Do you have artists you like that play the piano?

I really like Tori Amos. Her music was a big motivation for me to work on my piano skills. Most of the songs from her cd's are with a band and the piano but her live performances are great, and sometimes it's just her and the piano.
For bootlegs and live performances of her:
http://www.hereinmyhead.com/sounds/index.html

I also like the songs from Vanessa Carlton but I find her songs a bit to simple.

I don't know much Tori Amos, but I did leaf through some sheet music of hers. I know I'm just a beginner, but it looked quite complicated.

One of my favorite non-classical artists who plays piano is Deanna Bogart. She's probably not widely known, but she plays piano and saxophone in her band, which I classify as boogie woogie/blues. Her music is so much fun to listen to. http://www.deannabogart.com

Oh plenty of Jazz cats.. As far as "pop" players? Not sure.. Of course there are the guys like Billy Joel and Elton John, but I never got too into them. I kinda dig Norah Jones, she has a sweet sound.

norah jones and billy joel are great! Amy Lee (from Evanescence) plays the piano too. of course, I go more for her voice than her piano playing.

I really like the way Sarah McLachlan uses piano in her music (albeit not extremely complicated stuff).

Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard rule.

Billy Joel, Elton John, and Bruce Hornsby all the way. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Bruce Hornsby. The manager at the store i got my piano from/ took lessons from is very good friends with him. He is one of the best "non-classical" pianists that are out there. His solo in "The Way It Is" was awsome!

vanessa carlton [big fan of hers, for her sheet music isn't too difficult to learn] , david foster, and harry connick jr.

I almost forgot Diana Krall. She's fabulous!

But I still say Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard rule.

rock on girl

Steely Dan is always fun. I like their chord progressions.

Here are some piano artists that I like -

Jessica Williams website

web page Lynne Arriale

Of course there's Joni Mitchell.

A couple of folks have had their first albums out in the past year - Casey Stratton and Charlotte Martin. Both do piano-based stuff, and they're excellent.

My favorite piano players start with Thelonious Monk who was one of my reasons for starting to play piano in the first place. I love what McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock were doing in the mid-sixties. The early guys I like are Earl Hines, Art Tatum and Roosevelt Sykes. For Blues it's Otis Spann forever. Bruce Hornsby has a great feel and Tom Waits knows how to say what needs saying. Gene Harris, who died way too early, was a real inpiration in how he could play any style at all, perfectly and with great impact, and sound like he'd never played other style in his life.
I also love how my wife plays.

Luther

Stevie Wonder.

I am going to love this section. I get to cross-over in piano in a way that I've never been "allowed" to do when I am singing. I don't think there's a single style of piano music I am not able to appreciate on some level. There's somebody I really like playing piano on one of Kirk Whalum's sax CDs...I'll have to find the case and figure out who it is.

I am a 100% dedicated Errol Garner fan. Have seen him 3 or 4 times in concert in England 1960's. His playing I find just so exciting and technically unable to be copied by anyone I've heard, though some have tried. I like any jazz pianist that does not loose either a rhythm or the basic melody of the song or whatever the piece is based on.

As far as current pianists go Diana Krall is one of my favourites as she also keeps with the rhythm and the outline of the melody plus the jazz improvisation and her singing.

I have many others from the pre 'contemporary age' jazz.

Alan

Looked at this thread and immediately thought of Amy Lee and Vanessa Carlton, but I see they both have already been mentioned :p oh well.

Altho Amy lee is and ok player I think if ure looking for a piano virtuoso in the rock world i would definatly recommend u give matt bellamy from muse a listen too. Hes a decent guitarist but my god wat a piano player.
Listen to: Bliss -muse, Space dementia-muse
it rele is great stuff

I enjoy listening to the pianist from Pink Martini (Lauderdale?). He'll segue from classical to Latin/lounge/whatever and finds the most amazing melodies.

Amy lee plays the piano, but i don't think she's clasically-trained. she, like me, probably got the sheet music to her own song and learned to play it, b/c it's a rather easy song to play to be honest.
oh, and did anyone forget to mention Alicia Keys? she's absolutely a genius, and i love her. she, like vanessa, can lay a hurtin' on a piano, but she expands her boundaries more than Carlton, who only plays the piano, and writes weird lyrics.

You know I'm kind of sorry they separated the piano corner into "classical" "non-classical". This question, for instance, where does new age fit in? I guess it fits here - it's not considered classical - so I'd like to offer the following pianist/composers that I like.

These are solo piano CDs (electronic keyboards are NOT used.)

Kostia (the best in my opinion)

David Nevue

Keiko Matsui (She has a terrific solo piano CD called "The Piano". I believe all of her other CDs have electronic keyboards on them.)

John Boswell

Peter Kater (Kater's newest CD "Piano" is up for Grammy award!)

Dave Eggar (Very emotive, introspective kind of music.)

Wayne Gratz

Bradfield

and, of course, everybody knows Jim Brickman

Check out amazon.com to hear samples from these CDs. If anyone has a new "find", I hope you'll post here.

Jeanne W

Oh, almost forgot Jamie Cullum. The new guy from England-plays jazz/pop. Check his "Twenty-Something" Cd out. (It's his best!)

I caught this young player on E! (I think...) a few months ago... I find her interesting to say the least...

http://www.nelliemckay.com

My fav Pop.... Billy Joel, Elton John, Bruce Hornsby (never met him Pianobeast.. but i did get an email from him)

Norah Jones is not exactly pop... saw her live 2 times... great show...

