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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=68035 Printed Date: July 27 2025 at 21:31 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Best prog rock flautist, besides Ian Anderson.Posted By: Anthony H.
Subject: Best prog rock flautist, besides Ian Anderson.
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 21:36
Who's your favorite prog flautist, BESIDES Ian Anderson? Put the band name along with the player, just to make the discussion easier.
Replies: Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 21:50
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 21:59
Many too many:
Thijs Van Leer (Focus)
Anna Holmgren (Anglagard)
Ian Mc'Donald (King Crimson)
John Hackett (Steve Hackett)
Mauro Pagani (PFM)
Giorgio Giorgi (Quella Vecchia Locanda)
Peter Gabriel (Not in the level of others, but always made an impeccable job)
Attila Kollar (Solaris)
Eril Tekeli (Asia Minor) KILLER
Junior Pacora (Flor the Loto) OUTSTANDING, the sound of the band is based in Flute, quena, antara and other ethnic Peruvian woodwinds.
Ten to start
Iván
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Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 22:05
^That's a great list.
I would like to add some people which are not usually associated with flute, but when doing it, they're surprisingly good at that: Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane.
I won't even start with a plethora of flutists in jazz-rock...
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 22:34
Herbie Mann.
------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 22:39
Not one of the best, but just thought I would mention Andy Latimer too.
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 02:35
Thijs Van Leer ..just for the mad flute playing on Hocus Pocus
Posted By: The Runaway
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 05:22
Andy Latimer of Camel, Thijs van Leer of Focus, Didier Malherbe of Gong, they're all fantastic flautists, but really, in my opinion, nobody beats Nigel Pegrum!
Posted By: Paulieg
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 05:56
Excellent topic and question. It would literally take me going through my 1500 odd CD's to remember ones I haven't heard in some time. Someone mentioned Asia Minor. I have both of their re-releases on CD and would have forgotten of Eril Tekeli. Nice call. A lot of the folk influenced bands had excellent flautists and even picolo players. I have to mention Gravy Train's Norman Barret even though they were moved to heavy prog? Maybe their later two albums, but they started and are known for their folk start and mixture with prog, in their prime. Then I have to concur with Focus's Van Leer. I'll think of some good ones because there are a lot. I love Andy Latimer's playing also. The Italian bands had all kinds of great flute players and Banco was amazing for Clarinet, oboe, picolo, and mandolin, among other instruments. Today's La Maschera Di Cera's Flautist is amazing.
Posted By: ibolomania
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 06:31
Thijs Van Leer is personally, by contrubting his flute with very different styles like "Hocus Pocus" and classical use like "House of the King".
Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 06:46
Ian McDonald.
Posted By: Mr. Maestro
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 09:33
Thijs van Leer is my all-time favorite. Of course he's got all manner of classical training, but he's also an excellent jazz improvisationalist.
------------- "I am the one who crossed through space...or stayed where I was...or didn't exist in the first place...."
Posted By: Adams Bolero
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 10:25
Jimmy Hastings
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 11:04
Elio D'anna-Osanna
Rainer Bodensohn-Brainstorm
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 11:24
Didier Malherbe, without a doubt. Best flautist including Anderson..
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BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue.
Posted By: The Monodrone
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 14:21
I like Peter Gabriel's flute-playing a lot... it's very memorable. Not that he's particularly very technically skilled at the instrument, but he does add a nice atmosphere.
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Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 22:39
I like Thijs Van Leer pretty much. Focus was the first rock band (I didn't know about progressive then) which gave so much importance to the flute. Now, I don't really know so much about flute, is Ian Anderson really so very good? Or is he just in the most popular prog band fronted by a flute player? I mean, I really like his playing in Jethro Tull, but wouldn't know if what he's doing is really so amazing or just sounds cool.
Posted By: Paulieg
Date Posted: June 06 2010 at 08:13
Dellinger wrote:
I like Thijs Van Leer pretty much. Focus was the first rock band (I didn't know about progressive then) which gave so much importance to the flute. Now, I don't really know so much about flute, is Ian Anderson really so very good? Or is he just in the most popular prog band fronted by a flute player? I mean, I really like his playing in Jethro Tull, but wouldn't know if what he's doing is really so amazing or just sounds cool.
