I'd like to nominate Józef Skrzek from SBB.

What are your candidates?

This . . .

Falk Ulrich Rogner ... in the earlier days of AD2. Most incredible sound addition to the band, had personality and touch, and was able to also improvise very cleanly.

I don't think he's underrated, but probably is not very well known: Marian Varga from Collegium Musicum

Like any other intelligent enough person I am always very sensitive and careful about terms like "underrated". I know what "overrated" might mean, but the opposite tip is sure controversial. Rolling Stones the band are no doubt overrated. KISS are terribly overrated. 

You do not really need to be into music theory and practice, to get why Kerry was one of a kind. Both in theory and practical implementation. Triplets and syncopations galore. Style so unique and distinguishable. 

Cressida had talented keyboards - Peter Jennings, they say. 

Greenslade - obvious candidate. To my ear of a music gourmand, not gourmet (as far as I know there are three grades of eaters: gluttons that just love to eat, gourmands that loves to eat delicious food, and gourmets that love exquisite food), Greenslade is step above ELP. Unique melodies, compact enough compositions. 

Fantasy (of Paint A Picture fame) and Spring (3 keyboardists, they say) had fine composers and performers. 

Yep. Maybe add Eddie Jobson to the list too but admittedly he's probably an "in betweener." ;)

I was actually going to say Kerry Minnear but went for Bardens instead. Hugh Banton might also be a possible choice.

Seriously, Thomas Kurzhals of Stern Meissen was an excellent keyboarder, and hardly anybody knows that.

William D. Drake anyone? Lutz Rahn of Novalis was also very good.

Ton Scherpenzeel. Kayak don't get a lot of love but they didn't record and release 18 studio albums for nothing. Ton played on all of them and was also the main writer. Tremendous player with Rick Wakeman like chops as evidenced by the track Royal Bed Bouncer.

Also Par Lindh is surely worth a mention.

I Advanced Masked credits: 

This is tough ... but here goes. I think some folks might not like this post.

Keith was a classical music composer, and the way it was presented with ELP was the only way he could get his material played or heard. Considering him just a keyboardist is kinda silly in my book, specially when nowadays you can hear some of his material done acoustically via Rachel Flowers' hands! Something that many "fans" won't do.

Wakeman, for my tastes is one of the bigger buffoons to play ... he certainly can play, and I would consider him a definite "keyboardist", but for my ears, and heart, a 2nd rate composer, completely dependant on the various different synths and sounds. If the electricity is turned of, I am not sure that you will EVER enjoy listening to Rick, as it will sound plain, boring and tired.

Tony, is tough ... he has not really shown any of us anything else other than what he does for the band, thus making it difficult to know what to say without sounding rude. I think he has the tools for it, and would like to see him branch out of the group, but I am not sure he is comfortable, or used to doing anything beyond the 5, 6 or 7 minutes of a composition for the group. I think he has it, but it has to get out from the "band" for us to know better.

Rick W is probably the one person that helped PF be a sound behemoth, instead of it just being a solo or piece of nothing keyboard sound over a rock song. Rick, was always the best "experimentalist" of all the members of the group, and it was sad that all that DG could do on one more album, was to present him as a bunch of songs, when I think a lot of the material Rick W came up with would likely give Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre and many others a run for their work, but folks around PF and Rick's family will never allow that stuff to be heard and seen ... and DG is just a musician, not an artist to appreciate what Rick left behind. One can only hope that some of it shows up, and completely away from DG, RW and any PF connection so the music has a chance to live ... but I am not sure that the family "owns" much of it and this might be the problem ... owned by someone else that just keeps it on the stacks of ... death forever, just like the amount of stuff in Frank Zappa's old house that not even his _________ knows what to do with it, and Dweezil is not smart enough to go beyond the quantity of notes and touches and well remembered songs! Dweezil's creativity is stuck in nowhere land!

As much as I love listening to Rick Wright's moments, they are by far some of the best sound bits, even stronger at times than Tangerine Dream, my sentiments go with Keith ... and his classical style that so few folks can appreciate, and how the time and place forced him to show his material in a way that we enjoyed, but was not exactly what he had in mind.

One last comment ... and it is about the big buffoon ... and a reminder that JP Rampal, one day decided to do a show with a well known jazz flautist ... at the Hollywood Bowl ... and I can tell you that from that day on, JP Rampal, was shown to be a very poor player that could not even improvise. He was blown off the stage, literally! I think the same with happen to Rick ... although I have to admit that a couple of his specials, like the one on Vivaldi, is excellent, but it was like it was giving him license to let his right hand go bananas on a 3rd and then 4th keyboard, so the same thing sounds different. At least Vivaldi, could not "cheat!.

He reminds me a lot of my Mum who also expects you to have taken your telepathy pills when conversing.

b_olariu wrote: Among others, Manfred Mann, if I ask some prog rock listners who this guy is, I guess only a handfull of them will say I know him, sad, his keyboard tone is unique and recognizable from hundreds

Hi,

Strange comment in my book ... what's the point of having/using telepathy if you don't use it? Being cross, silly, and off the conversation, is another story! 

BTW, telepathy can not be "learned" by a pill ... you either "have it" and develop it, or forget about it. And a mother would not necessarily know about her son, or daughter, in regards to that ability, although I have read and heard that some traits can carry genetically, but the developing of them is another story! I would almost say the mum is not interested in the conversation and is using an excuse to get you riled up! 

I feel Dennis DeYoung is underrated.  Without DeYoung, Styx would have been just a rock band with resplendent harmonies. When it comes to rating musicians, I emphasize composition skills.  DeYoung's ear for beautiful keyboard melodies cannot be denied. 

Absolutely agree with this take. Dennis DeYoung is not only one of the most slept on keyboardists in prog, but he's undeniably one of the best voices in MUSIC. His work with Styx (especially on Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight, and Cornerstone) is absolutely 1st class in both aspects. 

https://youtu.be/wqWG1lW-pQo?si=kxNW5vIS-GtT2oAX" rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/wqWG1lW-pQo?si=kxNW5vIS-GtT2oAX

It's strange that Eloy's keyboard players in their classic era (73 to 84) are never mentioned. I'm as guilty of that as anyone. 

1973-1975 (Inside to Power and The Passion) Manfred Wieczorke

People don't know Manfred Mann? They are surely missing out..