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Neil McCormick Chief Music Critic 16 October 2024 2:44pm BST Who are the greatest keyboard players of all time? Elton John has been singing the praises of the keyboardists who inspired him
on the 1960’s blues circuit, notably such wonderful players as Zoot Money, Graham Bond, Georgie Fame, Rod Argent and Gary Brooker. These were all fantastic live performers who put their
electric keyboards front and centre, competing with the phenomenon of the guitar hero at the dawn of the rock era. Yet, as Elton notes, “playing the keyboard is never as cool as playing the
guitar”. It is a big, static instrument that restricts the movement of the player, for one thing, although Jerry Lee Lewis might have something to say about that. Of course, Jerry, like
Elton, played the piano, utilising it as both a driving rhythmic force and lead solo instrument. And both were great singers and songwriters and would feature in any top 10 of the greatest
piano stars of our times. The great keyboardist, though, arguably has a bigger role. They tend to be the best (and often most classically trained) musicians in their ensembles, offering a
huge range of supporting sounds and harmonic expansions from banks of electric pianos, clavinets and synthesisers. They are the backroom engine of the band, filling out all the spaces,
albeit oddly less prevalent as distinctive musical personalities in the age of the synth, when the pre-programmed aspects of modern keyboards have made florid skills slightly redundant. In
fact, only a few keyboard players have been so utterly extraordinary and aggressively present on stage and in the studio that they have risen to levels of fame beyond the fine print on album
credits. When it comes to pioneering keyboard stars, these are the best of the best. ------------------------- 10. RICK WRIGHT Pink Floyd’s keyboard player was the bedrock of their awe
inspiring sound. He may have been overshadowed in the public eye by the fantastic songwriting of bassist Roger Waters and dazzling guitar playing of David Gilmour, but Wright’s rich array of
sounds, brilliant chords, harmonic inversions and delicately inventive playing weaved all the elements of Floyd together. ------------------------- 9. RAY MANZAREK The Doors keyboard player
probably did more to popularise the keyboards in the rock era than any other player. He was the main songwriter with singer Jim Morrison, and used his keys to play bass, rhythm, melodic
hooks and psychedelic lead in a poppy, rocky, expansive sonic array. ------------------------- 8. JON LORD The Deep Purple keyboard player overdrove his Hammond organ until it would distort
like a fuzz toned electric guitar, his sensitive and spectacular vibrato playing riding all over the Purple sound, ensuring his keys were every bit as thrilling and essential as any guitar
heroics of the heavy rock era. ------------------------- 7. KEITH EMERSON First making his name with proto-progressive rock outfit The Nice, Keith Emerson used to stick knives between his
keys to alter the sound. Bridging his classical training with a deep love for rock’n’roll showmanship, his outrageous blend of piano, synth and organ with prog trio Emerson, Lake &
Palmer pushed his instrument into thrilling new terrain. ------------------------- 6. CHRISTINE MCVIE Whilst there are many outstanding female pianists (Alicia Keys, Diana Krall, Tori Amos,
Aretha Franklin, Fiona Apple and arguably Kate Bush in the studio at least) it is difficult to think of female players who have excelled in a supporting keyboard role. It may simply be that
female musicians were historically under-represented throughout the rock era when electronic keyboards flourished as a companion to electric guitar heroics. But McVie broke the mould as her
bluesy, subtle, melodious and sensitive playing became a key component in one of the greatest and most popular bands of all time, threaded through the sound of Fleetwood Mac’s songcraft
throughout their imperial period. ------------------------- 5. STEVIE WONDER The blind American soul superstar has it all. He’s an incredible singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
But his talent is driven by his keyboard playing, and his innovations with clavinets and synthesisers in the 1970’s helped make keys the essential instruments of soul and funk.
------------------------- 4. BILLY PRESTON The ultimate RnB keyboard player, raised in Gospel he brought so much soul and feeling to his playing with Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles,
Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston and his own fantastic solo work. He also has the honour of being the only musician other than the Fab Four themselves to
be credited on an original Beatles recording, bringing a new lease of life to the band when he joined them in the studio for the Get Back / Let It Be sessions, and performing at their last
ever concert on the roof of Apple in 1969. ------------------------- 3. BENMONT TENCH The King of the Hammond in the contemporary rock era, Tench’s sensitive, soulful, ballsy playing was a
driving force on hundreds of great recordings with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Much in demand as a session man, he’s added luscious organ to recordings by Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks,
Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Alanis Morissette, Eurythmics, Fiona Apple, U2, The Who and The Rolling Stones (on their most recent album, Hackney Diamonds).
------------------------- 2. RICK WAKEMAN The keyboard superstar of the prog rock era, Wakeman was an almost comically ridiculous showman, appearing onstage in florid capes to perform epic
instrumental concept albums like The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (on ice!). But the classically trained pianist has been a bold innovator of the blend
of synthesisers, organs and pianos in rock, pushing his instrument into new areas and textures. He expanded the sound of Yes in their cosmic prime and lent his versatile talents to
recordings by Elton John, Marc Bolan, Cat Stevens, Lou Reed and David Bowie’s Space Oddity and Life on Mars. ------------------------- 1. HERBIE HANCOCK I’m loathe to venture too deeply into
the jazz world, where standards of playing tend to be on a whole other level. But Hancock brought supreme jazz skills into the popular mainstream, expanding his innovative playing with the
Miles Davis Quartet into groundbreaking solo stardom, embracing fusion, soul, funk and electro. And the 84-year-old wizard is still at it. The next Hancock album promises contributions from
rappers Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, alongside crossover contemporary new jazz fusion stars Thundercat and Kamasi Washington. Plus he may be the only human being to ever look cool playing
a keytar.