Ian Anderson blows most flute players away with his emotional playing. His style, he created and it's been talked of in amazement by prog lovers since "Cross eyed Mary" etc. from "Aqualung. He started the unigue style of playing so emotionally his breath in for more air to play sounds awesome and I've never heard the equal, as in purely emotional playing. Ian with his band Jethro Tull also produced many folk inspired prog releases like two of my favorites, which include more traditional flute playing and he is still amazing. Try the albums: Agualung, Song's From The Wood, and 'Heavy Horses." Also, my favorite, "Thick As A Brick" if you like more straight progressive rock than folk inspired. I have all of JT's releases except JTull.com. I wouldn't go past "Songs From The Wood," as the quality of his music, or the style and times, made further releases very disappointing, exept for a few, like Stormwatch. Still, I don't want to steer you wrong, so I'd get "Aqualung and Heavy Horses," to get the broadest overview of Tull's two major different styles, being straight hard progressive rock and progressive folk rock. I won't even get into the first two releases, because they are much more blues based, and this was short lived. Benefit, when Tull started changing to a heavy folk inspired prog band, is one of my fav's too, but I'd start with the 2 I mentioned, if you really want to hear an awesome flute player.
The very reason Ian Anderson was ommitted is because everyone, or most, would give that answer, and they would be justified. Still, there are amazing flute player's even today, playing progressive rock. The Ozric Tenticles is another good band with a good flute player. Space/psychedelic progressive rock in a leauge all their own, or they lead it.
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: June 06 2010 at 22:36
^ As a matter of fact, I have some of their albums already. I have the first album, Living in the Past, and Songs from the Wood. As well as some live ones, Live: Bursting Out, Live in Montreux, and Living with the Past. As a matter of fact, Aqualung and Heavy Horses are two of the albums I'm considering next, as well as Thick as a Brick. Now, to tell you the truth, I have mostly liked the live versions of their songs better (and the ones from Live at Montreux and Living with the Past rock so cool), so I was considering to get the live version of Aqualung first (though I know that may sound as sacrilege to most, and most will recommend me not to do such a thing), however, I'll see what I do. Since I liked the way the band from those two last live albums played, I'm also considering to get Dot Com and From Roots to Branches.
Posted By: himtroy
Date Posted: June 06 2010 at 23:45
Ray Thomas, Ian Mcdonald, Jimmy Hastings, David Jackson ( the flute on Pawn Hearts is epic)
------------- Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell?
I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance.
Posted By: Tarquin Underspoon
Date Posted: June 06 2010 at 23:55
The Runaway wrote:
Andy Latimer of Camel, Thijs van Leer of Focus, Didier Malherbe of Gong, they're all fantastic flautists, but really, in my opinion, nobody beats Nigel Pegrum!
Posted By: WyattEarp
Date Posted: June 07 2010 at 17:42
Hermann Josef Bosten of Tortilla Flat
Go youtube and listen to the songs Tortilla Flat and Mohre uploaded by GeorgeLupine
Stephan Kaske of Mythos(Krautrock) on the Album Dreamlabs he'll take you to far away places and just totally blow your mind away.
Posted By: Kashmir75
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 07:07
Theo Travis (Gong, Robert Fripp, No Man, Soft Machine, Porcupine Tree, etc)
------------- Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while...
Posted By: timothy leary
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 16:31
Valery Tolstov from Oaksenham, an Armenian band
Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 16:37
Bloomdido Bad de Grass
------------- Help me I'm falling!
Posted By: The Runaway
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 03:33
Tarquin Underspoon wrote:
The Runaway wrote:
Andy Latimer of Camel, Thijs van Leer of Focus, Didier Malherbe of Gong, they're all fantastic flautists, but really, in my opinion, nobody beats Nigel Pegrum!
You're the first one to actually get what I'm saying!
