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Rhodes Warriors


rzzzzz

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"absurdly opulent and swimming keyboard textures that reverberate from the speaker, chords that seem to hum with huge overtones...are of a kind that will probably never be heard on record again" is how the Penguin Guide to Jazz describes Rainer Brunighaus' Rhodes work on E. Weber's YELLOW FIELDS. Sounds like a challenge (and something of a motivation to keeping Rhodes 2 up on the Nord).

 

Curious as to others' favorite Rhodes performances.

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OK.

 

One of my favorite Rhodes performances...

 

Put on headphones.

 

Crank up the volume a bit.

 

Listen to Stevie Wonder play the intro of "You Are the Sunshine of my Life".

 

As the sound of the Rhodes pans left to right, roll your head back and forth kinda like Stevie does. You know what I mean. :cool:

 

I think you'll agree, that's a good Rhodes performance.

 

And if you don't...

 

have another beer. :P

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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I love the more atmospheric applications of the Rhodes, particularly when they use the ping-pong tremolo with a bit of 'verb & echo. It's such a spacey sound....

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gotta agree that there's probably a memorable Stevie Wonder performance for most of the classic electronic keys. (I mean you can't even think of clav without 'Superstition')

 

I like the spacey Rhodes sound too. Like the way Miles Davis would use them in early fusion albums like In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. (And the guys he had playing them! Hancock, Zawinul, Jarrett, etc.)

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I actually played another guy's kit not too long ago, and asked him where his Rhodes patch was, and he looked at me like I was from another planet! He had never looked for it.

When I bought my current axes, I made sure they had a decent Rhodes sound. I used to have a Stage 88, and miss it to this day.

 

In another thread there was a link to Bonnie Raitt & Stevie Wonder playing "I Wish" I loved the Rhodes sound Stevie got out of the Motif.

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

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Originally posted by coyote:

I love the more atmospheric applications of the Rhodes, particularly when they use the ping-pong tremolo with a bit of 'verb & echo. It's such a spacey sound....

I like those, too. :thu:

 

Check out Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes - especially "Expansions." It came out in '75! The beginnings of Acid Jazz.

 

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Thanks, Linwood! I have not heard that in 30 years and recognized it instantly! I love that Herbie Hancock solo from George Benson's CTI album titled "White Rabbit". I used to listen to it every day when it first came out. Now its on my desktop. I wish Herbie was still doing stuff like that.

 Find 675 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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I dig the Rhodes playing on a lot of Steely Dan albums. I cannot think of a specific example off the top of my head, but there are a bunch in which the full tonal character of the Rhodes is exhibited in spades, sometimes with nice phaser FX.

 

I remember the first time I laid hands on a Stage 73 almost 25 years ago. It was really a magical instrument, especially when played through a guitar amp. I was lucky in high school - they let me borrow the stage band's Rhodes each summer and I had the opportunity to play many backyard parties with a real Rhodes way back then. Eventually, I got some synths and had a pretty cool rig for a high school kid in the '80s.

 

Regards,

Eric

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Linwood, what do you think of the album "Mr. Hands" with Herbie on Rhodes, Jaco Pastorius on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums?

 Find 675 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Jazz+ , glad I played Little Train for you again. What a solo, huh!?Herbie can do no wrong by me. I love everything I've ever heard him on. Another solo of his that I keep going back to is the one he takes on Sly. The Mr. Hands - 4am, yea, I miss Jaco.
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Originally posted by Jazz+:

Linwood, what do you think of the album "Mr. Hands" with Herbie on Rhodes, Jaco Pastorius on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums?

I for one really dig it. Herbie rocks! I used to play the title track with a jazz/fusion project a few years ago, it's a lot of fun!

 

Other Rhodes faves:

- Anything and everything with Gregg Phillinganes. The stuff with Al Jarreau is awesome.

- Richard Tee's playing with Stuff and Paul Simon

- Brazilian great Hugo Fatturoso, who played Rhodes on a lot of stuff with Ivan Lins and Milton Nascimento

- Donny Hathaway on espescially "Extension of a Man", Rhodes with delay never sounded better.

- Whoever manned the keys on the late Beach Boys track "Disney Girls" did a great job!

