Greatest Rock Keyboard and Piano Performances

[irocku]

This forum is to capture the great rock performers who have inspired each of us.

Please join in and contribute your keyboard influences. We are looking for all generations of keyboard legends from the early blues to today.

Here are the guidelines we are following:
1. The artist has to have made an indelible mark on rock piano.
2. The performance should either make us smile, stomp our feet, or sit back in awe.

If you find a performance that you would like to share please include the link and we will embed it into this forum.

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Let’s start with the best. Here’s Ray Charles playing “What’d I Say”…

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Here’s Fat’s Domino playing one of his signature songs, “The Fat Man”. A true pioneer of rock…

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An IROCKU favorite, Professor Longhair and the Meters playing “Tipitina”…

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Chuck Berry’s piano player, Johnnie Johnson could boogie and play four-to-the-floor better than anyone. Here he is playing “Johnnie’s Boogie”.

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“If I’m going to hell, I’m going there playing the piano”, Jerry Lee Lewis. “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On”.

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We can fill a website with great Billy Preston performances but it’s hard to find one more impressive than this one.

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This could possibly be the most famous piano riff in rock history. Thank you Billy Preston- “Get Back”

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Dr. John (Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack, Jr.)inspired us to get IROCKU off the ground. We love you Mac….Here’s “Such a Night”. The ending of this song is pure keyboard wizardry.

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Here’s Dr. John(“Mac”) shredding the keys on “Mac’s Boogie”. Mac attributes much of his success to being able to play any song in any key. He encouraged IROCKU to include multiple keys in all our IROCKU exercises and improvs…we listened.

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Dr. John playing Professor Longhair’s “Tipitina”. Pretty good for a guy with 9-1/2 fingers.

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Leon Russell is one of rock’s most prolific players. He was a member of the famed Wrecking Crew and was a driving force behind Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishman. Leon Russell invented many of rocks cornerstone rhythms. Here’s his ballad “A Song For You”…

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I think Chuck would be the first to agree that this page cannot be complete without the incomparable Nicky Hopkins. Videos of his performances are sadly a little harder to find, but this is terrific.

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“Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!” I have seen so much footage over the years that it is rare that I am floored by what I see, but the Billy Preston with Nat King Cole clip, he is 10 or 11 and is already out of control. It is obvious to Nat and the rest of us that this guy was born with it! So relaxed, great pitch in his voice, timing, tempo and so much soul, but it is the funkiness of his groove that slays me!

Nat Cole is soooooo underrated. Consummate musician.

The duo of Gath Hudson and Richard Manuel in the Band have been one of my favorites. Here’s just one of their performances.

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Here is Otis Spann, one of my heroes from the Chicago-style blues playing.

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Some of my influences include boogie-woogie pianists Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and James P. Johnson, as well as rocker Elton John and jazz greats Chick Corea and McCoy Tyner. Here’s some Elton…

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Otis Spann is probably the most over-looked figure in the birth of ‘Rock and Roll,” outside those people who know what’s, what. This clip represents the essential link from R&B to Rock and the electrification of the blues that took place in Chicago in the 1940’s and 50’s. The work Otis did for Chess Records, backing Muddy Waters and the other greats – the tracks he recorded on those records were critical and inspired a new generation to play the music. Otis Spann and his peers represent the genesis of what would become Rock and Roll. What a great clip – thanks!

“Moondance” is considered one of the top piano pieces of all time. Jef Labes is an unsung hero of rock piano. He is a true pioneer.

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Here’s one of my favorites- Pinetop Perkins

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Oh wait, what about this one?!? Art Tatum pioneered playing both hands together rapidly and with harmonic complexity.

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Rock piano doesn’t get better than this. Jerry Lee Lewis playing “What’d I Say”

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In 1971 Rod Stewart and Elton John produced an album for legendary British blues player “Long John Baldry”. The album is called “It Ain’t Easy”.
Side two featured a young Elton on piano, but side one Featured Ian Armitt on piano. Listen to “Conditional Discharge” from this album with Ian Armit.

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Thank you for sharing this. Ian Armit is new to us. What a treat to discover such a talented player. And he’s right in the IROCKU wheelhouse.

Here’s a young Carole King playing her classic rocker “I Feel the Earth Move”.

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