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Mista-Gordie View Drop Down
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Points: 282 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 07 2018 at 10:04
Well I think in the prog world these four stand well above the rest:

1-Rick Wakeman
2-Keith Emerson
3-Kerry Minnear
4-Tony Banks

Then it gets trickier because there are so much outstanding ones but my ranking would look like that:

5-Dave Sinclair
6-Dave Stewart
7-Peter Bardens
8-Eddie Jobson
9-Hugh Banton
10-Thijs Van Leer

I excluded the fusion legends on purpose (Hancock, Zawinul, Corea, Hiromi and so on) because it's so hard to compare them with some less gifted players which are perfect for the context of their own band's sound, and also because the line would be thin between including these and having to include jazz greats such as Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington.
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Points: 10387 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 07 2018 at 12:01
Originally posted by Mista-Gordie Mista-Gordie wrote:



I excluded the fusion legends on purpose (Hancock, Zawinul, Corea, Hiromi and so on) because it's so hard to compare them with some less gifted players which are perfect for the context of their own band's sound, and also because the line would be thin between including these and having to include jazz greats such as Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington.

or Barbara Dennerlein


A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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Points: 1578 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 07 2018 at 12:13
In no particular order:

Peter Bardens (Camel, solo)
Jim Gilmour (Saga, solo)
John Evans (Jethro Tull)
Tim Blake (Gong, Hawkwind, solo)
Hannes Folberth (Eloy, Echo Park)
Rick Wakeman (Strawbs, Yes, solo)
Eddie Jobson (Roxy Music, UK, Jethro Tull, solo)
Tomas Bodin (Flower Kings, solo)
Manfred Mann (Earth Band, Chapter Three, solo)
Ton Scherpenzeel (Kayak, Camel, solo)

I recently discovered Beardfish, but Rikard Sjöblom could be in the list.
I should have listed Martin Orford, Mark Kelly and Clive Nolan, but I'm recently not in the mood for this neo-prog-synth-sound, maybe another time.

Honourable mentions:
Stuart Wooly Wolstenholme and Mike Pinder (for their outstandig mellotron-work)
Freddy Mercury (such an underrated pianist)
Susanna Sundør (another great pianist)
Kate Bush (another great pianist)

Fusion:
Chick Corea (Miles Davis, Return to Forever, Electrik Band, Akoustik Band, solo)
Joe Zawinul (Miles Davis, Wheather Report, solo)
Herbie Hancock (Miles Davis, Headhunters, solo)


Edited by Kingsnake - February 07 2018 at 12:24
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Argo2112 View Drop Down
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Points: 4462 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 07 2018 at 12:35
Just going to do the rock players, (excluding jazz fusion guys)

1. Keith Emerson
2. Rick Wakeman
3. Jordan Rudess
4. Tony Banks
5. John Tout
6. Eddie Jobson
7. Jon Lord
8. Neil Morse
9. Dave Stewart
10. Rick Wright
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YESESIS View Drop Down
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Points: 2215 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 07 2018 at 16:04
Originally posted by Mista-Gordie Mista-Gordie wrote:

Well I think in the prog world these four stand well above the rest:

1-Rick Wakeman
2-Keith Emerson
3-Kerry Minnear
4-Tony Banks

Then it gets trickier because there are so much outstanding ones but my ranking would look like that:

5-Dave Sinclair
6-Dave Stewart
7-Peter Bardens
8-Eddie Jobson
9-Hugh Banton
10-Thijs Van Leer

I excluded the fusion legends on purpose (Hancock, Zawinul, Corea, Hiromi and so on) because it's so hard to compare them with some less gifted players which are perfect for the context of their own band's sound, and also because the line would be thin between including these and having to include jazz greats such as Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington.


Those top 4 I couldn't agree more with. And right on mentioning David Sinclair.. Nine Feet Underground is one of the absolute greatest prog epics ever, and he is a major reason why. 


