And then there are those who tickle the ivories that never got the acclaim they deserved either:

Dave Greenslade (probably the ripping-est Hammond player ever!, Check out his playing with Colosseum)

Kit Watkins: Happy the Man's unique original stylist

Kerry Minnear: Gentle Giant's ecclectic genius capable of melding Scarlatti, Bach, Renassance Music, Stravinsky and get-down funk like no one else.

Larry "Synergy" Fast: a master of texture and atmosphere with synths

your turn----------

• Stephen Geysens
• Simon Nordberg
• Lalo Huber
• Toni Pagliuca
• Jon Carin
• Pär Lindh

landberkdoten wrote: Lalo Huber

Hmm Nexus! had forgotten about them, i'm off to dig the album out

Thanks!!!

I'll go along with Minnear and Greenslade definetly and add:

Francis Monkman (Curved Air)

Martin Orford (IQ)

Ton Scherpenzeel (Kayak)

Eddie Jobson

Eddie Van Halen

Don Airey (Various inc Rainbow)

Ian MacDonald (King Crimson)

John Paul Jones

Criminally underrated is Mike Pinder, who had the difficult task of filling all the shoes of the "Days of Future Passed" orchestra with only a Mellotron- and largely succeeded, making that instrument do things that nobody has matched (not even Emerson, Wakeman, etc).

I'm not sure if Patrick Moraz was over- or under-rated, but he's pretty darn good too.

I loved Tony Kaye's work on early Yes albums- some beautiful piano, great organs, and particularly that subtle chorused square-wave organ lead sound that underlies Jon's voice on "Starship Trooper"...you can hear it best in between the vocal parts like "Mother Life (organ riff) hold firmly on to me". Wakeman has plenty of great moments but such subtlety is not one of his trademarks

anyone mention Neil Morse or Christopher Buzby yet?

and even though I dislike them intensely, Hugh Banton did some great stuff with VDGG

James Lee wrote: anyone mention Neil Morse or Christopher Buzby yet?

And Peter Vetesse, Dave Stewart......

1. Patrick Moraz: He never recieved the credit he deserved, a genius in tghe level of Wakeman and Emerson. He gave Yes a new life after the dissapointing Tales and did the same with The  Moody Blues, especially in Long Distance Voyager.
2. Hans Jürgen Fritz: Accused of being a Keith Emerson wannabe, but he has his own style, impecable arrangements and a great composer.
3. Tony Banks: A real genius, but strangely a humble one, he doesn't use capes,  rises in the air with his piano or likes to be a frontman, just hides behind his keyboard and does his excellent job. If youwant to see a great show, don't goto see him, but if you want a guy that will kill for his band, hire him.
4. Eddie Jobson: I can understand why a talented keyboardist and violin player ended doing TV jingles to live, it's unfair. UK, Jethro Tull, Yes, Zappa, Roxy Music, what a career.
5. Igor Koroshov: Did an excellent job saving Yes on stage, but recieved a kick in the butt even when he didn't desreved it.

Iván

Reed Lover wrote: landberkdoten wrote: Lalo Huber Hmm Nexus! had forgotten about them, i'm off to dig the album out Thanks!!!

There you go!

Rick Wright, Peter Jon Vetteese, Eddie Jobson, Kit Watkins, Johanness Schmoelling, Jurgen Fritz, Richard Harvey, Eloy's, Anyone's daughter's, Ozric Tentacles', Manfred Mann, Geddy Lee,

and....OBVIOUSLY.......JOHN TOUT!!!!!!

Marian Varga, leader  of 70's Czech band Collegium Musicum, made Emerson sound weak - but so did Mike Ratledge (check out Ratledge's prog solos on Hope For Happiness  on the first Machine album and Hibou Anemone & Bear on Machine's Live At Paradiso).

And Wendy Carlos - Timesteps on either of the Clockwork Orange albums (that is the Warners OST or the Columbia WC's Clockwork Orange) is major piece of prog keyboard work and I believe suggests  Carlos had been listening to Yes

And more up to date: Jens Johansson has some great solo albums, a couple of blinders with Jonas Hellborg and superb guest work with Mastermind. And I think Danbo would agree with me, some good acoustic piano work with Ginger Baker.

Dick Heath wrote: And more up to date: Jens Johansson has some great solo albums, a couple of blinders with Jonas Hellborg and superb guest work with Mastermind. And I think Danbo would agree with me, some good acoustic piano work with Ginger Baker.

