ElmerJFudd Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 11 hours ago, TommyRude said: so many great players, we live in such a fantastic generation of amazing players. Maybe more in our generation than in the last 400 yrs combined? Wasn’t thinking about it at post time, but sub categories would be GOAT Rock PIANO Player, GOAT Rock ORGAN Player, GOAT Rock CLAV Player, etc etc, and then GOAT Rock Overall Player. I still like my choices for the Overall category. Without a doubt access to education, instruments and time for other things than catching or growing one’s meals have resulted in more players than ever before in history. Quote Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrythek Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 16 hours ago, Docbop said: Leon Russell Stevie Wonder Spooner Oldham Greg Mathieson Mike Finnigan Earl Van Dyke Bill Payne Russ Ferrante James Poyser I think you're veering out of rock as your list progresses. All great players, but rock? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Gehrig Charles Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Don Airey. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polychrest Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Two great rockers from my generation: Mark Stein and Jon Lord. 2 Quote "The more a man looks at a thing, the less he can see it, and the more a man learns a thing, the less he knows it." --G.K. Chesterton, echoing my lazy rationalization for not practising as much as I should Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 I have my favorites that were big influences. The three Billys are foremost: Payne, Powell, and Preston. But the best… probably guys most have never heard of. Like Michael Bluestein who I last saw a few months ago when Head East was opener for Foreigner. He is longtime road keyboardist for Foreigner and Boz Skaggs. He is a technical beast. Or our very own, Tom Brislin. We have some guys here though many have went into stealth mode are absolute beasts. It’s what kind of made the forum different. We had players. 1 1 Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docbop Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 1 hour ago, jerrythek said: I think you're veering out of rock as your list progresses. All great players, but rock? What are the boundaries to be called Rock. Also a lot of my list is guys who did tons of sessions for all types of music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Gauss Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 ima just leave this here: NICKY HOPKINS DISCOGRAPHY HIGHLIGHTS THE SINGLES : SCREAMING LORD SUTCH, Jack The Ripper/Don’t You Just Know It, Decca THE WHO, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere , Brunswick THE KINKS, Till The End Of The Day, Pye/Reprise CYRIL DAVIES R & B ALL STARS, Country Line Special/Chicago Calling, Pye International/Dot CLIFF BENNETT & REBEL ROUSERS, My Old Standby (B-Side), Parlophone RITCHIE BLACKMORE ORCHESTRA, Little Brown Jug/Getaway, Oriole VASHTI, Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind ,Decca DAVID BOWIE DAVY JONES & THE LOWER THIRD, You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving, Parlophone PRETTY THINGS, Midnight To Six Man, Fontana THE KINKS, Dedicated Follower Of Fashion, Pye/Reprise THE KINKS, Sunny Afternoon, Pye/Reprise DAVID BOWIE, Can’t Help Thinking About Myself, Pye TWICE AS MUCH, Sittin’ On A Fence/Baby I Want You, Immediate CAT STEVENS, Matthew And Son/Granny, Deram ROLLING STONES, We Love You, Decca/London ROLLING STONES, 2000 Light Years/She’s A Rainbow, Decca/London NICKY HOPKINS, Mr. Pleasant, Polydor/Decca THE KINKS, Autumn Almanac, Pye (UK) DAVE DAVIES, Death Of A Clown, Pye/Reprise JEFF BECK, Beck’s Bolero, Columbia/Epic YARDBIRDS, Little Games, Columbia MARC BOLAN, Jasper C. Debussy, Track PP ARNOLD, The First Cut Is The Deepest, Immediate BEATLES, Hey Jude/Revolution (B-side), Apple ROLLING STONES, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Decca/London THE KINKS, Days, Pye/Reprise DONOVAN, Goo Goo Barabajagal, Epic SCAFFOLD, Lily The Pink, Parlophone FATS DOMINO, Have You Seen My Baby, Reprise JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND, Happy Christmas/War Is Over, Apple THE WHO, Let’s See Action, Track ROLLING STONES, Tumbling Dice, Rolling Stones HARRY NILSSON, Remember Christmas, RCA ROLLING STONES, Angie, Rolling Stones GEORGE HARRISON, Give Me Love, Apple RINGO STARR, Photograph, Apple RINGO STARR, You’re Sixteen, Apple JOE COCKER, You Are So Beautiful, A & M ART GARFUNKEL, I Only Have Eyes For You, Columbia JULIO IGLESIAS / WILLIE NELSON, To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before, CBS JOE WALSH / STEVE EARLE, Honey Don’t (Beverley Hillbillies), Fox Records JOE WALSH / FRANKIE MILLER, Guilty Of The Crime, Pyramid PAUL MCCARTNEY, Beautiful Night/Same Love, Oobu-Joobu 6 THE SIXTIES : THE WHO, My Generation, Brunswick/Decca USA THE KINKS, The Kinks Kontroversy, Pye/Reprise NICKY HOPKINS, The Revolutionary Piano Of…, CBS THE KINKS, Face To Face, Pye / Reprise ROLLING STONES, Between The Buttons, Decca/London ROLLING STONES, Their Satanic Majesties Request, Decca/London ROLLING STONES, Beggar’s Banquet, Decca/London KINKS, Village Green Preservation Society, Pye/Reprise JEFF BECK GROUP, Truth, Columbia/Epic THE KINKS, Something Else By The Kinks, Pye/Reprise DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, Dusty…Definitely, Philips ROLLING STONES, Let It Bleed, Decca/London JEFF BECK GROUP, Beck-Ola, Columbia / Epic STEVE MILLER BAND, Brave New World, Capitol STEVE MILLER BAND, Your Saving Grace, Capitol JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, Volunteers, RCA FAMILY, Entertainment, Reprise ROY HARPER, Folkjokeopus, Liberty ELLA FITZGERALD, Ella, Warner Brothers THE MOVE, The Move, Cube BILLY NICHOLLS, Would You Believe, Immediate THE SEVENTIES STEVE MILLER BAND, Number 5, Capitol QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE, Shady Grove, Capitol VARIOUS, Woodstock, Atlantic ROLLING STONES, Sticky Fingers, Rolling Stones Records THE WHO, Who’s Next, Track NICKY HOPKINS, Jamming With Edward, Rolling Stones Records JOHN LENNON, Imagine, Apple ROLLING STONES, Exile On Main Street, Rolling Stones Records HARRY NILSSON, Son Of Schmilsson, RCA Victor CARLY SIMON, No Secrets, Elektra NICKY HOPKINS, The Tin Man Was A Dreamer, CBS GEORGE HARRISON, Living In The Material World, Apple RINGO STARR, Ringo, Apple ROLLING STONES, Goat’s Head Soup, Rolling Stones Records ANDY WILLIAMS, Solitaire, CBS JOHN LENNON, Walls & Bridges, Apple ROLLING STONES, It’s Only Rock’n’Roll, Rolling Stones Records JOE COCKER, I Can Stand A Little Rain, Fly PETER FRAMPTON, Something’s Happening, A & M RINGO STARR, Goodnight Vienna, Apple MARTHA REEVES, Martha Reeves, MCA NICKY HOPKINS, No More Changes, Mercury (US) ART GARFUNKEL, Breakaway, CBS ROLLING STONES, Black & Blue, Rolling Stones Records JERRY GARCIA, Reflections, United Artists ROD STEWART, Footloose And Fancy Free, Warner Brothers JENNIFER WARNES, Jennifer Warnes, Arista ROD STEWART, Blondes Have More Fun, Riva LOWELL GEORGE, Thanks I’ll Eat It Here, Warner Brothers POINTER SISTERS, Priority, Planet THE EIGHTIES ROLLING STONES, Emotional Rescue, Rolling Stones Records TIM HARDIN, Unforgiven, Arc International GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR, The Up Escalator, Stiff ROLLING STONES, Tattoo You, Rolling Stones Records NILS LOFGREN, Night Fades Away, MCA/Backstreets MEATLOAF, Dead Ringer, Cleveland/Epic GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR, Another Grey Area, RCA DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, White Heat, Mercury/Casablanca KING OF COMEDY, Soundtrack, Warner Brothers CARL WILSON, Youngblood, Caribou JULIO IGLESIAS, 1100 Bel Air Place, CBS BELINDA CARLISLE, Belinda, IRS ROD STEWART, Rod Stewart/Every Beat Of My Heart, Warner Brothers PAUL MCCARTNEY, Flowers In The Dirt,Capitol JACK BRUCE, A Question Of Time, Epic THE NINETIES ROGER CHAPMAN, Hybrid & Lowdown, Polydor GARY MOORE, Still Got The Blues, Virgin NICKY HOPKINS, The Fugitive (Soundtrack), Toshiba-EMI NICKY HOPKINS, Patio (Soundtrack), Toshiba-EMI JAYHAWKS, Hollywood Town Hall, Columbia JOE SATRIANI, Extremist, Legacy Recordings SPINAL TAP, Break Like The Wind, MCA MATTHEW SWEET, Altered Beast, Zoo/BMG JOE WALSH, Robocop Soundtrack, Rhino/Pyramid GENE CLARK, Under The Silvery Moon, Delta De Luxe FRANKIE MILLER, Long Way Home, Jerkin’ Crocus plus played at woodstock with jefferson airplane, did the stones' 71 & 72 tours and rock & rock circus, jerry garcia's 1975 tour and graham parker's 1980 tour. 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrythek Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 1 hour ago, Docbop said: What are the boundaries to be called Rock. Also a lot of my list is guys who did tons of sessions for all types of music. Just one example - Russ Ferrante. Really? I love them all, but don’t think some fit the proposed topic. Obviously YMVaries. 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docbop Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 1 hour ago, jerrythek said: Just one example - Russ Ferrante. Really? I love them all, but don’t think some fit the proposed topic. Obviously YMVaries. 