Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner - Non Classical Who is your favorite musician of all time? Why?

Favorite musician of all time? Wow, Sandy, that is a tough one. For me it would probably be Count Basie and his orchestra. They were mostly before my time, but I had all their albums as a teenager. I had tickets to see them live in Dallas at a fundraiser for KERA television, but the show was cancelled due to his illness. He passed away shortly afterward, and I never got the chance to see him in person. There are countless others I enjoy, though, from Willie Nelson to Susan Graham (I don't really like opera, but we were at school together and her voice is unbelievable) to Diana Krall to Asleep at the Wheel to Dire Straits to well, you get the idea. I have eclectic tastes.

Tx-Dennis... Count Basie, good for you to appreciate the popular music masters. So sorry you missed hearing and seeing Count Basie live. Willie Nelson is my very favorite, in his style of music. What a genius. Willie Nelson..."The Mozart of Country Music to me." Susan Graham... what school were you in together? Sandy B

I'm with Dennis- I have too many favorites to be able to pick just one. Where any of them falls on the list at any time depends on a lot of things: mood, time of day, what I'm doing, etc. But I'll give you one that is always up there: Bela Fleck. Plays the banjo, but not like any banjo player you may have heard. Bela is the single most amazing banjo player ever. He can play anything- literally. From the "standard" banjo bluegrass to jazz to classical to everything in between. And he plays with a diverse selection of musicians (from Dave Matthews Band to his latest with Chick Corea) as well as his own group, the Flecktones. Awesome musician!

Dear IrishMak, Me too. Mooney is my maiden name.Very Irish indeed. Well, sounds wonderful this banjo player.I will check this out for certain and thank you for your post and the information. My grandmother, mother's mother, was a RN and she played banjo over local radio, she was from Bowling Green , VA., for fun. Her husband , my grandfather by birth, was a classical violinist and he married her, a farm girl, who played banjo. I always found this quite fun and I always laugh when I remember this fact. Odd when I pass a violin I always want to play the violin and do not know how. Sandy B

Elton John
Jackson Brown
Steely Dan
James Taylor
Billy Joel
Bruce

Nowhere impressive, Sandy. We grew up in the same area of town and went to the same schools through high school. I sang a bit as a youngster, too, but wasn't very good.

gotta give a nod to McCartney

Wrote songs that are classics....rock and otherwize. Also one of the best bassists of the era. He also played quite a bit of guitar and piano as well. He could also play drums...and of course, sang. Pretty much the whole bananna!

Good ones. Steely Dan... Bruce... I do not know but all the others are favorites too. Sandy B

It's a toss-up:

Louis Armstrong
Paul McCartney
Brian Wilson
Fats Waller
Bill Evans
Vince Guaraldi
Monica K. (hee hee)

angelojf,

Your list is extremely close to my "real" one (as opposed to my earlier post) - virtually man-for-man. I'd probably replace Waller with Art Tatum, and add Keith Jarrett and Stevie Wonder. McCartney is an all-time favorite of mine, but I'm sure he wishes he could play keyboards, drums, and harmonica like Stevie.

OMG, take that off, angelo! Now if you had said "kawaigirl," I'd be nodding in agreement!

Have you heard the O'Neill Brothers,Ryan and Tim, current pianist and rather young? I would say late 20's or early 30's? They really are brothers and play grand pianos back to back. I have seen them on QVC, shopping channel. The first time I heard them on TV with their mother and played her favorite songs... they had me right then...mom did it for me... I jumped up and ordered their CD by telephone. Their style is easy and relaxing, mostly old favorites. One of them does compose some to their music. Play by ear people you can pick up their songs right away. The Rose I played along very fast. Strong melodic lines... They have a web site you can listen and great for a laid back evening with a glass of wine and the one you love. Chuckles. So romantic their style and inspiring. Sandy B

I like Chick Corea a lot.

I mean a lot lot lot.

well we were asked to give our all time Favourite Pianist. One alone. That is difficult in the extreme

So as Art Tatum inspired Oscar Peterson and Fats Waller inspired Art Tatum. I have to say Fats Waller. Also as the finest jazz and song writer of his era. I have others too but we were asked for one.

Alan (Swingal)

David Gilmour.

5 points to the first person that knows who he is without looking it up!

I claim my 5 points. When I was "up at" Cambridge over 30 years ago I knew a guy who had been at college with David Gilmour. He recounted to me, with wry amusement (or perhaps bitter envy) how he and his fellow students had laughed at the *****er who never did any course work, but just played his guitar, and how he would never get anywhere; such is life. And yes, I spent many hours in Grantchester Meadows.

I should have known it would be a Brit!

Congratulations ktom! You are the proud owner of 5 points!

I dont consider him my favorite, but I have to mention Art Tatum, because he is absolutely amazing , anyone else know more about him?

Ray Charles,

He plays effortlessly, and his riffs and improvizations are just perfect. He makes playing the piano seem "so easy".

The other favorites of his I like are,
1. Shake a Tail Feather
2. Baby Grand
3. Hallelujah I Love Her So

Not fair that we can only pick one!