Jens Johansson is probably better known as keyboard player with Yngwie Malmsteen and Stratovarious (sp). However, within a limited budget and therefore reliance on the secondhand CD market, I've yet to buy and then hear a stand out track featuring Johansson with these bands - any recommendations? (BTW I'm listening out for something of the standard found on his other albums,  listed above)

Florian Fricke (Popol Vuh)

Jurgen Dollase (Wallenstein)

The most underated keyboard player in my opinion is John Young!!!

He's played for Fish, The Scorpions, Asia, Bon Jovi, Paul Rogers, Qango, John Wetton to name but a few and is currently also the Bonnie Tyler keyboardist. He also has his own band and does solo shows of his own compositions but sadly this country does not treat him with the respect he deserves.

Yes, and he's also part of the current Greenslade line up too, have any of you been to a Greenslade gig in the last couple of years, the interplay between Dave and John has to be seen to be believed.  

Man Erg wrote: Peter Bardens

Absolutely!  He was a master on keyboards... My favorite Camel albums are the ones that feature him  

Reed Lover wrote: richardh wrote: I'll go along with Minnear and Greenslade definetly and add: Eddie Van Halen Richard?!

I wasn't joking ...entirely   His solo on 'Jump' always impressed me ...assuming it was him as it appears to be on the video.If it isn't then ..

gdub411 wrote: I like Hugh Banton

Good call! Hugh bought a unique set of aesthetics to VDGG, coming from an extensive backgroudn as a church/classical organist, plus having a pretty extensive natural talent at electronics as well. Nowadays, he enjoys a lucrative career building and designing church/theatre organs in Britain.

John Tout is absolutely underrated! It's a crime!

Oh, and why not Pat Leonard? (Trillion, Madonna, Roger Water's Amused to death)

threefates wrote: I always loved John Tout from Renaissance.

I was racking my brains till you said that.

Spot on!

Dutch keyboards wizard Rick Van Der Linden (Ekseption, Trace) is the most underrated and forgotten, but he's a genious! I think he's better than Wakeman, Banks and the most famous prog keyboardists.

Tony Carey - excellent keyboards on Rainbow 'On Stage'

Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh of Kansas - some great nodling synth solos

the geezers from Tangerine Dream (though they were all rubbish guitar players)

Jean Michel Jarre anyone (at least on oxygene and equinoxe)

the geezers from Tangerine Dream (though they were all rubbish guitar players)

Johannes Schmoelling (1980-85) and [Johannes' replacement] Paul Haslinger (1986-1990) were the two best keyboardists that were ever in Tangerine Dream. Both were conservatory-trained and could play circles around Edgar Froese and the others, but that's not what Tangerine Dream was about. As far as guitar-playing goes, Paul only played some rhythm here & there, Edgar's son Jerome stunk (hammer-ons ad nauseum), and '90s hired guns Zlatko Perica and Gerald Gradwool could play but their lines were flashy and lifeless.

Now, when it comes to Edgar Froese's guitar playing, I liked his stuff a lot. Very earthy, Hendrixian/Hackettsian (less so of the former), and he could burn when he wanted to.

Jean Michel Jarre anyone (at least on oxygene and equinoxe)

A good composer, but on a technical level, he sucks.

Oh man, how could I forget David Sancious!!??? Not only does he have a great style all his own but he plays some pretty smokin' guitar too!

Sancious is a keyboard god! Eddie Offord was impressed by Sancious' ability to the point he felt he was better than both Emerson and Wakeman, and that's saying a lot. Manfred Mann apparently felt the same way.

Jens Johansson is probably better known as keyboard player with Yngwie Malmsteen and Stratovarious (sp). However, within a limited budget and therefore reliance on the secondhand CD market, I've yet to buy and then hear a stand out track featuring Johansson with these bands - any recommendations?

Ignore releases by Malmsteen and Stratovarius. I don't know why Jens wastes his time with the latter (to pay the bills, I reckon). For some real prog-metal, check out both of Mastermind's albums with Jens, namely the instrumental Excelsior! and its (song-oriented) follow-up, Angels Of The Apocalypse.

