Rising keyboard virtuosos in prog

Indeed: Lalle Larsson.

Lalle Larson, Thomas Bodin, Erik Norlander and Neal Morse. Mark Kelly is quite good as well.

Gerinski wrote: This guy Luca Zabbini from italian band Barock Project is young and very good but they do not play bombastic symphonic, they play a rather mild prog close to crossover but I really like this song, and further below it's a piano solo totally inspired by Emerson.

he's actually playing Frederick Guilda's 'Fugue', a peice of music that Keith Emerson was very fond of and can be heard on ELP's Welcome Back My Friends.. album.

sleeper wrote: Reading through this thread, everybody has picked people starting out in the 90's or earlier so I'll be the first to actually get it right with Richerd Henshel from To-Mera and Haken. His work with To-Mera in particular is brilliant (though so far he's only recorded on the Earthbound EP and yet to be released third album).

You've got the right idea about this, and To-Mera sounds great from what I'm listening. Thanks!

I would add Fred Schendel of Glass Hammer, and Tomas Bodin of The Flower Kings, even if they are not youngsters.

Agostino Macor (Finisterre, la Maschera di Cera, Zaal, Hostsonaten)

Virginia Peraza (Anima Mundi)

Elisa Wiermann (Quaterna Requiem)

Erik De Beer (Life Line Project)

Iain Jennings (Mostly Autumn, Breathing Space)

Magnus Paulsson (Simon Says)

Olov Andersson (Grandstand)

i think the archetypal “keyboard wizard” sadly is a thing of the past, with progressive (rock) music taking on a much more textural approach, which, surprisingly, is mostly carried by guitars these days. one might say that the aesthetics of prog rock has shifted from a yes/genesis-approach to a king crimson-school of thought. i do listen to the guys mentioned on occasion, but really they at times don't bring many new things to the table above classically trained dextrosity and “monster chops” (to praraphrase). obviously loads of talented people there but (imho) nothing that hadn't been attempted before by the masters and legends. i don't consider andy tlllison, neal morse and jordan ruddess “new” talent either as they have been about for many many years now.

Without question, the unknown entity who is The Psychedelic Ensemble.

ExittheLemming wrote: iguana wrote: i think the archetypal “keyboard wizard” sadly is a thing of the past, with progressive (rock) music taking on a much more textural approach, which, surprisingly, is mostly carried by guitars these days. one might say that the aesthetics of prog rock has shifted from a yes/genesis-approach to a king crimson-school of thought. i do listen to the guys mentioned on occasion, but really they at times don't bring many new things to the table above classically trained dextrosity and “monster chops” (to praraphrase). obviously loads of talented people there but (imho) nothing that hadn't been attempted before by the masters and legends. i don't consider andy tlllison, neal morse and jordan ruddess “new” talent either as they have been about for many many years now. that said, i consider richard barbieri a “new and rising” virtuoso because his work is so current. similarly, marillion’s mark kelly, who is not that old yet, has adapted, progressed and forwarded admirably. also take a listen to NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION, there are a lot of very retro-modern keyboards parts in there. great new band! Very perceptive post, agree with it entirely. The days of the heroic 'fastest gun in town' soloists are long gone, and we are currently in an era where a more holistic approach to Prog is apparent. I welcome this development.

Fair comment however some of the fun has disappeared as a result. We don't seem to get more than our fair share of angst ridden dark atmospherice musings about life. A Wakeman/Emerson bombastic style assault on a poor unsuspecting moog might at least provde a little light relief from all that

^ very good point. i was really pleased to see eddie jobson back in live mode, but a lot of his on-stage appeal went overboard with these two compact master keyboards and the digital reproduction of the vintage sounds. it looked and felt wrong, i may add. however, with touring and transport costs being an enduring determinant, there's no point carting 30 keyboards and organs around ASiA-style, when one can have the lot on a laptop and a couple of controllers. in the late 1980s midi became more and more advanced and i, for instance, remember being somewhat disappointed in seeing mark kelly on the “season's end” tour without the expansive set up that he had during the “clutching at straws” dates. yes, “aesthetically” something's missing, but costs dictate everything these days, and, in turn, it cost us the iconography of the alchemic “keyboard wizard”, who, in turn, has less of a strain in his arms... no more stretching and twisting!