught a few James Booker shows at the Mapleleaf Bar in 1983 just before he died. He was a monster at N.O. R&B piano, perhaps IMHO as good or even better than Prof. Longhair.

 

Unfortunately, the Prof. died a couple of years before I moved to N.O. in 1982, so I never got to see him on his home turf.

 

As if anyone cares, I forgot to mention that my first exposure to blues piano, which I now devour with a passion, was Floyd Cramer playing those tasty raindrop licks on Elvis' Heartbreak Hotel single.

 

Sorry for my "old fart" navel gazing.

[SpaceNorman]

There are alot of awesome players that folks have listed in this thread as influences. I can't help thinking though, if I'm gonna list somebody as my influence - my playing should at least sound a something like theirs. Sadly, I can't emulate a one of 'em! Rather than risk embarassing any of the greats by suggesting my playing emulates theirs ... better put me down as a devotee of Kanker's influences as well!!!!

 

Pot, LSD, and incessant masturbation as a teen.

[Ken Beaumont]

All of the above plus Moon Mullican and Leon Russell.

[midinut]

ELP, Deep Purple, Uriah Heap, Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, Allman Brothers Band to start.

Later: Styx, Kansas, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, EWF, Commodores, Jan Hammer, Vangelis, The Police, Sting on his own, Genesis, Michael Jackson, and the list could go on for days.

 

More Recent: Bruce Hornsby, JMJ, Eno, Four80East, George Winston, Narada stuff, Steve Halpern, and more downtempo stuff.

 

Must be the pot, lsd, and incessant masturbation catching up with me ... lol

[retrokeys]

Just out of curiosity...anybody here playing organ in a pop,rock, or soul context who has NOT played at least one Jimmy Smith lick?

[HSS]

Pot, LSD, and incessant masturbation as a teen.

 

LOL thread over.

 

Leave it to Kanker to speak the truth....

 

I respectfully disagree. I could have maybe been a contender if my right hand hadn't developed tendinitis due to years of incessantly polishing the tiny pillar as a zit-faced 99 pound teenager.

[rockkeys]

aka the Old Farts thread.

 

KC in the year 2040:

 

"Well, I really liked the stylings of Justin Beiber's keyboardist. And the keyboardist on that Kardashian song is really good. And that midi on that one song with the pudgy Korean kid was good".

 

Fortunately most of us will be dead.

 

primary influences: the keyboardist from the monkees, followed by the guy from the osmonds.

[Bob L]

I was a teen during the prog rock thing - ELP, Yes, etc. So I Keith Emerson, Wakeman. But the guy who held his own in a more traditional hard rock band was Jon Lord, and he is more of an influence. I love jazz guys like Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock but actually playing that stuff seemed out of reach. Same for Brian Auger who has a great "hard jazz" sound. Elton John and Billy Joel from a vocal/piano standpoint. So many great artist back then. There are probably great artist now but I don't listen to much new music....

[SteveCoscia]

Tony Banks - Keyboards (Early stuff through early 1980s)

Nat King Cole - Jazz Standards (Thanks to my old piano teacher)

Billy Joel - Pop Piano (Angry Young Man)

Elton John - Pop Piano (Funeral for a Friend)

[blong5150]

The keyboard player that actually inspired me to save my $2000 in 1981 (when I was 15) and go buy that Korg Polysix.... Doug Johnson - Loverboy.

[StartRun]

In chronological order:

 

Mike Smith (Dave Clark 5)

Alan Price

Rod Argent

Booker T Jones

Steve Winwood

Brian Auger

Keith Emerson

Chick Corea

Jan Hammer

[B. J. Love]

Junior Mance - The pianist on the only jazz album my father owned: The Ebullient Mr. Gillespie - Dizzy. I found it when I was 11 and wore the grooves out. Then in stages:

 

Jr High: Ramsey Lewis, Dave Brubeck, Les McCann, Sergio Mendes

 

High School: Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, Richard Tee, Earl Van Dyke, Barry Beckett, Booker T., Gregg Allman, Edgar Winter

 

20s: Chick, Herbie, Jan, Joe, George Duke

 

Now in my 50s, I still listen to all that stuff but more jazz piano masters: Evans, Peterson, Monk, Tatum, etc.