Ben Folds... Amazing on stage

Tori Amos... yes she is very talented... just strange to watch on stage

Sarah Mac... always love to see her play

Diana Krall... would love to see her live

shut me up... but seriously... check out Nellie McKay... I keep watching her schedule to see if she hits any venue near here... She is very young I think... 20?? Very interesting

I keep hearing about Diana Krall. Can anyone recommend a CD?.

Thanks,
Steve

Steve...

My personal Favorite... Live in Paris

Diana Krall is fabulous!

Jeanne W

My personal new favourite artist who plays the piano is Vanessa Carlton. There's only one song by her I don't like, The Wreckage from her new album. But Papa from her new album definetely showcases her piano abilities. I agree that her music is sometimes simple but I really like the harmonies and lyrics.

neciebuggs,

Thanks for the recommendation.

Steve

Steve,
No problem!! Please Post what you think of her when you hear her play... even if it isnt the Live in Paris.

*agrees with Prophetic* i'm sorry, but i don't know anything about most of the painists in this forum except Norah Jones, Elton John, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, David Foster, and Vanessa Carlton.
and i agree. she can rip up a piano. i'm currently listening to 'Papa' on Sessions@AOL. i have her debut. and listen to it often. it has catchy piano riffs. i never get tired of that album.

Don't forget Garry Wright and his guitar style stage keyboard.

amen to the comment on ben folds, he is an amazing performer

I absolutely idolize ray charles. but also i like stevie wonder, norah jones, alicia keys, dave brubeck and thelonious monk.

Sorry to be late to the party Steve, but my favorite would be "When I look in your eyes".

However, here latest "The girl in the other room" is absolutely awesome too. She wrote the music to about half the tunes and her husband Elvis Costello helped arrange the lyrics.

Check out some short clips on her website:

http://dianakrall.com/music3.aspx

Thanks John!.

Another good DVD is:- Diana Krall live at the Montreal Jazz Festival 2004 on Verve.

Is the 'Live in Paris' a DVD? Please

Alan

Live in Paris is both DVD and CD although I think the DVD has a couple of bonus tracks.

Is anyone here English? Or have heard of Muse?

Matt Bellamy is a terrific pianist (as well as an amazing guitarist / singer / songwriter). His piano parts are often epic, dark but glorious, like superimposing some romantic piano (e.g. Sibelius, Chopin) on to rock music. Very powerful if you don't mind heavy rock. Very worth checking out?

What are people's opinions on Jamie Cullum? (Again maybe only known in England).

And what about Coldplay's Chris Martin? His piano parts are simple but beautiful, technically maybe not that difficult but a tribute to his musical ability.

Anyway, I could keep going... but I won't.

Paul

She's got a great style, poetic lyrics, and is not too hard on the eyes!

But... for non classical -- my favs are Tom Waits (who combines that gravelled drunken voice with the sweetest piano) and Roy Bittan (who backs for Springsteen, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, David Bowie... for a great intro listen to the piano back on Thunder Road.

As far as non-classical, i do like some of the
"new-age pianoist from Windham Hill & Narada. George Winston and David Lanz come to mind.

Jordan Rudess is also a great piano player.
His site is:
http://www.jordanrudess.com
He also plays synthesizer with Dream Theater but his piano work is brilliant.
I really like black ice and Furia Taurina from the live album: John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess �An Evening With��.

----------------
Nelis

Bob Milne, it's not even close....

Odd that you should mention that. Bob Milne is my favorite pianist also.

Doug

David Thomas Roberts, Frank French, Scott Kirby, John Arpin, Reginald Robinson, Guido Neilsen. I see Reggie has just won a $500,000 grant.

Reginald Robinson

I'm pleased about this because I've been telling everybody for years that I think he's good.

Hey Ted2,

I like all of your pianists, too....Ever see John Gill? He's in Australia...relatively close to you....

ragtimebg:

I haven't actually met any of these people, although David's publisher is a friend going back around eight years, when I first found the contemporary ragtimers via the internet. I wrote letters asking for scores and recordings and they were all very helpful. Ragtime interest in New Zealand is negligible. I would like to attend the festivals in Sedalia and Denver but work and the cost due to the exchange rate has stopped me so far.

I have played and written ragtime since I was young but it is only in recent years that really good scores and recordings have become available, again because of the internet - the stores here don't carry them. I've only ever spoken to David once over the phone but he's a fascinating musical personality. I think he is at last starting to write out his "New Orleans Streets", instead of carrying it around in his head and on scraps of paper but I don't think we would be wise to hold our breath.

Myself, I play most of James Scott, some of Joplin and a selection by David, Frank (Bucktown Buck is a good piece), Reggie and Hal Isbitz. I have written a reasonable amount of ragtime over the years, despite being preoccupied mainly with other genres and improvisation.

One good thing is the large number of excellent transcriptions now available e.g. Morton (Dapogny), Waller (Posnak), Johnson (Scivales.

Yes, I do have John Gill's CD and he's probably the best I've heard in that particular style.

I'm a big fan of Ben Folds as well. He's pretty crazy on stage. I've never seen anyone elbow the piano to finish a song before him.

Jamie Cullum has a good stage presence and a swinging, funky style on the piano too. I think he should be nicer to his instruments though. He must have seen a few Ben Folds shows, though I have never seen/heard Ben Folds yet.

My music teacher at school recommended Diana Krall to me, and lent me a few CDs.. I fell in love immediately! Her emotional lyrics pair up nicely with her pianism. Really enjoyable!

I would add Liz Story to the mix. She also had the good sense to marry a good stand up bass man.

ChT

No one mentions Jools Holland in this forum. Whether you like boogie woogie or not, he is the man