New Musician Poll - Best Keyboardist.......

[Louisville JD]

Make it 3 votes for Garth Hudson in the rock field.
Herbie Hancock in jazz

 

[Thorndike2012]

I've always been partial to Leon Russel.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Out of those listed I went with Wright. Some pretty iconic music he came up with.
Off the list, I would like to write-in Dave Sancious. He was the original E Street piano/keyboard player. Listen to New York City Serenade. Not much that can compare to it.

 

[zappaa]

Greg Allman

 

[Chickenman Testa]

How about this old guy backing Vince Gill on the old guy's signature piano piece.

He played on more hit records than practically anyone on Earth - mastering multiple instruments, including playing Bass on the Doors' first album, creating the wah-wah guitar part for Bread's Guitar Man and winning a Grammy (as a session man!) for Bridge Over Troubled Water.

The great Larry Knechtel!

 

[Relayer]

having seen Geoff Downes multiple times in concert, hey may also be vastly underrated

I like Geoff. Anyone who can play Fragile, Close to The Edge, and Going For The One in their entirety has game. Drama is an underrated album.

 

[simons96]

I like Geoff. Anyone who can play Fragile, Close to The Edge, and Going For The One in their entirety has game. Drama is an underrated album.

he really hit it big with Asia in the 80s . . . few people have followed their success (musically) the past few years. they've put out 4 albums since 2008 that are all phenomenal. I've seen them perform twice here in Dallas and they put on a fantastic show. One of my favorite tracks is "Parallel Worlds" off their 2008 album PHOENIX, with the original lineup (Wetton, Palmer, Downes, Howe) that has some great prog goodness about 2:30 into the song . . .

 

[simons96]

btw Tony Banks is set to release a 4-disc box set of his solo work. Some of his greatest piano work was on this track off "Strictly Inc."

 

[Victor E. Bell]

Donald Fagen gets my write-in for the complexity of his writing and all around musical brilliance.

 

[#OneTeam#NextLevel]

Donald Fagen gets my write-in for the complexity of his writing and all around musical brilliance.

Going to see Steely Dan on Monday.....

 

[childsSkip]

Well, since you didn't specify genre and allow write-ins (and this changes for me depending on who I'm listening to at the time) I'll go with Jimmy Smith - Grand Master of the Hammond B3. At other times it could be Bill Evans, Art Tatum, T Monk, Martha Argerich, Horowitz, etc... From your list I would choose Keith Emerson.

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I chose Keith Emerson in a close race with Rick Wakeman. Other keyboard players not on the list that I like are John Evans of Jethro Tull, Chuck Leveall of the Allmans, I think it's Bill Payne of Little Feat, and the keyboard player from Renaisance.

 

[jammenz]

Al Kooper

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Kooper

 

[Howie'81]

This weekend I cued up some Billy Preston to shake the walls and it got me thinking about other great keyboardists - often the most overlooked guy in the band. I didn't include Preston in the poll since he was basically a session musician -- played with Little Richard, The Beatles, Stones, Joe Cocker and others.

Give a listen:

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You excluded one of the best keyboardists ever: Rod Argent

 

[rudedude]

Chick Corea

 

[mn78psu83]

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Chick Corea

From my PSU days, my favorite Return to Forever composition.

 

[N&B4PSU]

Out of those listed I went with Wright. Some pretty iconic music he came up with.
Off the list, I would like to write-in Dave Sancious. He was the original E Street piano/keyboard player. Listen to New York City Serenade. Not much that can compare to it.

still perhaps the most complete song i've heard... there is something special from everyone.. including the Boss. always in my top 10

 

[wex18]

Honorable mention to Gary Brooker of Procol Harum.