Acknowledging these 3 composers as perhaps the most notable pop-rock-r&b 'pianist composers' of our time:

Stevie Wonder
Elton John
Billy Joel

Which of their songs are your personal favorites, and which (if any) of their lesser known tunes are standouts to you?

Ooh, tough call, there, Scott. You kinda wonder which titles to leave out.

Stevie Wonder: Higher Ground
Elton John: Someone Saved My life Tonight
Billy Joel: Vienna

Songs that I perform from these guys:

Stevie Wonder: All In Love Is Fair, Part Time Lover
Elton John: Crocodile Rock, Daniel, You Can Make History Young, Made In England
Billy Joel: You May Be Right

Billy Joel ... Soo many ... NY State of Mind is my Fav.
Elton ... Not a big fan.
SW .... You and I



[This message has been edited by JCkeeys (edited 11-23-2010).]

I'm a big fan of them all. Here's some of their tunes that I try to play (as instrumentals)Maybe someday I'll sing them too

Elton: Daniel, Benny and the Jets, Your Song
Stevie Wonder: Isn't She Lovely, My cherie Amor, I just Called..., You Are the sunshine of My Life
Billy Joel: Just the Way You Are

[This message has been edited by montunoman (edited 11-23-2010).]

Hi Scott,

I play all my tunes as instrumentals.

Stevie Wonder...

Isn't She lovely? (great style on S910 that is perfect for it, called Lovely Shuffle.

For Once In My Life...I use a modified Kool Shuffle, which is on the S910.

Elton John...

Your Song...I use a ballad style I assembled, and then converted it in my program, StyleAdjust (made for me by Michael Bedesem), to allow playing the 2/4 measures.

Crocodile Rock...I use a style from the PSR-3000, called Croco Twist...just perfect for it.



Billy Joel...

Piano Man...use a modified Acoustic Ballad (3/4) style.

Just The Way You Are...I love playing this song, especially the sax solo...I use a style I created/assembled from several others, and it includes the intro.

Uptown Girl...a style I made (assembled) from several others, and it has the proper intro.


I do several more songs from these three guys, but these are the ones I play the most often.

Ian

SW Overjoyed has to be one of my favorite tunes period. Makes a terrific instrumental.

EJ - This Songs Got No Title;Harmony;This Train Dont Stop Here;Sorry Seems To Be; Your Song

BJ - Shes Got A Way; Goodnight Saigon; Billy The Kid; NYSOM; James

SW - Lately; Superstition; Boogie On A Reggae Woman

I play all of the above and a few others as well, but of course these barely scratch the surface of these three superb song-writers/piano-keyboard players

Dennis

Some of my favs, and Yamaha Tyros2 styles I use to play them:

Stevie:

Superstition (Soul Shuffle)
Part Time Lover (Detroit Pop1)
Everything from the "Songs in the key of life", esp Isn't She Lovely (Lovely Shuffle)

Elton:
Rocket Man (8Beat Ballad)
Daniel (Yamaha Pop Bossa1 style)
Candle In The Wind (Piano Ballad)
The 2010 Elton John/Leon Rusell Album: The Union


BIlly J:
New York State Of Mind (Slow & Easy)
It's Still Rock & Roll To Me (Rock Shuf Style)
Just The Way You Are (Pop Bossas1)
When You Wish Upon A Star (ok that's Disney tune but Joel recorded it)
Piano Man (among top requested songs) I use a Country Waltz on this one

My favorites:

SW:
Superstition
Isn't she lovely
Higher Ground
As
For Once in My Life
Signed Sealed Delivered

EJ:
The way you look tonight
Can you feel the love tonight
This Train
Daniel
Your Song
I'm still standing
I guess that's why they call it the blues

BJ:
She's always a woman to me
Captain Jack
N.Y. state of mind
Honesty
The Longest Time
We didn't start the fire
Pianoman
Just the way you are

That's just off the top of my mind, I love playing and listening to those songs.

DocZ

My fave music by them is the recent Leon / Elton Union CD. I have just about worn it out. Really good music on there.

Hi

Stevie Wonder:I Just Called to Say I Love You
Elton John: Song for Guy
Billy Joel: Piano Man

(Personal Favorites)

best wishes
Rikki
p.s
My son took me to an Elton John/ Billy Joel concert a few years ago, here in Sydney.
Surprisingly Billy Joel really stole the show.



[This message has been edited by rikkisbears (edited 11-23-2010).]

Hey Scott,

Stevie = You Haven't Done Nothing

Billy = Scenes From An Italian Restaurant

Elton = Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding

Someone told me that Uncle Dave used to perform a version of Scenes From an Italian Restaurant (or still does). I'd pay cash money to see/hear that one.

-mike

Everything Stevie!

NY State of Mind, Just the Way You Are

Your Song!


Stevie is my favorite of the three by far.
Daughter Aiesha(SP) is pretty happening, too!


Russ
(Rory-really agree on Overjoyed-must be mental epilepsy, or something)

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 11-24-2010).]

There's a Stevie Wonder song that has gained great significance with me. My best friend HankB and another great entertainer friend of mine, Billy Ledbetter, both used it to open and/or close their shows. They are both gone now and in their honor I now do the same.
The title is "A Place In The Sun".
I use a Jazz Swing style with it.

A Place In The Sun – Stevie Wonder

Like a Dm7 long lonely G7 stream,
I keep C runnin' C/B to-wards a Am7 dream
Movin' Dm7 on, G7 Movin' C on F C
______________
F6 Like Am7 a Dm7 branch on a G7 tree
I keep C reachin' C/B to be Am7 free
Movin' Dm7 on, G7 Movin' C on F C

'Cause there's a Dm7 place in the G7sun
Where there's C hope for E7 ev'ry- Am one
Where my Dm7 poor restless G7 heart's gotta run C Cmaj7 C6
There's a Dm7 place in the G7 sun
And C be-fore my E7 life is Am done
Am7 Got to Dm7 find me a G7 place in the C sun F C
______________________
Like an old dusty road, I get we-ary from the load
Movin' on, Movin' on
_______________
Like this tired troubled earth, I've been rollin' since my birth
Movin' on, Movin' on
________________
[Chorus twice and fade]

DonM

Great tune Don. Interestingly enough, this one's got personal significance for me too, because it was among the favorite 45's from my late father's record collection. This song's especially moving for its yearning desire for a better place (in the sun), and a song appropriate to dedicating to our departed loved ones. - Scott

Livin for the City
Madman Across the Water
My Life

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Piano Man
Living For The City

For me, Billy Joel, while superb, is a little too MOT for me to be a best-of-all-time musician.

As far as songwriting, I like Elton John the best of the three.

As far as keyboard playing, I give the nod to Stevie Wonder - even the Elton John is almost as good in his uniquely different style.

Elton John is my favorite songwriter.

I should get off my butt and listen to the new John/Russell album. Sounds like I'm denying myself something transformational.

Beakybird

Just got the Elton/Leon Cd and it is AWESOME...
Saw Leon in S. Fla. recently and he had to be helped to the piano.

''A song for you" is one of my favorites.