😎 Just saying Rock bring in a big collection of subgenres from Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk, to Fusion that are all under the generic Rock label. So I guess I got a lot of miles on my musical car. Generic use of Jazz and Pop are same a lot of subgenres under one label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyRude Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 On 2/19/2024 at 6:19 PM, TommyRude said: so many great players, we live in such a fantastic generation of amazing players. Maybe more in our generation than in the last 400 yrs combined? Wasn’t thinking about it at post time, but sub categories would be GOAT Rock PIANO Player, GOAT Rock ORGAN Player, GOAT Rock CLAV Player, etc etc, and then GOAT Rock Overall Player. I still like my choices for the Overall category. Maybe another sub category = GOAT Rock Multi-keyboardist? Maybe this is akin to the Overall, meaning a keyboardist who excels and has iconic performances in multiple formats, i.e. piano, organ, synth, et al. Quote Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands Tommy Rude Soundcloud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyRude Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 Definitions: Rock: I don’t know, but it’s a big tent. Maybe take the R&R HOF as the benchmark? Generation: I don’t know, but it’s a long time. Maybe the last 50 yrs? 1 Quote Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands Tommy Rude Soundcloud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losendoskeys Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 BIzarre - haven't heard of most of this lot ^^^^^ Is this US only?😁 Keith Emerson from a performance point of view, Rick Wakeman a close second. Tony Banks from a composition point of view Absolutely no competition IMHO - sorry no Yanks included 🤣 3 Quote Yamaha CP70B;Roland XP30/AXSynth/Fantom/FA76/XR;Hammond XK3C SK2; Korg Kronos 73;ProSoloist Rack+; ARP ProSoloist; Mellotron M4000D; GEM Promega2; Hohner Pianet N, Roland V-Grand,Voyager XL, RMI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrokeys Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Steve Winwood 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Garth Hudson should be mentioned, did anyone mention him?! 1 Quote CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Gauss Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 1 hour ago, Losendoskeys said: BIzarre - haven't heard of most of this lot ^^^^^ Is this US only?😁 Keith Emerson from a performance point of view, Rick Wakeman a close second. Tony Banks from a composition point of view Absolutely no competition IMHO - sorry no Yanks included 🤣 Nicky Hopkins. Very much a Brit. To have not heard the songs he contributed to in the mondo giant list posted above seems like something one might not want to admit. "Nicky certainly deserves serious recognition for his immense contribution to the music of so many artists." - Rick Wakeman (Nicky actually played for Strawbs before Wakeman did) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberGene Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Are Queen considered a rock band? Because I find Freddie Mercury piano playing very impressive (despite being deceptively simple at times). I’ve seen him play the piano live on a medley of famous Queen songs and it was amazing that he could play all of it so effortlessly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveCoscia Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 This thread has the potential to go broad in terms of rock genre and timeframe. Tony Banks was always my main rock keyboard hero - his Genesis work inspired me much. However, and most recently, I've been digging John Evan from Jethro Tull and Jon Lord from Deep Purple. My fascination with these two might be temporary, but it sure is delightful. Those early Jethro Tull albums were killer, especially Thick As A Brick on which John Evan made significant musical contributions. Jon Lord's work with Deep Purple put him in a category of one, regarding his organ tone and riffing style. Outside of Deep Purple, Jon Lord composed very melodic orchestral pieces that still hold up. In two or three weeks, I might be onto a different pair of keyboard heros. 1 Quote Steve Coscia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 1 hour ago, Legatoboy said: Garth Hudson should be mentioned, did anyone mention him?! I did, up a ways. Truly one of the greats. A Canadian if anybody cares. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Gauss Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Nicky doc out soon (still doing the film fest circuit): 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 13 hours ago, TommyRude said: Maybe take the R&R HOF as the benchmark? Good God, I hope not. 2 Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Verelst Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 I think it must be Joe Jackson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyRude Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 2 hours ago, mate stubb said: Good God, I hope not. hahaha I said maybe! 