[CEB]

My most important influences not counting my classical piano teachers and college professors were local guys who taught me a lot.

 

A unknown friend of my Dad named Jim Anderson who was probably the greatest honky tonk piano player I have ever heard.

 

Darel Decounter taught me how to play a Hammond he was a guy who eventually moved to Nashville and was a sideman in numerous national acts. He worked many years with John Anderson.

 

Roger Boyd was a big influence.

 

Goldy McJohn was a big rock influence also. He was a master at creating tones.

 

People I don't know who influenced me bigtime. Larry Knetchel who played the piano on Johnny Rivers Rockin Pneumonia. Which eventually led me to Fess.

 

Then Billy Payne and Billy Powell. Bill Evans impacted my play a lot as well as Jan Hammer.

 

Also the guy who played keys on those Brooks and Dunn albums (Steve Nathan)

 

Never did get too much into stuff like ELP or Wakeman. Just seem over the top and not all that technically complex when compared to Liszt, Rachmaninoff,Bach, Scarlettti, ect.....

[Sam Mullins]

Usual suspects for a guy my age:

 

Keith Emerson

Rick Wakeman

Chick Corea

Eddie Jobson

T Lavitz

 

But the turning point for me was when I realized I would never put in the hours to be monsters like those guys and that I was more interested in writing songs. Then my influences became:

 

Elvis Costello

Thomas Dolby

Joni Mitchell

Donald Fagen

 

[B3bluesman59]

Ray Charles, Jimmy Smith, Dr. John, Jerry Lee Lewis.

[MAJUSCULE]

First off, my parents for putting me in lessons, and my three brothers for doing it before me. I was taking lessons before I knew it, and since I always enjoyed it, there was no reason to stop. There was also an ace a few years older to push me. He's now doing a Master's in opera accompaniment.

 

The Blues Brothers were actually a big influence. The movie was my first exposition to people such as Aretha, James Brown and Cab Calloway. I later understood who was in the band and got into those players.

 

I had already heard Ray Charles, though. "Shake A Tail Feather" is one of my favourite songs of all time.

 

Other inspirations include Miles, Coltrane, Oscar, Beethoven, Handel, Chopin, Debussy, Herbie, Brad Mehldau, etc.

 

Alongside that were the bands ahead of me in high school, including those of my brothers' again. Most of these went through a sort of "School of Rock" after-school program, where professional musicians mentored your band and helped you along the year to an annual, provincial battle of the bands. I learned most of my pop/rock/whatever playing. It was quite the program.

 

Recently, it's more of the same, plus Aaron Parks, McCoy, Wynton Kelly, Tommy Flanagan, Jon Lord, Chester Thompson, Kanye West (Believe it or not!), etc. And basically any good studio cats.

 

Oh yeah, my wicked rad teachers, too.

[ProfD]

My primary influences were the records I heard growing up and DC's homegrown music (Go-Go) started by the legendary Chuck Brown (RIP).

[Rusty Mike]

In my early teens, it was people like Billy Joel and Elton John, since they were rockers who managed to make the piano a focus instrument in rock. I was also influenced by a lot of Tom Canning's work on the early 80's Al Jarreau recordings. When I play EP, my style still reflects a lot of that influence today, as Tom could bring a lot of expression out the Rhodes. I admired his synth work as well. He only used a few patches, but got a lot of expression out of them.