You also need to hear Jens in "fusion mode." Pick up Heavy Machinery by the Johansson Bros. (Jens & Anders) with Allan Holdsworth. A great, bassless album. Also get Jens' Fission. It's out of print and very hard to find, but if you can, score a copy of Jens' very first solo from 1987 called Fjaderlosa Tvafotingar ("featherless bipeds"). Just four long tracks that ride the median on the prog/fusion highway. Excellent stuff!

Vangelis albedo o.39!

He plays everything!

Amazing drummer too.

Vibrationbaby wrote: danbo wrote: I'd love to hear EVH do a keyboard album. Might as well jump da da da da dahhh dahhh.

Oh! I should have said "serious keyboard album." Sorry...

Vibrationbaby wrote: Marcelo wrote: Dutch keyboards wizard Rick Van Der Linden (Ekseption, Trace) is the most underrated and forgotten, but he's a genious! I think he's better than Wakeman, Banks and the most famous prog keyboardists.     Marcelo my man, I wouldn't go as far as say saying he's better than Wakeman I would say they're equals. But he is definitely superior to Banks. I was at record convention once and got into a heated argument with a guy who said Van der Linden made Emerson look like a fool. C'mon Emerson is God. And I hope that Emerson Wakeman project will eventually materialize. I have sevral Ekseption albums and all trace albums and my favourite one is Birds.

You're right, I went too far. I must say that Van der Linden is, at least, at the same level of the greatest keyboardists ever. 

I think that John Evan was full of finesse and exquisiteness in JT's glory days - he should be mentioned more often in keyboardist-related debates and polls. The same goes for electronic wizards Klaus Schulze and Tim Blake.

Yanni is terribly not taken seriously! He is a fantastic keyboardist.

Suzanne Ciani is very underrated. She is a master of keyboards.

greenback wrote: Suzanne Ciani is very underrated. She is a master of keyboards.

A sort of female Vangelis ..but without the beard

richardh wrote: greenback wrote: Suzanne Ciani is very underrated. She is a master of keyboards. A sort of female Vangelis ..but without the beard

You know, Suzanne is really the nicest person also.  I had a chance to spend some time with her recently here in NYC for the Moogfest.. and she stayed in the same hotel as Emerson and the Band.. so I got to hang out with her a little.  She has a guy following her around thats doing a movie about electronic music... and she was demonstrating the new Moog gadget that turns your grand piano into a synth...  I told her I'd come stay with her in the boonies of Northern California when I get out that way.. but who knows when that will be....

threefates wrote: richardh wrote: greenback wrote: Suzanne Ciani is very underrated. She is a master of keyboards. A sort of female Vangelis ..but without the beard . You know, Suzanne is really the nicest person also.  I had a chance to spend some time with her recently here in NYC for the Moogfest.. and she stayed in the same hotel as Emerson and the Band.. so I got to hang out with her a little.  She has a guy following her around thats doing a movie about electronic music... and she was demonstrating the new Moog gadget that turns your grand piano into a synth...  I told her I'd come stay with her in the boonies of Northern California when I get out that way.. but who knows when that will be....

I've got one album by her, 'Neverland', and very nice it is to.

greenback wrote: Yanni is terribly not taken seriously! He is a fantastic keyboardist. Suzanne Ciani is very underrated. She is a master of keyboards.

To me it is the Private Music records/ambient music tag associated with these artists, that is a turn off.

Suzanne Ciani:

After struggling with cancer, she came back, stronger than ever! I also have Neverland, and it is a wonderful music. It sounds more like Yanni than Vangelis. Lucky were you three fates, to spend time with her. And you know what? She is absolutely beautiful:

arcer wrote: Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh of Kansas - some great nodling synth solos

Steve just gets better.  Considering Kerry no longer tours and midi can't cover everything Kansas still sounds full live.  Kerry still plays great also. I loved their Synth, Violin Guitar harmonies from the old days. Also Steve sings lead and Kerry plays guitar to boot.   Solid musicans.

George Duke from his stuff with Zappa, David Palmer and John Evans, I still like John Lord for Child in Time one of the best organ sounds I have ever heard and his solo on burn and Highway star, Patrick Moraz since his time in the light was short and Jan Hammer.  

Yanni is terribly not taken seriously! He is a fantastic keyboardist.

I don't have an opinion about his skills as keyboardist, because I can't listen 2 minutes of his music without falling asleep.

A Yanni album works better than a valium for me.

Iván

Kerry's back with his pre-Kansas band, Proto-Kaw. They have a new album, Before Became After, but I still haven't heard it.

