{"id":35976,"date":"2016-04-08T07:57:31","date_gmt":"2016-04-08T11:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=35976"},"modified":"2016-04-08T14:31:22","modified_gmt":"2016-04-08T18:31:22","slug":"essay-thoughts-on-the-passing-of-keith-emerson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2016\/04\/08\/essay-thoughts-on-the-passing-of-keith-emerson\/","title":{"rendered":"ESSAY | Thoughts On The Passing Of Keith Emerson"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keith Emerson: A hero to the progressive rock movement.<\/h3>\n
\"Keith
Keith Emerson (1944-2016), Brilliant Keyboardist and Founding Member of Emerson, Lake and Palmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The world is now a little less musical with the passing of progressive rock icon Keith Emerson.\u00a0 The last time I saw the maestro play was in Montreal in 2010 during the Emerson\/Lake show at Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts.\u00a0 Greg Lake reminded the audience that night that they (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and we (the audience) were \u201clike a family\u201d; \u201cwe\u2019ve watched each other grow up.\u201d\u00a0 Fans of progressive rock have certainly watched the legendary Keith Emerson mature in stages.<\/p>\n

As a young teenager, I remember being captivated by Emerson in The Nice, especially his piano rendition of a Tim Hardin song, Hang on to a Dream<\/a><\/em>. \u00a0The track beautifully captures both the innocence of the \u201860s and Emerson\u2019s virtuosity.\u00a0 I was spellbound watching him blend classical, jazz, and rock in a unique tapestry, and although I could not explain it then, I knew that I was in the presence of a genuine artist.\u00a0 When I purchased my first record by The Nice, it contained the track Flower King of Flies<\/a><\/em>, and I was thrilled to discover the talent of this amazing organist, someone who broke all the rules.<\/p>\n

When Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP) formed, it just confirmed every fan\u2019s basic belief that we were, in fact, witnessing greatness blossom.\u00a0\u00a0 In the 1970s, ELP was one of the most exciting, innovative bands on the planet, and they continued to improve with each successive studio recording.\u00a0 Taken as a whole, Emerson, Lake & Palmer<\/em> (1970), Tarkus <\/em>(1971), Trilogy<\/em> (1972), Brain Salad Surgery<\/em> (1973), and Works Vol. I<\/em> (1977) showcased a group that defied musical boundaries.<\/p>\n

In 1977, the band peaked during their infamous Montreal Olympic Stadium concert<\/a>.\u00a0 Augmented by over 100 orchestra and choir members, and 88,000 of the fan faithful in attendance, the show represented ELP at its best \u2014 a classical rock extravaganza.\u00a0 It stands as one of the greatest shows in rock music history.<\/p>\n

After ELP went on hiatus, Emerson diehards remained dedicated to the next phase of his career as a film composer.\u00a0 Emerson conjured up a frightening score for Dario Argento\u2019s Inferno<\/em><\/a> (1980).\u00a0 He also added a dramatic flair to Sylvester Stallone\u2019s thriller Nighthawks<\/em><\/a> (1981).\u00a0 It was largely because of Emerson that prog rockers took more interest in film scoring as a unique art form.<\/p>\n

The 1980s also introduced a modern version of ELP to the Music Television (MTV) generation. \u00a0ELP scored a hit with Touch and Go<\/a><\/em>\u00a0in 1986 (with Cozy Powell on drums).\u00a0 For those who loved classic ELP, however, the Gustav Holst track \u201cMars, the Bringer of War\u201d showcased Emerson\u2019s talent as an arranger.<\/p>\n

In 1988, Emerson would modernize the progressive sound further in a commercial outfit called \u201c3,\u201d which marked the return of Carl Palmer along with Robert Berry on bass guitar and vocals.\u00a0 The hit Talkin\u2019 Bout<\/a><\/em>\u00a0was well received, but ELP would return with the original lineup to record 1992\u2019s, Black Moon<\/em>.\u00a0 Although ELP were becoming a presence in the 1990s and played some outstanding shows, by 1998 the band was no longer a functioning unit.<\/p>\n

Over the past two decades, however, Emerson began to shape his own identity as a serious composer.\u00a0 The music of ELP has caught on with orchestras around the world.\u00a0 Not only has Emerson\u2019s \u201cPiano Concerto No. 1\u201d been widely promoted by world-class pianist Jeffrey Biegel<\/a>, but in classical repertoire, Emerson\u2019s name is now confidently mentioned in the same company as Bach or Mussorgsky\u2014and rightly so.\u00a0 His Three Fates Project<\/em><\/a> (2012), with guitarist Marc Bonilla and conductor Terje Mikkelsen, is a testament to his love of the classical genre.<\/p>\n

As far as rock bands go, ELP was special.\u00a0 The group instilled a sense of culture into rock music by bringing classical music to the masses.\u00a0 Emerson challenged listeners to go beyond standard pop and travel the road less traveled. And prog-rockers enthusiastically came along for a white-knuckle ride.\u00a0 Sadly, in March of 2016, that ride came to an end.<\/p>\n

Yet Emerson\u2019s legacy lives on.\u00a0 He was part of a musical counterculture, as important to the identity of \u201870s prog-rockers as Bob Dylan was to the \u201860s protest movements.\u00a0 Whereas poets agonize over every word they craft, Emerson genuinely cared about every note he played.\u00a0 He was truly a musician\u2019s musician.<\/p>\n

As a pioneer and innovator, he created musical structures that sounded seemingly impossible to create.\u00a0 It\u2019s not surprising that he is the standard by which all rock keyboardists are compared. \u00a0For prog rockers, myself included, Emerson is the<\/em> godfather of the progressive rock movement.\u00a0 He was and will always remain our musical hero.<\/p>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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