🙂 1 Quote Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands Tommy Rude Soundcloud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 Also Al Kooper.... should be mentioned. 1 Quote CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyRude Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 On 2/20/2024 at 6:48 PM, TommyRude said: Definitions: Rock: I don’t know, but it’s a big tent. Maybe take the R&R HOF as the benchmark? Generation: I don’t know, but it’s a long time. Maybe the last 50 yrs? Generation - revising to stretch back 60 yrs, specifically to include Paul McCartney Quote Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands Tommy Rude Soundcloud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 Roy Bittan, Bill Payne, Chuck Levell. Neal Dighty (spelling). There are a ton of guys. Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 I think "keyboards" and "rock" have become increasingly contradictory. Maybe that's why so many mentioned here are so "seasoned." The C. Leavell, B. Tench, and maybe S. Nieve contingent can all be talked about for changing the sound and scope of the songs they played on in ways that make the keyboard an indispensable part of their groups' sound. I think a separate crew of N. Hopkins, B. Powell, maybe G. Allman can be talked about for finding the perfect way to add keyboards to groups that weren't really about them. Earlier innovators like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and maybe Fats Domino deserve credit for crafting entire rock (n roll) sounds around the piano. The prog world obviously had plenty of virtuosos, but it's hard for me to think of that as "rock" per se. Today? I think most of the great keyboard playing is in the funk, jazz, or prog realms. I'd really have to think about who in "rock" world is having the same kinds of influence as those earlier guys did. 1 Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrythek Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 This is becoming a great thread about great rock keyboardists. I love every one mentioned. But it is NOT a reasonable discussion of THE greatest. That’s a discussion of a singular candidate. Not a case where we all try to point out if a great player wasn’t mentioned. Or to try to fit all genres of music under the single banner of rock. Now that said, I’d much prefer to talk about and celebrate all the greats. It shouldn’t be a contest for the BEST. Thanks for hearing me out - I just needed to say that. Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyRude Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 3 minutes ago, jerrythek said: This is becoming a great thread about great rock keyboardists. I love every one mentioned. But it is NOT a reasonable discussion of THE greatest. That’s a discussion of a singular candidate. Not a case where we all try to point out if a great player wasn’t mentioned. Or to try to fit all genres of music under the single banner of rock. Now that said, I’d much prefer to talk about and celebrate all the greats. It shouldn’t be a contest for the BEST. Thanks for hearing me out - I just needed to say that. Carry on. You are absolutely spot on Jerry! Agree 100% I will now make the decision: The GOAT all-encompassing keyboardist of our generation. Drum roll….. BOB MAYO on the keyboards BOB MAYO 2 Quote Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands Tommy Rude Soundcloud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motif88 Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 Whose generation? Times may change, standards MUST remain... Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Tony Banks. You can pick your own order and have a wildcard, but they must be in the top 4. 4 Quote Using: Yamaha: Montage M8x| Spectrasonics: Omnisphere, Keyscape | uhe: Diva, Hive2, Zebra2| Roland: Cloud Pro | Arturia: V Collection | NI: Komplete 14 | VPS: Avenger | Cherry: GX80 | G-Force: OB-E | Korg: Triton, MS-20 Sold/Traded: Yamaha: Motif XS8, Motif ES8, Motif8, KX-88, TX7 | ASM: Hydrasynth Deluxe| Roland: RD-2000, D50, MKS-20| Korg: Kronos 88, T3, MS-20 | Oberheim: OB8, OBXa, Modular 8 Voice | Rhodes: Dyno-My-Piano| Crumar: T2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursers Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 On 2/22/2024 at 2:53 AM, D. Gauss said: Nicky doc out soon (still doing the film fest circuit): Indeed - Paddy Milner from Tom Jones' band played on this as the chosen person to reflect Nicky's work. Quote The Keyboard Chronicles Podcast Check out your fellow forumites in an Apple Music playlist Check out your fellow forumites in a Spotify playlist My Music: Stainless Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.