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Favorite Keyboardists/Pianists

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allmanfan21
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Well, over on youtube's Sea of Tranquility page, the theme for July was your favorites who played Keyboards, Piano, etc. You had to pick 3 albums they each played on, and a song you liked as well. Not an easy task, and I know that there's plenty I left out, but here's who I picked, and they weren't really ranked, although I saved some ofthe bigger names towards the end of the list. Here's mine:

#31. Steve Walsh (Kansas)

Albums: Song For America, Leftoverture, Point Of No Return

Song: Closet Chronicles

 

#30. Bruce Hornsby

Albums: The Way It Is, Scenes From The Southside, A Night On The Town

Song: The Way It Is

 

#29. Ronnie Milsap

Albums: Pure Love, Night Things, Keyed Up

Song: Stranger In My House

 

#28. Fats Domino

Albums: Rock and Rollin' with Fats Domino, This Is Fats Domino!, Here Stands Fats Domino

Song: Blueberry Hill

 

#27. Alicia Keys

Albums: Songs In A Minor, The Diary Of Alicia Keys, The Element Of Freedom

Song: No One

 

#26. Ray Manzarek (The Doors)

Albums: The Doors, Strange Days, Morrison Hotel

Song: Touch Me

 

#25. Roy Bittan (Bruce Springsteen, etc.)

Albums: Born To Run, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, The River

Song: Picking 2 songs here that go well together. Meeting Across The River, Jungleland

 

#24. Greg Phillinganes (Eric Clapton, Toto, etc.)

Albums: August (Eric Clapton), Journeyman (Eric Clapton), Sob Rock (John Mayer)

Song: Pretending (Eric Clapton)

 

#23. Norah Jones

Albums: Come Away With Me, Feels Like Home, Not Too Late

Song: Come Away With Me

 

#22. Billy Preston

Albums: That's The Way God Planned It, Music Is My Life, The Kids & Me

Song: Isn't It A Pity (Live)

 

#21. Tony Banks (Genesis)

Albums: Duke, Abacab, Genesis

Song: That's All

 

#20. Steve Winwood (Bind Faith, Traffic, etc.)

Albums: Blind Faith, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys, Back In The High Life

Song: Back In The High Life

 

#19. Little Richard

Albums: Here's Little Richard, Little Richard, The Fabulous Little Richard

Song: Good Golly Miss Molly

 

#18. Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)

Albums: Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, Tango In The Night

Song: Everywhere

 

#17. Leon Russell

Albums: Leon Russell, Leon Russell & The Shelter People, Carney

Song: Tight Rope

 

#16. Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Albums: Pronounced, Second Helping, Street Survivors

Song: Things Goin' On

 

#15. Jon Lord (Deep Purple)

Albums: In Rock, Machine Head, Burn

Song: Child In Time

 

#14. Danny Federici (E Street Band)

Albums: Born To Run, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, The River

Song: Independence Day

 

#13. Gregg Allman (Allman Brothers Band)

Albums: Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South, Where It All Begins

Song: Please Call Home

 

#12. Dennis DeYoung (Styx)

Albums: The Grand Illusion, Pieces Of Eight, Paradise Theatre

Song: Lorelei

 

#11. Richard Wright (Pink Floyd)

Albums: Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, The Division Bell

Song: Welcome To The Machine

 

#10. Jerry Lee Lewis

Albums: Jerry Lee Lewis, Jerry Lee's Greatest, Live At The Star Club Hamburg

Song: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

 

#09. Garth Hudson (The Band)

Albums: Music From Big Pink, The Band, Stage Fright

Song: Up On Cripple Creek

 

#08. Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)

Albums: Damn The Torpedoes, Into The Great Wide Open, Wildflowers

Song: Refugee

 

#07. Gregg Rolie (Santana, Journey)

Albums: Santana, Abraxas, Infinity

Song: Feeling That Way/Anytime

 

#06. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)

Albums: Houses Of The Holy, Physical Graffiti, In Through The Out Door

Song: The Rain Song

 

#05. Stevie Wonder

Albums: Talking Book, Innervisions, Songs In The Key Of Life

Song: Living For The City

 

