14 votes

Looking for artists/bands/albums that feature a piano

Posted by kfwyre (edited )
Tags: ask.recommendations, pianos, musicians, albums

I just love good piano, whether alone, with vocals, or with other instruments. Two of my all-time favorite artists are Vienna Teng and Regina Spektor, both of whom use it to great effect in their music. Anyone have any good recommendations? I'm open to any genre.

Edit: Awesome suggestions, everyone! I've got quite the playlist right now that I plan to explore over the coming week. Thanks all!

17 comments

  1. determinism
    Link
    Ben Folds - His early stuff is pretty raw. His sound has evolved a lot over the years, sounds more polished (not necessarily a good thing in my opinion but there's a lot of variation in the style...

    Ben Folds - His early stuff is pretty raw. His sound has evolved a lot over the years, sounds more polished (not necessarily a good thing in my opinion but there's a lot of variation in the style if you're listening through his catalogue).

    Some of my favorites
    Lullabye
    Mess
    Kate
    Smoke

    Ben Kweller has some tracks that feature piano. One of my favorites is Falling.

    I came across this guy recently, he does some really nice non-vocal Elliot Smith covers: Heavy Piano

    Another Youtuber who plays a lot of video game music covers on piano. She does some stuff from Chrono Trigger which is one of my favorite soundtracks: Kara Comparetto

    7 votes
  2. boredop
    Link
    You opened up a pandora's box here ... James Booker - Papa Was A Rascal Dr. John - Tipitina Nina Simone - Nobody's Fault But Mine Allen Toussaint - Country John Parliament - All Your Goodies Are...

    You opened up a pandora's box here ...

    James Booker - Papa Was A Rascal
    Dr. John - Tipitina
    Nina Simone - Nobody's Fault But Mine
    Allen Toussaint - Country John
    Parliament - All Your Goodies Are Gone
    Eddie Palmieri - Everything Is Everything
    Laura Nyro & Labelle - You've Really Got A Hold On Me
    Duke Ellington w/Charles Mingus and Max Roach - Caravan
    Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
    Chick Corea - Quartet No. 2, Part 2 (John Coltrane)

    5 votes
  3. demifiend
    Link
    I got some... Blue Öyster Cult: "Flaming Telepaths" Blue Öyster Cult: "Astronomy" Blue Öyster Cult: "Nosferatu" Ghost: "Pro Memoria" Ghost: "Life Eternal" Savatage: "Gutter Ballet" Savatage: "Edge...

    I got some...

    4 votes
  4. CALICO
    Link
    As far as piano artists go I'm only familiar with Chilly Gonzales, but I really enjoy what he does. Solo Piano — this link is live, and he always mixes things up and puts more character and soul...

    As far as piano artists go I'm only familiar with Chilly Gonzales, but I really enjoy what he does.

    Solo Piano — this link is live, and he always mixes things up and puts more character and soul into his live performances
    Solo Piano II — this link is a studio album, and while it's a different album you'll be able to notice the difference between how he plays vs live.
    Solo Piano III exists, but that just came out and I can't find a stream of it anywhere.

    4 votes
  5. delicious_grownups
    Link
    Elliott Smith St. Vincent Menomena

    Elliott Smith
    St. Vincent
    Menomena

    3 votes
  6. KapteinB
    Link
    Haken features a piano heavily on their first album Aquarius.

    Haken features a piano heavily on their first album Aquarius.

    3 votes
  7. [3]
    arghdos
    Link
    @boredop stole most of what I woulda said (leadin' off with James Booker is a dead giveaway that your list of recommendations is tight) George Duke Ahmad Jamal Oscar Peterson Bill Evans Professor...

    @boredop stole most of what I woulda said (leadin' off with James Booker is a dead giveaway that your list of recommendations is tight)

    George Duke
    Ahmad Jamal
    Oscar Peterson
    Bill Evans
    Professor Longhair

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      boredop
      Link Parent
      First time I'm hearing that version of Uncle Remus. WOW. (I nearly included Zappa's version in my post.)

