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I've always loved the piano. Not because of the historical legacy it carries, but because it's such a versatile instrument, and it's just so much fun. You can do so much with a piano, open it up to almost anything..it's really remarkable.

So we have a favortie Guitarists thread, I guess it's not that bad to have a favorite pianists thread. Keep in mind this applies to those of the Acoustic variety and of electronic persuasion.


Cecil Taylor is probably my favorite. Some people say he's just banging around, just banging, but it's clear he knows his harmony very well. On his album 'Conquistador!' I hear loads of melodies completley improvised pouring out of him. And how he shapes his band members too! Really amazing guy.

So how about you guys? Who are your faves?

Jordan Rudess.

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Keith Jarrett on his solo stuff...

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

joe zawinul

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"bit of nostalgia for the old folks."

Too many to mention... Monk, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, Hancock and Corea on some of their stuff, Jaki Byard, Don Pullen, Stanley Cowell etc. etc.

Cecil Taylor is more like someone I respect as an innovator. He's certainly not just 'banging on the keys' but on the other hand it's also certainly not the kind of stuff I grab often to listen to 'for fun'.

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"When you hear music, after it's over, it's gone in the air. You can never capture it again." -- Eric Dolphy

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Keith Tippett (his work for King Crimson is awesome, and I also like the solo stuff I've heard of him).

My favorite progressive rock organists:
Mike Ratledge (Soft Machine)
Dave Stewart (the guy from Egg and Hatfield & The North)
Hugh Banton (Van der Graaf Generator)

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There are groups that tend to dazzle a drug-stupefied audience into submission

and National Health.

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"bit of nostalgia for the old folks."

Jan Hammer, T. Lavits, Jon Lord, Joey Defransesco, Professor LongHair, Keith Emerson. Way to many to list.

Mats Öberg
(Tommy Mars
George Duke
Eddie Jobson)
Jordan Rudess
Zawinul

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TB -

MGG, ditto on Keith Jarrett - his improv solo recordings on ECM are just beautiful, especially "The Koln Concert." I like "Staircase" a lot too.

As for Aybe Sea's comment on prog organists, I gotta add Dave Sinclair (Caravan, Matching Mole) to that list. He plays simple stuff, but he always seems to hit the right notes at the right time and really has a knack for building emotional tension (see "Nine Feet Underground" for details).

In a more Brit-pop vein, I really admire Mike Barson's (of Madness) piano playing. His arrangements really add color to the music and his rhythmic sense and energy are impressive.

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Let's hear it again for the London Philharmonic Orchestra!

Duke, Correa, Tyner

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There isn't much chance that you'll get people to like you. The best that most folks can hope for is that people will put up with their shit. MTF

Revel in your otherness. MK

STILL pissed at Tipper. VCF

Zimmi

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What's the ugliest part of your body ?

Of course I should metion Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti also.

I love the Staircase and the Facing You albums a lot, Feetlightup .

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

How the hell did I forget Hermeto Pascoal?
Probably because he plays so many goddamn instruments.

Burt Bacharach
Hajime Yoshizawa
Carla Bley ..

altho this group is possibly better off as arrangers

(an arrangers thread , hmm ¿ )

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Rick Wakkman. \m/8)

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Dubravka Tomsic. (S)he's on all my budget Beethoven and Chopin albums. And a pretty good player, too!

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Join the PackardGoose forum! Send me a PM!

Can't forget the giants of the Hammond B3: Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Big John Patton, Shirley Scott, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Charles Earland, etc.

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"When you hear music, after it's over, it's gone in the air. You can never capture it again." -- Eric Dolphy

http://www.frappr.com/frankzappaforum - FZ Forum World Map

YEAH!!! RICKY MARTIN!!!

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HAIL AMNERIKA!!

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What's the ugliest part of your body ?

I just heard a piece by Keith Jarret on Iridian Radio..Invocations, I think it was called..That was some HOT SHIT! Wow!

Patrice Rushen, I like her performance on JLP's Renaissance

Oh What about

Bola de Niege

Gonzalo Rubacalba

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

barry miles, don grolnick, lyle mayes

Monk,Bud Powell,Corea,Zawinul,Ray Manzarek,Keith Emerson,Jimmy Smith,Ramsey Lewis,Herbie Hancock,Little Richard,Harry Connick Jr. ---that's all I can think of right now-oh yeh,Professor Longhair also---I don't prefer one over the other,even tho' I like Thelonius Monk alot.

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http://home.earthlink.net/~zurch/ http://www.tunecore.com/music/zzyrch
http://soundclick.com/darrelfranzzzyrchclark
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Hammer, Corea, Cecil Taylor, Dave Stewart, Duke, Ratledge and Irmin Schmidt (Can).