- Bill Evans' playing on "From Left To Right"

- James Poyser, who works with Erykah Badu and D'Angelo really has that neo soul sound down.

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I throw George Duke into the mix. He knew how to get all the expression out of a Rhodes. From the bells to chimes to barks. What about his years with Frank Zappa where he got amazing sounds from it.

 

Also Bob James who can forget the theme from Taxi.

Jimmy

 

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Originally posted by dream:

I throw George Duke into the mix. He knew how to get all the expression out of a Rhodes. From the bells to chimes to barks. What about his years with Frank Zappa where he got amazing sounds from it.

"Eat That Question" from Zappa's "Grand Wazoo" is one of my favourites.. it's also one of my favourites to play with a rhodes. Just great!
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Damn you guys have good taste in music. I think we could be friends. :thu:

 

Greg Phillinganes on Al Jarreau's recording? Oh yeah. And on Anita Baker's tunes too... but I'm thinking acoustic piano. Nevertheless, this guy is a freakin' MONSTER. :thu:

 

Donald Fagen's playing? I'm a little biased, but I went so far as to buy that Homespun VHS tape of him giving lessons. Everybody's gotta have a hero, right? He's jazz/rock with hip sensibilities. If you study his lyrics you'll start to wonder how in the world he could've come up with some of his ideas. From the beginning of his career he's been, well... can I say a little "off-center"? ;)

 

Great thread. Did anybody mention Chick Corea? OK LithoJazzoSphere did. Good call.

 

Rhodes and beer - a great combination. :thu:

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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For something completely different, listen to Jan Hammer on "Oh Yeah". I can't name the track, but he uses a compressed flat barky funky dry rhodes sound that is worlds away from the ethereal bell tone stuff. All played with his inimitable chord substitution stuff, natch!

Moe

---

 

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Has anyone Heard of Heather Hedley ??

 

She's got this song He Is that has an EP at the very beginning. I'm not very knowledgeable about the subject, can't tell the difference between a Wurly or a Rhodes, hoping you can help. You can really hear it at the beginning of the song, better than you can on this little clip.

 

Does anyone know it??

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I've been searching for this Rhodes sound for 30+ years. I love how it articulates like a jazz guitar. I think some of the tines might be too close to the pickups, plus compression.

 

From Quincy Jones' "Walking in Space." Could be Bob James on piano.

HERE

 

When someone gets a clone to sound like this, shoot me an email. ;)

 

Busch.

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Joe Sample!

 

Max Middleton.

 

Jan Hammer with Maha...

 

Love Bob James!

 

Ohio Players' guy, especially on Skin Tight

 

EWF (Larry Dunn, I think?), especially Sun Goddess Live

 

Herbie of course. Crossings is my fave.

 

Patrice Rushen!!! Mmmmm...

 

Eumir Deodato.

 

Chick of course - fave is 500 Miles High. Or La Fiesta.

 

Richard Kermode (Santana)!!!

 

Sometimes: Ray Manzarek - Riders on the Storm, and that killer Rhobass work on Break on Through.

 

Finally - don't know the player, but a mid-70's live Woody Herman track had a tune called Montevideo - whoever the keyboard player was took a SMOKIN ride on the Rhodes.

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Fisheye's first link sounds to me like it must be a pre-Mark Rhodes, but it's been a long time since I played one of those (and never owned one). Can anyone comment on that? I really dig that sound, and if I could have two Rhodes I'd want one of them to sound like that!

 

To me, it sounds more Wurlie-like than later Rhodes models.

 

Who was that, btw? Sounds like Herbie, but I can't find can't find it based on "lookin back".

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Originally posted by burningbusch:

[QB] I've been searching for this Rhodes sound for 30+ years. I love how it articulates like a jazz guitar. I think some of the tines might be too close to the pickups, plus compression.

 

I can't really judge the vintage but it sounds like an earlier model Rhodes. They used different components over the years. The first models had tubular tone bars and felt hammers. The pickups also had larger magnets.

What I can say is that the tines were set to pick up more of the fundamental and less overtones whcih gives it a fatter, almost darker tone.

 

JP- former tech, Dyno My Piano

1935 Mason & Hamlin Model A

Korg Kronos 2 73

Nord Electro 6D 61

Yam S90ES

Rhodes Stage 73 (1972)

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