      First time I'm hearing that version of Uncle Remus. WOW. (I nearly included Zappa's version in my post.)

      2 votes
      1. arghdos
        Link Parent
        Yeah, it's a pretty amazing 'cover' so to speak (is it a cover if you helped write the song but first performed it 2 years earlier with a different band?) Another great one is the Psychosomatic...

        Yeah, it's a pretty amazing 'cover' so to speak (is it a cover if you helped write the song but first performed it 2 years earlier with a different band?)

        Another great one is the Psychosomatic Dung outtake from the Waka/Jawaka sessions, which showed up on Faces in Reflection sans Zappa's solo

        1 vote
  8. psi
    Link
    Consider iamthemorning, a Russian prog band started by two classically trained musicians. Most (if not all) of their songs heavily feature piano. iamthemorning - burn iamthemorning - i.b.too Also,...

    Consider iamthemorning, a Russian prog band started by two classically trained musicians. Most (if not all) of their songs heavily feature piano.

    iamthemorning - burn
    iamthemorning - i.b.too

    Also, coincidentally, their first album is called ~!

    3 votes
  9. [2]
    Dovey
    Link
    Tim Minchin can really play the hell out of a piano. I'll also throw in Tori Amos.

    Tim Minchin can really play the hell out of a piano. I'll also throw in Tori Amos.

    2 votes
    1. cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Tim Minchin is great... and hilarious. Some of the lines from Rock and Roll Nerd are also eerily perfect considering the subject of this topic and the top comment here, too.

      Tim Minchin is great... and hilarious. Some of the lines from Rock and Roll Nerd are also eerily perfect considering the subject of this topic and the top comment here, too.

      But you see the problem is
      He always dreamt of being a star
      But he learned piano instead of guitar
      Which in the '90s didn't get you very far

      He doesn't know the difference between metal and thrash
      He couldn't tell you nothing about Axel and Slash
      He likes Ben Fold and the Jackson Five
      He knows all the words to Staying Alive

      2 votes
  10. Eva
    Link
    Mae makes pretty frequent use of it. Andrew McMahon's (Jack's Mannequin, Something Corporate) is a piano player, and more or less exclusively uses it live—in the studio he usually plays around...

    Mae makes pretty frequent use of it.

    Andrew McMahon's (Jack's Mannequin, Something Corporate) is a piano player, and more or less exclusively uses it live—in the studio he usually plays around with a few other instruments, but also uses the piano pretty frequently.

    2 votes
  11. alcantil
    Link
    Cristina Branco The piano is more prominent in some tracks than others. Here's a fair mix: https://youtu.be/Q4adG0SlWBg https://youtu.be/NLGo8EETz3M https://youtu.be/MUVgDdNQEYg...

    Cristina Branco

    The piano is more prominent in some tracks than others. Here's a fair mix:

    https://youtu.be/Q4adG0SlWBg

    https://youtu.be/NLGo8EETz3M

    https://youtu.be/MUVgDdNQEYg

    https://youtu.be/LZyRFwHCkgU

    https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Naz1mk7F25xrk44Ugd8nd?si=EEl3lz1NTe6HCX3tQDXabA

    Tiago Bettencourt

    He uses piano sometimes. Here's an example live.

    https://youtu.be/ce88C62gLFw

    Cati Freitas

    https://youtu.be/i0ev0gOdV9Y

    Rita Dias

    https://youtu.be/KJy6Y0nXN2M

    2 votes
  12. shelley
    Link
    If you like Regina Spektor, you should definitely give the Dresden Dolls's self-titled album a spin!

    If you like Regina Spektor, you should definitely give the Dresden Dolls's self-titled album a spin!

    2 votes
  14. Akir
    Link
    If you are looking for a band with a pop sound, you might want to give Keene a try.

    If you are looking for a band with a pop sound, you might want to give Keene a try.

    1 vote