Greatest Prog/Rock Keyboard Player of All Time

[nic88fiddle]

So who is your favourite keyboard player? Who do you think deserves the title of greatest keyboard player of all time?
I will start the ball rolling with mine, ok present company accepted (JR), but my suggestion is Rick Wakeman.
Perhaps we should add some justification for our choices so here goes:
Rick is hugely prolific, creative, plays superb solo piano and is extremely fast & accurate with synth soloing. His sound patches are often original and often copied, and he continues to be one of the most respected players in the World.

[Omega Monkey]

Chick Corea.

Followed by Moraz and then Wakeman.

[RudessFan1]

I saw Rick Wakeman and JR together over the summer, and JR blew him away.

Besides JR my fav keyboard player would be Keith Emerson. He is fantastic as a classical pianist and synth player, and he is a great hammond organ player.

[Liquid Shadow]

Jens Johansson is my favorite. Great metal stuff with Yngwie and Stratovarius, as well as some sick fusion solo work. Also a very good improviser...Ten Seasons is an album of him playing completely spontaneous piano music.

[Bert]

As far as technique goes, I'd have to say Keith Emerson. Just listen to his famous performance as recorded at the California Jam, and your minds will all be paste for the next few months or so.

Personally, I'd have to say Patrick Moraz. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting him at the NAMM show recently, and he's just about the sweetest person I've met in a long time. Really, a very cool guy.

This, of course, excepting our very own JR, who (personal flattery aside) has completely blown my mind without fail just about every day I've ever known him, both musically and personally. Those of you who on this forum who personally know him likely know what I'm talking about. It's very, *very* rare in this life to meet someone as gracious and personally wonderful as Jordan, regardless of the ridiculous talent that lives within the man.

No, I was *not* paid off for that statement. :)

-- Bert

[Tusker]

For technique - Jordan
For sheer range (and also for chutzpah) - Keith Emerson
For sophistication - Patrick Moraz
For melodic invention - Tony Banks
For a mix of all of the above - Rick Wakeman

[lighthouse]

I think, my favs are:

-Kevin Moore, I got started into prog rock for his work with DT a long time ago.
-Matt Guillory, incredible lead sounds and melodic phrases
-Ryo Okumoto, for mellotron and hammond sound and arrangements
-Thomas Bodin, for incredible sounds and ideas
-Jordan, for skills and to know how to put them at work


That´s it I think
Juan Pablo

[Axe2Grind]

I'd have to say my fav would be Jan Hammer, but followed closely behind by Jens Johansson. I really do love Steve Hunt as well (but he's more fusion than prog/rock), he's the master of speed with taste and bending/vibrato with expression.

[St0rMl0rD]

Jordan and Emerson.

[Nolan]

Well, a lot of players have their distinctive talents and I like a lot of them for that.


Somehow, I never really got into Keith Emerson. together with Rick Wakeman these are legendary names.
I don't think Jordan is legendary yet, but he's the most complete player I know.


Coen

[StandBuilder]

I don't think Jordan is legendary yet.....

Coen


I am sure that he is going to be...... 8)
Maybe sooner than you can imagine, dishwasher!!! :twisted:

Stainlessly,

Patrick

[ktriton]

Billy Joel.








I just kid. My three are

1. Emerson
2. Corea
3. Rudess

If we were doing Piano, I'm sure Michel Camilo would be up there, too. Probably along with Bruce Hornsby.

[Spacehog]

It's difficult... "keyboard player" is a very general term. As is "greatest", come to think of it... there are so many good players good at so many different things.

Ryo Okumoto as a hammond player
Tomas Bodin for his sonic plateaus
Igor Khoroshev for piano and versatility
Rick Wakeman for size (both of rig and of person!) and right hand technique
Keith Emerson for left hand technique and energy
Mark Kelly (Marillion) for atmospherics
Jordan Rudess for all-round creativity and patch creation

And I'm sure there are many more that have slipped through. These are just the ones who've made a major impact on me (well, except for Emerson who I've never listened to very much).

Martin

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Jordan is my favorite overall.
Jens Johansson for leads.
Keith Emerson for Hammonds.
Chick Corea for Rhodes.

