Favorite Pianist

[H to the ickle]

I'm a big fan of a piano music and a sort of piano player, though I'm more of a guitarist, and I was wondering who some of your favorite pianists were?

My absolute favorite is Ben Folds followed closely by Billy Joel.

[P120Dude]

Rick Wakeman :thumb:

P120Dude

[rvpigeon]

my jazz favorites are:

Cecil Taylor
McCoy Tyner
Thelonious Monk


Classical (still alive), i guess Evgeny Kissin is up there. I like how Pierre Laurent Aimard plays too

[freakmeeko]

K. Emerson
Yuhki Fugarato
Billy Joel
and much more. Just about all of my original songs take idea from these guys alone.

[LavaDevil]

Trent Reznor :D

[drianimeboi]

well im kind of modern 20th century piano mania , Debusy and Francis Poulenc is the BEST FOR ME !!!! YAY but beethoven and mozort still live inside me though hahahaha........

[GurS]

Vladimir Ashkenazy all the way :thumb:

[clearvision]

Elton john & Rudess

[HeReTik]

Magnus Robot Bürmark

[morrissey]

If you are talking modern 'pop' stuff:

Elton John
Alicia Keys
Christ Martin (coldplay) --> dreadfully simple, but melodic nonetheless

[PianoDan]

Matt Bellamy and the guy from Keane, because I love both bands and how both bands use the piano.

Billy Joel is awesome. Elton John is pretty good.

Frederic Chopin was the greatest writer of solo piano music in history.

[DoubtingVada]

I don't really know anything about modern pianists, if that's what you mean - but out of all pianists of any time, I'd have to say Scott Joplin is my favorite.

[Orfevs]

My favorite modern classic pianist would be the Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes, no one plays Grieg better than him.

Wakeman, Rudess and Emerson are AWESOME as well.

G.F. Chopin IS the greatest writer of solo piano music in history, hell, even OUTSIDE history (wherever that may be).

[robman304]

i just started piano after playing guitar, bass and drums so i haven't gotten into much older stuff but i really enjoy listening to elton john as well as rob thomas from matchbox 20

[juggalotricksta]

That kid on ebaumsworld that plays all the Mario songs.

[BNLFloydZepp18]

Hey man, I don't care what anyone says about him or his decisions, Elton John is the best popular piano player, hands down in my opinion.

Others include:
Kevin Hearn (Barenaked Ladies)
and that guy from Counting Crows, he's pretty good.

[Pheonix15]

THe best piano player has to be RAY MANZAREK from the doors. I also really like Ben Folds, I think his music has brought piano back into modern rock.

[H to the ickle]

THe best piano player has to be RAY MANZAREK from the doors. I also really like Ben Folds, I think his music has brought piano back into modern rock.

I heartily concur.

[Hendrix026]

Ray Charles.....my all time fav. makes me want to learn how to play.

[coddingtown]

Richard Wright-Floyd
Ray Manzarek-Doors
Page Mconnell-Phish

[Pheonix15]

Richard Wright-Floyd
Ray Manzarek-Doors
Page Mconnell-Phish

Yeah, go doors, I love the solo at the beggining of Riders on The Storm

[bassist-bmxer]

hey, this is *punk_rock_sophie* my fav old pianist is Chopin and new is Matt Bellamy:thumb:

[BenFoldsGurl]

Ben Folds is my absolute favorite...Alicia Keys would be next.

[Ned]

Ben Folds is my absolute favorite...Alicia Keys would be next.

Boy, that's a surprise!

[Ned]

I don't really know anything about modern pianists, if that's what you mean - but out of all pianists of any time, I'd have to say Scott Joplin is my favorite.

From the rolls, you mean?

[Ned]

Glenn Gould.

[bard2dbone]

How can nobody have said Jamie Cullum? The jazz hobbit is awe-inspiring.

And I dig Billy Joel too. Go back and listen to 'Italian Restaurant' and 'Angry Young Man' That's what I'm talking about.

And this week I really like Diana Krall. Plus she's hot.

Jon lord was my keyboard hero back in the early '80's.

Bob Malone is, currently. Look for his stuff online. He is amazing.

Wow. I'm more eclectic than I thought.

[BassasonicMuthaplucka]

Jordan Rudess
Keith Emerson
Wakeman
Tony Banks
Chick Corea
Stevie Wonder

[ledzepdennis]

Ray Manzarek
Elton John
Rick Wright
Me(haha)
Ben Folds
Duke Ellington

[Zappa]

Bill Evans

[bard2dbone]

Oh God. I forgot Stevie Wonder. Well I hope nobody reads this to him. (Sorry. That was tacky.) I am a bass player that plays AT everything else/ Stevie was my keyboard hero BEFORE my Deep Purple phase. He had the best left hand, maybe ever.

And you have to give Bruce Hornsby serious respect, as well. His technique is really odd, hard to pull off, but it sounds cool when HE does it.

