Yet I do acknowledge that the casual or more prudish observer of Emerson’s legacy may wish to ignore some of the “baggage” that he brought on himself as a non-singing keyboard player-extramusical things he did in efforts to gain audience attention as a keyboardist in a guitar-oriented rock music world:Īlthough quiet, soft-spoken and articulate off stage, onstage Emerson was a self-described egomaniac he did not rely only on his musicianship to get a crowd’s interest. The intent of this page is to discuss, at a surface level, some of Emerson’s musical innovations. Despite his unique talents as a keyboardist and composer, the fact that he was in a popular “rock band” in the 1970’s, sometimes brings dismissive eye rolls to some musical snobs. He’s even jammed with jazz great Oscar Peterson as a featured guest on the latter pianist’s TV show in the 1970’s.įor decades I have been fascinated by the unique sonorities, musical textures, and boldly shimmering dissonances that resonate in Emerson’s music. He also composed a serious piano concerto (recently re-recorded by prominent concert pianist Jeffrey Biegel), multiple film scores (including “Nighthawks” for Sylvester Stallone), and various other compositions in a wide variety of styles and settings. British keyboardist Keith Emerson (1944-2016) was best known for his work with the 1970’s progressive rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer (“ELP”).
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