[fallingman]

Just to add to this fine thread :

Current fave : JR - took a while to really dig his playing, I must admit, found him a bit too flashy at first, but having watched his awesome performance both live and on the live DVD, he's my current numero uno !

Close behind, in no particular order :

Tony Banks - actually, he's the one who first inspired me to become a keyboard player, upon hearing the groovy instrumental break in "One For The Vine" by Genesis.
Eddie Jobson - his stuff with UK is so cool !
Derek Sherinian - bit OTT on his solo stuff at times, but his work on "Falling Into Infinity" has an edge and aggression to it which I missed at first but am now starting to find in Jordan's playing.
Keith Emerson - again, all-time keyboard god, and one of my early faves, but do need to listen to much more of him
Rick Wakeman - as with KE, but finding him at times too flowery IMHO
Jean-Michel Jarre - another very early influence, and I hear his style in my own playing, although these days he seems more concerned with big audio-visual spectacles, but hats off to him either way.
Jan Hammer - his Miami Vice stuff was a huge inspiration, and the Jeff Beck stuff too.
Vangelis - awesome, both in terms of sounds (yummy CS80) and constant improvisation.

Just my ten cents...

:-)

Andy

a.k.a. "fallingman"

http://www.fallingman.co.uk

[YYZ]

While JR, Rick Wakeman, and Geddy Lee are my top 3...



where's the love for michael pinella?


<3 symphony x

[synthguy]

My choices would be, in sort of a tie for first:

Keith Emerson
Eddie Jobson
Jordan Rudess
Derek Sherinian
Stephen Kay
Jack Hotop
Patrick Moraz
Rick Wakeman
Jan Hammer

With an honorable mention to Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Tony Banks, Tony Hymas, Vangelis and Tomita. I'm sure there are others, and maybe I'll edit them in.

[TheMagician]

Jens Johansson and Jordan Rudess consistently inspire me more than any other musicians of any instrument - so as far as I'm concerned (in my own little world) they are the greatest.

[Krizalid_Zero]

While JR, Rick Wakeman, and Geddy Lee are my top 3...



where's the love for michael pinella?


<3 symphony x

I was gonna name him.. well, I'm

Jordan Rudess and Michael Pinella are my fave when it comes to prog rock and in general I think

[btdvox]

I love Jordan Rudess infact im from canada and im contemplating in going to new york just for keyfest.

But equally i love Nubuo Uematsu hes in the band black mages and composes all of Final fantasy music

also like Yasonori Mitsudas composistions.

[Krizalid_Zero]

I love Jordan Rudess infact im from canada and im contemplating in going to new york just for keyfest.

But equally i love Nubuo Uematsu hes in the band black mages and composes all of Final fantasy music

also like Yasonori Mitsudas composistions.

oh, yeah! how could I have missed them, they're both great, I don't almost never name them as keyboardists cuz I see them as compossers the most, anyway.. they're not "prog "... =P

[ChrisMcCoy]

So who is your favourite keyboard player? Who do you think deserves the title of greatest keyboard player of all time?
I will start the ball rolling with mine, ok present company accepted (JR), but my suggestion is Rick Wakeman.
Perhaps we should add some justification for our choices so here goes:
Rick is hugely prolific, creative, plays superb solo piano and is extremely fast & accurate with synth soloing. His sound patches are often original and often copied, and he continues to be one of the most respected players in the World.

I vote for Rick Wakeman.
Not only a phenomenal player, also a very nice guy.
I met him back in 1990 at a show in Washington D.C.
C.

[ktriton]

I love Jordan Rudess infact im from canada and im contemplating in going to new york just for keyfest.

But equally i love Nubuo Uematsu hes in the band black mages and composes all of Final fantasy music

also like Yasonori Mitsudas composistions.

Yeah, but I wouldn't put him on par with Rudess or Emerson. As a composer, he's phenomenal, but as a synth player heck, even Kenichiro Fukui (the other keyboard player in the Black Mages) tops him without much competition. If you want a great synth player in that genre of music, I'd say take a look at Motoi Sakuraba (did the music for the Star Oceans, Valkyrie Profile, and Tales of Phantasia to name a few).

[Nolan]

I'll keep learning names.......... ;)


Coen

[felixno.9]

yeah my vote is JR, and the key boardist from symphony x, that dude can play

[LithoJazzoSphere]

That would be Michael Pinnella, who is indeed very good.

