On another thread, I wrote.....

I think Robert (Messier) is a good player, but I don't think he's a GREAT player. He's bordering on "dry" himself........again, just playing the notes! I've watched him in other video's and get that same feeling........good playing, but nothing that really moves me.

see......
arranger keyboard makes Canadian TV appearance

I DO think he plays well, knows his notes, can play many different styles, and is much better than your average keyboard player, but......I stand by what I said..."nothing that really moves me." I don't sense any emotion in his music. You might have a different opinion, but that's how I see it (or rather...hear it).

I watched the Smoke on the Water video (half-through) and the Dueling Banjo's (played on the Yamaha). Great music but too pre-packaged and predictable. Good presentations and good playing ability but more politically correct than entertaining.

That said, I really posted this to hear from some of you...who you've viewed on Youtube that you consider to be a great OMB that really "moves" you....who works every feature on their keyboard....makes you want to tap your feet and makes you feel happy listening to them (and doesn't forget to use "fills")?

I thought about it for a while and I came up with...Jurgen Sartorius (Germany) demo-ing the PA2x. I haven't heard him on the PA3x but I listened to most of his Musikant demo's on the PA2x.

There are two artists that really put me in a good mood when I listen to them: the Jimmy Sturr Polka Band and........Jurgen Sartorius!

Your candidate is......? Your comments are.........?

I'm pretty impressed by whoever is doing the playing on the BK-9 demo series that is labeled 'Famous musicians tested Roland BK-9'. The poster doesn't name them (it is a few different people), but they all have chops. And some of the jazz guitar emulation is some of the best I have ever heard.

Robert isn't playing in arranger mode at all in that Canadian broadcast, he's playing to either a sequence or an MP3. Not that that doesn't count as an OMB, but on an arranger forum, it's nice to see people playing LIVE in arranger mode and not sounding like amateurs!

Links to the whole series are on this thread: http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/366590/all/New_Amazing_Demo_Roland_BK_9

Main thing is, you can see the guys playing in arranger mode (when they use it). No trickery, no gimmicks. Just good playing.


And anything that quotes Keith Emerson is fine by me!

Oh, and this performance by Marco Parisi on the PA3X totally blew me away. Virtually every aspect of the PA3x exploited to its full funkiness!

alan mc pike you tube

Have a look at this guy....
Everything is live.
Just a wonderful musician.

There are just so many it depends on what type of music you are after, and this comes down to personal preference. (There is no one best)

Here is a selection

Enjoy

Bill

Peter baartmans is just incredible

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bm2CMv2J8cc

DON MASON !

Mark,

This is a very subjective thread, one that you have to closely examine many aspects in order to list a single person. From a purely musicianship standpoint, there are lots of outstanding performers on this and other forums that would easily fit this criteria. However, it's not just the person's ability to play the keyboard, it's a multitude of other things that make a person a great arranger keyboard performer/entertainer, not the least of is his or her singing ability.

Additionally, their ability to read an audience and capture them during a performance, their ability to quickly make the transition from one song to the next with little or no dead time between songs, their ability to interact with their audiences and make each and every song a fun event in itself. All of these things combined make a huge difference between someone who is a good musician, and a great OMB musician/entertainer/performer. When you analyze all of those attributes, the list gets pretty small, IMO.

I suspect that Michael Voncken would be right at the top of that list. He has a great singing voice, his repertoire is incredible, he's a master technician with every model of Yamaha keyboard I've seen him play, he's humorous and interacts constantly with his audiences - large and small, and his playing skills are beyond description. I would find it very difficult to put anyone above him in those categories.

Gary

Norbert Ludewig

Exceptional Viennese player and more Norbert Ludewig

Saw a little Viennese guy in a jazz club in Tenerife back in the early 70's. Old then, so no doubt long gone, but he played a huge Galaxy Hammond, kicked the pedals like a monster, comped and soloed his butt off on the Galaxy. He then had a piano on his right (upright) and would kick pedals and comp on the Hammond, then solo on the piano, at the same time. Then he'd pick up a trumpet, and blow his ass off while kicking pedals and comping like a madman. Then he'd put down the trumpet, and sing as well as Sinatra!

OK, OK, this was pre-drum machines, so he had a cool black guy on the drums.. so that makes him strictly not an OMB, but wow!

Pre-technology, he blew everyone I have ever seen since out of the water. Standards, bebop, cool, swing... he did them all. I am ashamed I can no longer remember his name. He owned the tiny little downstairs bar in the Canaries, seating for twenty people tops, put on three shows a night, and lived the life we all dream of!

Mad respect...