 

Other popular influences were not so much people, but recordings or events. Examples are Bob Mayo's use of the Rhodes on Frampton Comes Alive. It had a big impact on me, since it really showed how the Rhodes could be a viable sound in a rock context. Another was Paul Schaffer's work on Briefcase Full of Blues. His piano solo on "Almost" just bowls me over, even today. For Jazz/R&B, of course, Ramsey Lewis' Sunflower, which then led me to EWF and Larry Dunn (who I got to meet at NAMM last year - what a rush!). Chester Thompson as well; I could listen to Squib Cakes 8 times a day and still hear new things in it.

 

It was really only later in life that I got hooked into players like Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie and Bill Evans. Lately it's been Doctor Lonnie Smith and Tony Monaco, but I will never reach that level of capability.

 

Thinking back, though, I think one of my biggest influences was my first accordion/piano teacher, Andy Kutchyak. He was a club date musician who primarily played accordion, but taught piano as well. I started with him on accordion in the 4th grade, switched over to piano after about a year, and stayed with him until I graduated high school. He was a large man with a huge laugh, and gave me the rules of the road at an early age. He told me he wasn't going to teach me classical music, but I would learn to play to make money. As soon as we got past the rudiments, he plopped the original fake book (Book Number One of 1,000 Standard Tunes, which I still have) down in front of me and made me learn all 180 chords in the back of the book. He taught me to improvise, read fake charts, play with inversions, and even to sing (very poorly on the singing part). He got me into the Musician's Union at 17, helped me meet a few people and get gigs, and was always incredibly helpful. Even after I stopped studying with him, I would call now and then to get advice or just catch up.

 

I play the way I play today - good and bad - because of Andy. I've always been able to fake my way through a song, but can't really read bass clef very well (now, at 51, I'm trying to work on that). I struggle with a lot of classical music to my wife's dismay, but my love for standards and jazz developed largely because of his influence.

[Threadslayer]

Ditto on a lot of these plus one more

 

Memphis Slim

 

did anyone mention Oscar Peterson? - albeit more of a god than an influence.

[Fusker]

Good one!

 

I was classically trained on the piano through college, so my initial influences were hands-down Mozart, Bach and Schubert.

 

As I started to deviate ;-) in high school, there is no doubt that the Beatles and Billy Preston became huge influences, even though the Beatles broke up the year I was born.

 

As I strayed into the jazz band at high school, an arrangement of Lullaby of Birdland started some different paths for me.

 

Other influences outside of classical popped up and include to this day, in no particular order: Ray Charles, Booker T, Stevie, Ray Manzarek, Elton John, Billy Joe. Really nothing too esoteric there, but it is what it is.

 

I do have tons of non-KB influences as well, but that's another topic.

[Fusker]

I should add, someone mentioned the Animals...that band still blows my mind a bit. When you hear them, and then first see them and realize what you just heard was from 1963...very much ahead of their time. Or maybe it's just me.

[PinkFloydDudi]

Billy Joel, Elton John, Wakeman, Page (Phish), Richard Wright.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

Primary in the sense of early (when I was much younger): Benny Goodman and Boots Randolph (early instruments were clarinet and tenor sax).

Keyboard: Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, Virgil Fox, Mike Pinder, Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Patrick Moraz.

[David Emm]

While deeply impressed by seeing Keith Emerson play a Ginestera piece live, I'm hard-pressed to make a big list. The thing is, as I write, I regularly hear little snippettes of influences from Mars, like a sudden zydeco lick. Where the hell did THAT come from? Oh yeah, de bayou. I've been soaking in it all for so long, the only problem now is the minor guilt I feel at wanting to hear what comes outta me next, good or bad. That's an ongoing synthesis all its own.

[Daniel Heslop]

Not so much just keyboards, but my first influence was a massive one, and it was the Beatles.

Later in my teens when I took up keyboards it changed:

Rick Wakeman, Tony Banks, Keith Emerson, Tomita, Jon Lord, Gary Wright, Richard Wright and Vangelis became the big influences, though in my actual style of play, Wakeman's influence is the most obvious.

Kitaro is a later influence as well.