Dude, you like George Duke? Right on! Did you get the reissue of The 1976 Keyboard Album? All-instrumental, the best stuff I've heard the Duke do. He even plays everything on that one, like Jan Hammer. I also picked up the Cobham/Duke live one (CD reissue of a 1975 album), and George's contributions to Stanley Clarke's Journey To Love also cook.

Sorry, the message above is for Garion81.

Hey, Ivan, wanna be shocked? Track down a copy of Yanni's Optimystique. The original album is Yanni's first, from way back in 1980. You'll barely be able to tell it's him, it's pretty much symph-prog a la Vangelis/Jobson.

All:

Well...given that, for most people, prog keyboard begins and ends with Emerson and Wakeman, almost everyone else is underrated (with the exception of Moraz, who is wildly overrated, Jobson, who is highly overrated, and Hammer, who is somewhat overrated).

So, for my money, the most underrated keyboardists are:

Tony Banks (Genesis).  Overall, the single most underrated keyboardist ever.  For goodness sakes, he helped "make" one of the two top bands on this site!!

Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant).  If Tony Banks didn't exist, Minnear would unarguably be the most underrated keyboardist in music history.  The guy is simply a genius, and plays every type of keyboard equally well - and equally tastefully.

Tony Kaye (Yes).  I'm shocked - shocked! - that everyone has forgotten the man who originally helped "make" Yes, including being perhaps the true driving force behind "The Yes Album," an undeniable prog masterpiece.

Rick Wright (Pink Floyd).  See my comments re Minnear.  Although Waters and Gilmour dominated the band, where would Floyd be without its textures and atmopsheres, which are largely a product of Wright's keyboards?

Mike Pindar (The Moody Blues).  One could argue that almost every prog keyboardist owes something to Pindar, since he predates all but Wright.

Alan "Taff" Freeman (Nektar).  The original keyboardist.  Just listen to his work on "A Tab in the Ocean," "Remember the Future," "Down to Earth," and "Recycled," and tell me this guy is not sadly - sadly! - underrated.

Fabrizio Puglisi (Deus ex Machina).  By the mere fact that everyone is this band are among the best players in the world right now, Puglisi rates.

Finally, there is one keyboardist (pianist) whom no one has mentioned, but who really is highly underrated: Freddie Mercury.  (One could also include Elton.)

Peace.

I second Tony Banks......

but also Hugh Banton of VdGG....he had a huge role to play since there were no guitars in much of their music....a huge task that he accomplished quite adequately!!!!

Dick - ditto! Hammer...underrated? A laughable concept! Hammer is one of my alltime fave keyboardists, and he knew how to really burn on an analog mono-synth...to the point where he pretty much became my fave soloist on a Minimoog (yes, even over Wakey & Emo!). People who don't believe me should pick up the reissue of Time Is Free...

2-3 years ago the Keyboard Magazine released a list of the 25 biggest keyboard players of all times; MAN what a blast, Tori Amos, Elton John and Billy Joel was on the list but no Vangelis, no Kitaro, no Tony Banks, no Tony Kaye and no Richard Wright, just to say a few examples.

This could go on and on, but lets stick to Prog Rock and to the least just mention a few guys that have made this side of the moon a bit brigther: Rick van Der Linden, Thjis van Leer (the absolute King of the Hammond Organ) Peter Barden, Jon Tout, Hans Jurgen Fritz, and Tony Kaye.

What I wanted to know is who are then the top keyboard players and where is the bottonline ?

Does Jon Lord fit here ? Ken Hensley ? Gayle Moran (when with Mahavishnu Orchestra) ? Vangelis underrated ? He is IMO the greatest of all, the true GOD of keyboards....

_________

Lunar 

Sorry manni,

Hammer was, at least, deserving of his rating. There and Back, Wired and Scenario are awesome. He was an effective foil for Jeff and Big Al.

Being the Queen fan that I am, I'm embarrassed that I forgot Freddie. "Seven Seas of Rhye" was  thrilling.

danbo wrote: Sorry manni, Hammer was, at least, deserving of his rating. There and Back, Wired and Scenario are awesome. He was an effective foil for Jeff and Big Al. Being the Queen fan that I am, I'm embarrassed that I forgot Freddie. "Seven Seas of Rhye" was  thrilling.

Don't forget  John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra!  The original Orchestra included Jan Hammer!