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 06:29
Adams Bolero wrote:
Jimmy Hastings
Great work for Caravan, Chris Squire and Steve Hackett to name but a few.
Posted By: mike hewetson
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 06:36
yeah,its got to be thijs van leer for me too, -the emotion of some of those focus songs -always brings tears to the eyes! i"d also say the guy in asia minor is a personal favourite. i prefer ian anderson"s flute on tull"s proggy albums "thick as a brick" and "a passion play"- amazing!
------------- mike hewetson
Posted By: topographicbroadways
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 14:40
Mel Collins of King Crimson is my favourite and obviously Peter Gabriel is a Flute God.
Wow this is turning into quite the flute salad
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Posted By: desistindo
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 14:57
Ian Mc'Donald (King Crimson) certainly. Not just for his technic, but cause he does a diferent sound of the rest of progressive flute players, whose generaly uses a variation of folk/rock/pseudo-symphonic melody. I should say that flute wasnt made for rock - ok, what ian anderson did was cool -, but the combination of smooth rock and flute its very nice, as we can listen in works like Gotic - Escenes (i dont remember the name of the flutist).
Posted By: cannon
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 23:10
Jacques Harrison from the Canadian band Dillinger and then later of The Hunt. I'm not saying that he's in the top 20. Also played keys and sax.
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 06:05
You just have to listen to this to know the answer:
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BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue.
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 07:04
One of my all time favourites, Dan Byron from byron and Urma:
Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 07:25
Thijs Van Leer (Focus)
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Posted By: Kojak
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 07:58
Gonna be a bit predictable and go with Adrián Terrazas-González, I also love his sax playing and what he can do to a set of bongos.
Also, Ian McDonald.
I know there are many more I have yet to have the pleasure of, and I will check some of those mentioned in this thread.
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 08:35
and of course Didier Malherbe who was already cited 3 or 4 times.
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_filelist.xml -
------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)
Posted By: The Monodrone
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 09:07
Kashmir75 wrote:
Theo Travis (Gong, Robert Fripp, No Man, Soft Machine, Porcupine Tree, etc)
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Posted By: kole
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 09:23
Thijs Van Leer. I like him even more than Ian.
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 10:47
Anderson included, Jimmy Hastings' flutework is the most distinctive I've heard. Wonderful stuff for Soft Machine, Caravan, Chris Squire etc. and instantly recognisable. Maneige's Alain Bergeron is also excellent.
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 12:16
1. Thijs van Leer (Focus)
2. Ian Mc Donald (King Crimson)
3. Jan Kubík (Flamengo)
4. Gábor Egervári (After Crying)
5. Jiří Stivín (Blue Effect)
6. Peter Gabriel (Genesis)
7. Jřrgen Munkeby (Jaga Jazzist, Motorpsycho)
8. Barbara Thompson (Paraphernalia, Colosseum)
9. Lasisi "Loughty" Amao (Zzebra)
10. Zdeněk Kluka (Progres 2)
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 12:50
We completely forgot about teh spanish Ian Anderson, Jose Carlos Molina.
------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 12:58
Ketil Vestrum Einarson (White Willow). An excellent flautist.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 13:50
Thijis is nice. I don't know if this image will sick around: Got it on LP as a used promotional copy.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 14:05
(continues)
11. Mauro Pagani (Premiata Forneria Marconi)
12. Nik Turner (Hawkwind)
13. Andy Latimer (Camel)
14. Anna Holmgren (Anglagard)
15. Dick Halligan (Blood Sweat & Tears)
16. Ketil Vestrum Einarsen (White Willow)
Notice:
I´m not specialist for wind instruments but I mention my favourite flute players, as I remember some their good parts. My list isn´t sorted by importance, but accordingly I have remembered to each other.
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 02:51
I have remembered to Cecilia Tenconi, excellent flautist of Argentinian gem Bubu!
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 02:52
John Hackett
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<font color=Brown>Music - The Sound Librarian
...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR]
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 16:14
Hi,
Hard to discuss this in here since you guys tend to limit the instrument and the so many other folks out there that can blow off more than a third of the list here. But there are some that would fit in other areas that also expand the value of that instrument.
