Ten Supreme Fender Rhodes Albums

[Docbop]

From All About Jazz so before commenting remember it's a Jazz website. 

 

Link to Ten Supreme Fender Rhodes albums:

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Glad to see the Return to Forever Light as a Feather record on there. That album was huge for me in high school. I was playing a lot more bass in those days, so I may have been a little bit more focused on what Stanley Clarke was up to, but every time Chick kicked in the wah pedal on the Rhodes, I was captivated.

[tapes]

Quite an odd selection. Light as a Feather and Head Hunters are a given, but I would’ve picked some Weather Report instead of Zawinul’s solo debut. His Mu-Tron sound on thise WR albums is a classic..but are they “Rhodes albums” in that sense.
 

Pretty much any electric Chick or Herbie up until the late 70’s could make this list in ny book 😀
 

What about some Bob James (like One, or Touchdown with ”Angela”) or George Duke (like Feel, 1974)? 

[NewImprov]

Yeah, while I like most everything on the list, I don't know if all of these would be on my definitive list of Rhodes albums, though Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way certainly would. 

 

I think there could be better modern examples. I've seen Nik Bartsch and Ronin several times and absolutely love his playing, but I'd view him as primarily an acoustic pianist (a brilliant and iconoclastic one) who uses Rhodes as an occasional color. 

[Delaware Dave]

Ramsey lewis' Sungoddess has great rhodes on it...

[Ivan May]

I'm not sure if there are any Grateful Dead fans here, but Keith Godchaux used some Fender Rhodes on their mid 70s output (namely on Blues For Allah, Terrapin Station and Shakedown Street).

 

I think after Brent Mydland was brought in as their new keyboard player in the eighties, he also used a Fender Rhodes until the keyboard started malfunctioning and was replaced with a Kurzweil synth.

[Delaware Dave]

42 minutes ago, Ivan May said:

 was replaced with a Kurzweil synth.

 

Midiboard

[BenWaB3]

One of the more obscure ones in his oeuvre, but I always liked Monty Alexander's "Rass" album. Recorded in the early 70's back in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica. the Rhodes is out of tune but in a way that makes it sound pretty cool, actually.

[CrossRhodes]

The Rhodes is my all time favorite instrument. If I could only own one instrument for the rest of my life  that would be it for me. We’ve got some killin’ Rhodes advocates in L.A. and try to check them out as often as I can. I know you can get away with samples these days but there’s just something about the real deal that I always enjoy.
 

 

[ProfD]

22 hours ago, CrossRhodes said:

The Rhodes is my all time favorite instrument. If I could only own one instrument for the rest of my life that would be it for me. 

Same here.

 

Every KB I touch or buy basically becomes a Rhodes facsimile.😁

 

The Jazz list is a good starting place for listening to Rhodes in its glory.

 

Follow Rhodes-playing musicians and their sidemen credits to discover more great records that featured the Rhodes.

 

As we know, the Rhodes fell off in the 1980s as musicians replaced it with those digital EP sounds that shall remain nameless.🤣

 

Even iconic Rhodes players switched up to the newer technology because it was more portable and stable.

 

However, in mid-1990s, musicians either rediscovered or developed an appreciation for the Rhodes. 

 

Bands like Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai featured Rhodes. 

 

D'Angelo pioneered Neo-Soul music through his Rhodes use. 

 

Robert Glasper has melded Jazz and Hip-Hop with his Rhodes work.

 

IMO, Rhodes is the one sound that can work on anything requiring a keyboard sound.

 

Regardless of musical genre/style or tempo, Rhodes is the equivalent of Frank's hot sauce...you can put that sh8t on everything.😁😎

[bjosko]

I didn't see Joe Sample on that list, but then again, I don't know much about jazz.

[ProfD]

25 minutes ago, bjosko said:

I didn't see Joe Sample on that list, but then again, I don't know much about jazz.

Joe Sample is mentioned as a sideman on one of the records. His Rhodes work was always outstanding.😎

[JoJoB3]

Just a drive-by to say thank the gods for humans at VV (Vintage Vibe).

[CrossRhodes]

14 hours ago, JoJoB3 said:

Just a drive-by to say thank the gods for humans at VV (Vintage Vibe).

 

Definitely a dream of mine to own one someday.

[NewImprov]

3 hours ago, CrossRhodes said:

 

Definitely a dream of mine to own one someday.

My Rhodes is one of my favorite instruments, and I still gig with it once or twice a month. While the sampled/modelled Rhodes out there are great, and very convincing from the audience perspective, I find I play better on the real thing, and take more chances with tones and effects.