[derek_alcoholic]

liszt, schumann if you are talking about old stuffs
they are both beasts on pianos... in a good way

newer stuffs...
there are too many
i don't exactly know their names
but like
the guy in cradle of filth
the guy in children of bodom
the guy in nightwish (he writes good things)
the girl... amanda? in the dresden dolls... that's sth worth listening to...
and watch their videos... and read the bio of them and you will know y i appreciate amanda

etc...

[Drop_D'd]

Ludovico Einaudi (http://www.ludovicoeinaudi.com)

[ToRidTheDisease]

Elton John, Trent Reznor, and Freddie Mercury.

[mistermiagi]

David Helfgott is a god among feeble lesser men. If you cretins don't know who he is, then rent the movie "Shine" and appreciate his incredible story.

If you are after my Jazz favourites, then the names Thelonius Monk, Ray Charles and Oscar Peterson immediately spring to mind.

If you're after rock and roll, then you should all appreciate that Freddie Mercury was a very, very good pianist. Just listen to "Seven Seas Of Rhye", or indeed most of Queen's songs. Naturally, the moustache and teeth only make him better.

[Cecillianne]

Rudess. His compositions are :wow:
Chopin has some beautiful pieces.
Freedie Mercury is quite the pianist.

I think I don't have a specific favorite pianist; I enjoy a bit of a few.

[Ned]

David Helfgott is a god among feeble lesser men. If you cretins don't know who he is, then rent the movie "Shine" and appreciate his incredible story.

And would you have ever even heard of him yourself if not for the movie? After it came out he resumed his concert career, in a manner of speaking, and managed to accumulate a fair number of scathing reviews.

If you are after my Jazz favourites, then the names Thelonius Monk, Ray Charles and Oscar Peterson immediately spring to mind.

Thelonius Monk and Oscar Peterson are pretty much polar opposites. It's difficult for me to imagine that the same person could admire both (as PIANISTS, that is). Peterson himself vociferously condemned Monk's pianism. You could call Ray Charles a jazz pianist, I suppose, bit it's rather a strange thing for his name to leap to [your] mind in this connection.

If you're after rock and roll, then you should all appreciate that Freddie Mercury was a very, very good pianist. Just listen to "Seven Seas Of Rhye", or indeed most of Queen's songs. Naturally, the moustache and teeth only make him better.

I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt about this one until you said, "just listen to....most of Queen's songs".

[Speedy Fingers]

Jordan Rudess.

[classicalpianist]

Check out Jeno Jando's Romanian Folk Dances (Bartok)

And I'm a huge Queen fan too, so I gotta say Freddie Mercury.

[nkarnes]

In no particular order:

Thelonius Monk
Bill Payne
Keith Godcheaux
Jeff Chimenti
Bill Evans
Herbie Hancock
Bruce Hornsby
Page McConnell
Tom Constanten
Ray Manzarek
Dr. John
Garth Hudson
Richard Manuel

[Blue Light Special]

Emerson and Richard Wright

[gregjazz]

In no particular order:

Thelonius Monk
Bill Payne
Keith Godcheaux
Jeff Chimenti
Bill Evans
Herbie Hancock
Bruce Hornsby
Page McConnell
Tom Constanten
Ray Manzarek
Dr. John
Garth Hudson
Richard Manuel

Nice!

Don't forget:

Keith Jarrett
Joe Gilman
Tom Schumann
Russell Ferrante

[TheInfamousFlatline]

i really adore Bach, Mozart and Chopin. Beethoven was a very very very good writer, but also overly loud and in-your-face (though that might have had something to do with the hearing issue..). He's a person to admire because he still did so much in spite of disability, though. :)

[*punk_rock_sophie*]

Old: Chopin
New: Matt Bellamy

[gregjazz]

Thelonius Monk and Oscar Peterson are pretty much polar opposites. It's difficult for me to imagine that the same person could admire both (as PIANISTS, that is). Peterson himself vociferously condemned Monk's pianism.

Me, me! I'm totally into both Monk and Oscar Peterson's playing. Heck, I don't think there's a jazz pianist I dislike.

Check out these samples from Joe Gilman: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/gilman2

(especially "In Your Own Sweet Way")

[Flamencology]

Glenn Gould
Murray Perahia
Claudio Arrau
Evgeny Kissin, sometimes
Keith Jarrett
Bill Evans
Uri Caine
Bud Powell
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
Michel Camilo
Rachel Z

[gregjazz]

Glenn Gould
Murray Perahia
Claudio Arrau
Evgeny Kissin, sometimes
Keith Jarrett
Bill Evans
Uri Caine
Bud Powell
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
Michel Camilo
Rachel Z

Woah, man, now there's a list of pianists I really dig! Michel Camilo is amazing -- check out his playing in the movie Calle 54.

[lstprphtspnk12]

no doubt about it it has got to be ben folds.... his music is amazing

[gatecrasherc6]

Contemporary, it would have to be Vitalij Kuprij (http://www.vitalijkuprij.com/) if you haven't checked him out yet you should.
Classical: Rachmaninoff, this guy can go from Fortissimo to Pianissimo in no time, a true maestro, the best performer I've heard of yet.