I don't like to compare Ian to anyone else. Except that he is stuck in a time warp and is not willing/capable of doing anything else but the stuff that ends up on radio with 25 second solos by him, before he runs out of breath!
But the list for these is massive. Incidentally, I just got Thiij's first 2 albums (Introspection 1 and 2) as they had been on my want list for a long time. Pretty much all classical music.
A couple of others that also stand out ... Stephen Micus ... Jan Garbarek (though he is better known for saxophone).
In classical music Rampal was the standard, but I never thought he was any better than a buffon. In jazz there are a couple others that deserve mention and probably could blow Ian under the carpet with his 4 minute songs! ... folks like Herbie Flowers comes to mind.
------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com
Posted By: seventhsojourn
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 17:19
moshkito wrote:
Hi,
Hard to discuss this in here since you guys tend to limit the instrument and the so many other folks out there that can blow off more than a third of the list here. But there are some that would fit in other areas that also expand the value of that instrument.
I don't like to compare Ian to anyone else. Except that he is stuck in a time warp and is not willing/capable of doing anything else but the stuff that ends up on radio with 25 second solos by him, before he runs out of breath!
But the list for these is massive. Incidentally, I just got Thiij's first 2 albums (Introspection 1 and 2) as they had been on my want list for a long time. Pretty much all classical music.
A couple of others that also stand out ... Stephen Micus ... Jan Garbarek (though he is better known for saxophone).
In classical music Rampal was the standard, but I never thought he was any better than a buffon. In jazz there are a couple others that deserve mention and probably could blow Ian under the carpet with his 4 minute songs! ... folks like Herbie Flowers comes to mind.
The only limits are that they play prog, be flautists, and are not Ian Anderson... and that's no small amount of criticism for someone you don't like to compare to others.
Posted By: Canprog
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 18:54
rogerthat wrote:
Not one of the best, but just thought I would mention Andy Latimer too.
Here, Here
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 22:35
the new ERIS PLUVIA album "Third Eye Light" has loads of great flute played in a softer vein by Roberta Piras. PERERIN's Aneurin Owen plays plenty of fine flutes on their first 2 albums. HORSLIPS' Jim Lockhart plays well, sometimes in the Ian Anderson style. Then there's
ROUSSEAU's Christoph Huste, NOVALIS' Fred Mühlböck, ASIA MINOR's Eril Tekeli, FOREVER TWELVE's Cat Ellen, GRACE's Harry Davies, GROOVECTOR's Teemu Huunonen, HOELDERLIN who had several on their debut at least, HOSTSONATEN had several, ITOIZ's Joseba Erkiaga, KERRS PINK's Harald Lytom, LETHE's Stefano Fornaroli, MADISON DYKE's Burkhard Ritter, Basque group MAGDALENA's Mikel Landa, MOSTLY AUTUMN's Angela Goldthorpe, OLOFERNE's Alessandro Piccioni, PELL MELL"s Thomas Schmitt SOLARIS' and solo work Attila Kollar TAMALONE had several, one off like Jethro Tull VIIMA's Mikko Uusi-Oukari WHITE WILLOW's Audun Kjus SEVEN REIZH's Gwendall Mével
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 09:18
kenethlevine wrote:
WHITE WILLOW's Audun Kjus
I'd forgotten that Audun Kjus was the flautist on Ignis Fatuus, what with Einarsen being a permenant member since Ex Tenebris.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 11:40
My favorite would be Jimmy Hastings, who already has been mentioned a few times.
Someone whom I also like and hasn't been mentioned, if I saw that right, is Chris Wood from Traffic.
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 11:57
Sorry for the digression, butt are there are any prog rock flatulists that people can recommend?
------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 07 2010 at 17:57
Logan wrote:
Sorry for the digression, butt are there are any prog rock flatulists that people can recommend?
Flatulists?
Easy ... the band was even named after him and his flatulence is the rumor!
Nik Turner
The band?
Hawkwind!
------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com