[Krizalid_Zero]

I love Jordan Rudess infact im from canada and im contemplating in going to new york just for keyfest.

But equally i love Nubuo Uematsu hes in the band black mages and composes all of Final fantasy music

also like Yasonori Mitsudas composistions.

Yeah, but I wouldn't put him on par with Rudess or Emerson. As a composer, he's phenomenal, but as a synth player heck, even Kenichiro Fukui (the other keyboard player in the Black Mages) tops him without much competition. If you want a great synth player in that genre of music, I'd say take a look at Motoi Sakuraba (did the music for the Star Oceans, Valkyrie Profile, and Tales of Phantasia to name a few).

Damn, japanese musicians rocks, IMO... I'll post a Gackt solo and a Yoshiki solo.. both piano, realy good, don't know when but I will

[Tigerfolly]

So who is your favourite keyboard player? Who do you think deserves the title of greatest keyboard player of all time?


I think obviously Jordan's on all of our lists, because that's why we're here. So I think that goes without saying.. but my current faves are:

Roger Manning (Jellyfish, Umajets, Moog Cookbook, Beck)
Kevin Moore (Dream Theater, Chroma Key, Fates Warning, OSI)
Ryo Okumoto (Spock's Beard)

And I always enjoy:
Derek Sherinian
Stevie Wonder
Neal Morse

And I really think that music is way too broad of a subject to come up with a "greatest keyboardist ever" type of thing, because it always comes down to one point: Pioneers aren't always technical masterminds. For example, I can play every single note Jimi Hendrix ever played without even cramping my fingers. In fact, I'd probably get bored playing it.. does that mean he wasn't a great guitar player? No, he pioneered it. So, even though there are people who can play every single note Wakeman or Emerson played, does that make them better? I think that hands down, Jordan Rudess is not only the most technically capable keyboardist I know, he's amazing with BOTH hands (unlike Wakeman or Emerson), he has an amazing command over programming his instruments, a great ear for tone, and is capable of creating absolutely brilliant original music.

But one thing's for sure: There's someone better, somewhere. Some kid in his bedroom is already twice the musician Jordan is, just waiting to blossom. And he or she is going to influence others, and someone else is going to be twice as good as they are. There is always, always someone better.

There simply isn't a greatest anything.. but the farther you go along, the more amazing things you see.

[Shreddy]

Rock/Prog tough call there are many many great keyboardists in both styles. Personally as much as I love Chick to me he doesnt fall in the category.

Rock:
John Lord a brilliant B3 player laying down some of the first neo-classical stuff with Ritchie Blackmore.

Prog:
Wakeman / Emerson both were key figures in keyboards in prog.

Metal:
Jens
Tony MacAlpine
Jordan
other metal greats: Guillory, Kurprij, Sherinian, Werno (vanden plas),

[Mago_Lari]

Jens Johansson is my favourite Keyboard Player..
then i can say also Jens Johansson which play very very good and damn, he has am incredible Lead sound!
Then, maybe you don't Know him..but this John...Jack ( ?!?! ) Jens..i can't remember his name perfectly, Johansson maybe, is really a Genius..he Play with Stratovarius and he's going to leave a sign on the scene..=)

By the way Jens Johansson is my favoruite..

[Brutal Mentor]

Anyone know about Vitalij Kuprij... IMO, he really is the master of keyboards for speed, technique, leads and also as a concert pianist.

[ktriton]

He's good, but there are more things in life than chops.

[Brutal Mentor]

He's good, but there are more things in life than chops.

What have you heard from him?

[ktriton]

His Bodom stuff. I've actually seen him live a few times. He's good, no doubt. Especially for playing as few years as he has been playing.

[Brutal Mentor]

His Bodom stuff. I've actually seen him live a few times. He's good, no doubt. Especially for playing as few years as he has been playing.

I think we're not talking about the same person. You are talking about Janne Wirman from Children of bodom and Warmen. I'm talking about Vitalij Kuprij from the Neo-Classic prog bands Artension/Ring of Fire.

[ktriton]

Argh, you're right! Well, my point still stands about Janne Wirman, then :P

As for Kuprij (the real Kuprij), I've only heard Sacred Pathways and I liked that, but still not enough material for me to judge him.