Edited by YESESIS - February 07 2018 at 16:05
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noni View Drop Down
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Points: 1092 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 07 2018 at 16:56
1. Pete Bardens
2. Keith Emerson
3. Rick Wakeman
4. Edgar Froese
5. Dave Greenslade
6. Ton Scherpenzeel
7. Martin Orford
8. Kit Watkins
9. Clive Nolan
10. Tony Banks.
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Mortte View Drop Down
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Points: 5538 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 07 2018 at 22:00
1. Jukka Gustavson
2. Sun Ra
3. Rick Wakeman
4. Jon Lord
5. Dave Greenslade
6. Jon Evan
7. Rick Wright
8. Tony Banks
9. Simon House
10. Irmin Schmidt
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Braka View Drop Down
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Points: 181 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 09 2018 at 08:46
1. Jerry Lee Lewis

(I'm half serious here. The antecedent of Keith Emerson)

But really, Jon Lord is so far and away my fave KB player, the rest of the top 10 would be in a separate category.
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Guldbamsen View Drop Down
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Points: 23104 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 09 2018 at 08:55
Ten of my favourite keyboard players? How about 5?
Alright, no ranking:

Dave Sinclair
Edgar Froese
Dave Stewart
Klaus Schulze
Robert John Godfrey
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams
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Jzrk View Drop Down
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Points: 126 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 12 2018 at 20:56
I have to go with the ones I have been familiar with over the years
John Lord
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
Jan Hammer
Greg Rollie
Kieth Emerson
Klaus Schultz
Joseph Zawinul
Davis Sanctous
Rick Wakeman
Joe Sample


Edited by Jzrk - February 12 2018 at 20:56
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Frenetic Zetetic View Drop Down
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Points: 9233 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 13 2018 at 02:31
Joe Zawinul
Kerry Minnear
Herbie Hancock
Tony Banks
Patrick Moraz
Rick Wakeman
Chick Corea
Eddie Jobson
Jan Hammer


Edited by Frenetic Zetetic - February 13 2018 at 02:31

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
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Hrychu View Drop Down
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Points: 5525 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 13 2018 at 06:36
Here's a list of my fave keyboard players (at the moment) in terms of not only technique, but also songwriting and style.

5. Hans Lundin - pretty voice (at least in the 70s) and the skill to write sweet, catchy songs.

4. Jordan Rudess - THIS GUY CAN PLAY ANYTHING. JUST.. WOW!

3. Neal Morse - great taste in sounds and the ability to orchestrate complex passages without making them sound cheesy (most of the time).

2. Rick Wakeman - impressive and original approach to soloing and fun 70s output (Journey, King Arthur, Six Wives, Criminal Record etc.), great compositional skills plus he's one of the few who truly mastered the Mellotron.

1. Andy Tillison - amazing songwriting/composition skills, awesome taste in sounds, solid technique and most importantly he's the brain behind the sheer beauty that's the music of The Tangent. Bonus points for paying tribute to the Canterbury classics.

Honorable mentions: P. Moraz, J. Skrzek, T. Bodin

Edited by Hrychu - February 13 2018 at 06:38
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BrufordFreak View Drop Down
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Points: 8325 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 13 2018 at 08:42
Can't believe I overlooked this poll nine years ago!

Old:
Tony Banks

Chick Corea

Klaus Schulze

David Sinclair

Larry Young

John Tout (Renaissance)

Patrizio Fariselli (AREA)

Dave Stewart

Mike Ratledge

Patrick Moraz

Ken Hensley

Rick Wakeman


New:

Jørgen Hagen (Airbag)

Ana Camelo (EKOS)

Giovanni Parmeggiani (Accordo dei Contrari)

Richard Barbieri

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Hiromi Uehara

Lalo Huber (Nexus)

James Blake

Elisa Montaldo (Il Tempio delle Clessidre)

Paolo Botti (Yugen, et al.)

Olga Podgaiskaja (Five-Storey Ensemble, Rational Diet)

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xylot View Drop Down
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Points: 1 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2018 at 08:58
Emerson
Wakeman
Banks
Lord
Rachel Flowers
Moraz
Rudess
Downes
Argent
Roger King
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tempest_77 View Drop Down
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Points: 1667 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 10 2018 at 23:47
No particular order, and I'm sure I'm missing some as well:

Tony Banks
Peter Bardens
Rick Wright
Rick Wakeman
Chick Corea
Page McConnell
Matt Bellamy
John Evan
Steve Walsh
Martin Orford


Edited by tempest_77 - April 10 2018 at 23:48
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