#04. Dr. John

Albums: Gris-Gris, Dr. John's Gumbo, In The Right Place

Song: Right Place, Wrong Time

 

#03. Billy Joel

Albums: Turnstiles, The Stranger, 52nd Street

Song: Vienna

 

#02. Elton John

Albums: Tumbleweed Connection, Madman Across The Water, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Song: Tiny Dancer

 

#01. Ray Charles

Albums: The Genius Of Ray Charles, Ray Charles In Person, Modern Sounds of Country & Western Music,

Song: Sinner's Prayer


 
Posted : August 2, 2025 4:29 pm
Rusty reacted
Rusty
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No Chuck Leavell??  What is you? Some kinda commonist or sumthin? 😉


 
Posted : August 2, 2025 5:11 pm
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allmanfan21
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@rusty That's one I forgot to include. He's certainly played on a lot of great music. Just didn't think of him at the time.


 
Posted : August 2, 2025 11:13 pm
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robertdee
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What no Liberace?? 

Here is a track which has a very fine organ solo from Gregg Allman and another from Chuck Leavell!! 


 
Posted : August 3, 2025 8:55 am
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Rusty
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How can you have a discussion of "greatest (pop) keyboardists" with no mention of Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman?


 
Posted : August 3, 2025 10:33 am
Rusty
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Also Kofi Burbridge! 


 
Posted : August 3, 2025 11:39 am
ssepr
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Danny Louis, Bernie Worrel


 
Posted : August 3, 2025 1:24 pm
allmanfan21
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@rusty Well, the guy who runs the Sea of Tranquility page had his own list of players, and included both of them. I always try to not include many from his list, which is tough to do, but I like to challenge myself with these lists.


 
Posted : August 3, 2025 9:19 pm
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cmgst34
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One that I didn’t see mentioned, who’d be in my top 5 is Bill Payne of Little Feat. 

on the jazz side, love Thelonious Monk. Nobody, I mean nobody, played like him.

first keys to ever *hit* me was Chuck on Clapton’s Unplugged. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  


 
Posted : August 3, 2025 11:41 pm
cmgst34
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And got to give some love to Lionel Ritchie for the awesomest riff — if that’s the right word — for Easy. LOVE the piano opening to that song. 


 
Posted : August 3, 2025 11:44 pm
cmgst34
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A guy on your list, playing Lionel. It’s so great. And Lionel moving and singing along is just perfect. And . . . Stevie is just the best!


 
Posted : August 3, 2025 11:46 pm
islalala
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Strong list

McCoy Tyner, Page McConnell, and Kofi Burbidge would be way up high for me


 
Posted : August 4, 2025 1:52 pm
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islalala
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George Duke, too!


 
Posted : August 4, 2025 1:57 pm
MuleMeWarren
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Commander Cody (George Frayne IV)


This post was modified 1 month ago by MuleMeWarren
 
Posted : August 5, 2025 9:52 am
griff
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Ray Manzarek

Billy Powell cause he played it pretty

Ron Pigpen McKernan


This post was modified 1 month ago 2 times by griff
 
Posted : August 5, 2025 10:58 am
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Rusty
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@griff Speaking of "Pig" - howbout some love for C&W legend Hargus "Pig" Robbins!


 
Posted : August 5, 2025 11:30 am
oldcoot
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That haven't been mentioned:

Reese Wynans

Nicky Hopkins

Joachim Young


"Is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?"

 
Posted : August 5, 2025 1:34 pm
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robslob
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Joey DeFrancesco was absolute tops IMO for Hammond B-3.  RIP Joey...........


 
Posted : August 5, 2025 7:26 pm
griff
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@rusty Wow Rusty I never heard of him. What a session track record! Inspiring life story as well. Here's to Hargus "Pig" Robbins! Great player and The Original "Pig"!


 
Posted : August 6, 2025 10:30 am
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BIGV
 BIGV
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If we're talking about singer/performers, Chuck leavell doesn't make my top ten, doesn't have the pipes. Just the Keyboard?..absolutely. Bruce Hornsby, Jimmy Smith & Billy Payne also make my short list.


 
Posted : August 20, 2025 1:16 pm
StratDal
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Glad John Lord made the list.

 

 


 
Posted : August 20, 2025 8:00 pm
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