THE KEYBOARD PLAYERS & MUSIC
It certainly won’t be possible to map out this article in great detail. Let’s start from the premise that the inclusion of keyboards in rock greatly changed its structure. Beginning with the pianos of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, who with a primitive but devastating technique—a mix of jazz, blues, and country—managed to change and partly displace the guitar from the center of attention.
But things get hotter when the mellotron (an orchestral keyboard instrument) is first introduced on the scene, in the sound of the English band The Moody Blues. This was around 1966. From then on, The Beatles would use harpsichords, electric pianos, the newly created Mini Moog, among other synthesizers, in their music.
In the major climax of 1967–1978, many bands would emerge making extensive use of these instruments, especially progressive rock, acid rock, krautrock, electronic, and hard rock bands.
Keith Emerson and Jon Lord (respectively from The Nice and Deep Purple) inaugurated the era of classical virtuosos on piano and Hammond organ. They were followed by Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster) and Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep), as well as Rick Wakeman (Yes), Rick Van Der Linden (Trace), Richard Wright (Pink Floyd), Hugh Banton (Van Der Graaf Generator), Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant), Klaus Schulze (who started in Ash Ra Tempel and later played on the first Tangerine Dream album before moving on to a brilliant solo career). Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke, Peter Baumann, Johannes Schmoelling, and Michael Hoenig performed in the legendary Tangerine Dream, one of the few bands to rely almost entirely on synthesizers on a massive scale.
We also have Ed Jobson (Zappa, U.K., Jethro Tull), Michael Quatro (Suzi Quatro’s brother), Jurgen Fritz (Triumvirat), David Greenslade (Greenslade), Tony Banks (Genesis), Patrick Moraz (Yes & Refugee), among other giants.
The main keyboards used in this period are variations of the Mini Moog, Hammond C3 and B3 (organs), mellotron, ARP String Ensemble, Elka string synthesizers, Farfisa organ, VC3, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and acoustic grand piano.
“Killer” keyboard albums I can mention for you to explore further can be from any of the artists listed above.
The bands driven by magnificent keyboards include (some of them): Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, Pink Floyd, Van Der Graaf Generator, Procol Harum, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Tangerine Dream, Popol Vuh, Atomic Rooster, Triumvirat, Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Kitaro, Deuter, Cluster & Eno, Synergy, The Nice, Trace, U.K., Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Klaus Schulze, among others less famous or unknown.
(*) BRAZIL:
Casa das Máquinas / Tellah / Som Nosso de Cada Dia / Som Imaginário / ALPHA III / Spectro / Terreno Baldio / Moto Perpétuo / O Terço / Quantum / Tau Ceti / Caravela Escarlate / among others.
(*) ARGENTINA:
Crucis / Pablo El Enterrador / Espíritu / Lito Vitale / MIA / Alas / Arco Iris / Ave Rock / El Reloj / among others.
In Italian progressive rock (Locanda delle Fate / Museo Rosenbach / Metamorfosi / Alphataurus / The Trip / etc.), French (Ange / Arachnoid / Mona Lisa / Edhels / Atoll / Wapassou / Sandrose / etc.), German (Grobschnitt / Novalis / Kreuzweg / Madyson Dyke / Ramses / Hoelderlin / Amon Düül II / Can / Embryo / Eloy / etc.), especially in this vintage era, there are more than 2,000 keyboard-based groups (including the 1980s/90s up to the present underground scene). One just needs patience to research—and to thank the father of the piano, the Italian Bartolomeo Cristofori (around 1709), for the creation of such a wonderful instrument, which was the link between the old harpsichord and today’s synthesizers. The piano… See you soon!
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