by Robert Wilkinson
Keith Emerson was one of the most exciting and technically advanced keyboard players in history. Today we have great videos of the Nice and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer! This show is dedicated to keyboard wizard Paul Haugen, a friend who passed some time back.
Keith Emerson (2 November 1944 – 10 March 2016) was a phenomenal keyboardist and composer. He pioneered the fusion of jazz, classical, and rock music, and blazed a trail that others have followed ever since. From wiki, we find that “AllMusic describes Emerson as ‘perhaps the greatest, most technically accomplished keyboardist in rock history.’” He was one of the first performers to use the original Moog synthesizer in concert, and set the standard on that instrument. I turned on to their music in 1968 and it took me into new vistas of jazz-rock fusion. This guy really was a pioneer and innovator.
And now, the music of Keith Emerson! Here’s the group that introduced Keith Emerson and his amazing keyboard playing to the world!
We’ll begin with his signature tune, originally made famous in West Side Story. For your enjoyment, live on BBC tv in 1968, the Nice cranking out “America”
Lip synching in January 1968 on Le Petit Dimanche Illustre’ on French tv, “The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack- Azrael'
The 11+ minutes of the Nice live at the Rome Pop Festival in May 1968 performing “Rondo” and “Azrael Angel of Death” is gone.
Live in Croydon in November 1968, a b/w performance clip on Color Me Pop of ”America,” “Ars Longa Vita Brevis,” and “Rondo.”
They did 3 tunes on Forum Musiques on French tv in November 1968. Here’s a very live and exciting “Brandenburger,'' “America,” and a short “She Belongs To Me.”
From that show “Brandenburger”
From the same era, an 8 minute version of “She Belongs To Me.”
The March 1969 appearance on French tv playing Intermezzo From "The Karelia Suite" and “Rondo” in a studio with very strange dancers is gone.
From their third album Nice in 1969, an audio-only live performance at the Fillmore East in April of Rondo ’69 Live
Here’s 8 minutes of the Nice live in 1969 performing ”Intermezzo From "The Karelia Suite"
Here’s 26 minutes of the Nice live on Norwegian tv in October 1969! ”Intermezzo From "The Karelia Suite," “Hang On To A Dream,” and “She Belongs To Me”
From October 1969, 7 minutes of the Nice live at the Beat Club performing “Hold On To A Dream”
This comes from the 1971 album Elegy, recorded in 1969 and released after the end of the band. This is Keith's somewhat unique arrangement of the Bob Dylan classic "My Back Pages.
From October 1969, a fantastic 17 minute set! The Nice Live at the Essener Pop & Blues Festival 1969
This is such a great show, I found the entire hour and 39 clip of the International Essener Pop & Blues Festival featuring the Nice, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Keef Hartley and more! Enjoy the festival! The Nice Live at the Essener Pop & Blues Festival 1969
We end the 60s with their last gig! At the Fillmore West, the Nice in a full audio-only show! The Nice Live at the Fillmore West – 1969
Into the 70s with Emerson, Lake, and Palmer live shows! They were one of the first supergroups, and took the world by storm in the early 70s!
First, live at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, ELP cranking out his arrangement of Dave Brubeck's “Rondo”
Also from 1970, a few clips of ELP at their best, live in Switzerland performing “Rondo/Bach Improvisations”
From the same gig, “Knife Edge” and “Nut Rocker.” We’ll close this early concert set with the ELP classic “Take A Pebble”
From a few years later, 51 minutes of ELP live in 1974! Last year I had the whole thing in one clip, but this year it’s in several. This is the first, and the rest will autoload. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer at the California Jam – 1974
From that show, a great 9+ minute demonstration of Keith’s piano mastery! This is shows his improv chops! Keith Emerson – Piano Improvisations
Next, from 1977, 1 hour 27 of ELP Works Orchestral Tour - 1977
From Letterman, Keith Emerson accompanied by Paul Shaffer and "the World's Most Dangerous Band" cranking out a 1986 live performance of the classic from West Side Story, “America”
From 1992, 1 hour and 32 of ELP in Budapest - 1992
From 1993, live at the Royal Albert Hall, ELP offering up their biggest hit, "Lucky Man."
Here’s 2 hours and 13 of ELP live in 1997! Emerson, Lake, and Palmer at the Tollwood Festival 1997
Here are a few albums from the beginning of Keith’s career!
We begin with the Nice’s first album, released in 1967, which was the first time this music had ever been made in history! The Nice - The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack
From 1968, their second album, generally considered as still one of the greatest in its genre! I absolutely loved this album back in the day! The Nice – Ars Longa Vita Brevis
From 1969, their last album, an obscure piece serving as a transition from the Nice to ELP! (The first tune opens with a beat/intro that has a strong resemblance to “Message in a Bottle” written years later by Sting.) The Nice – Nice
From 1970, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s first album! This introduced a new sound to rock, and blew a lot of minds the first time I and my friends heard it! Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
From 1971, their second album! ELP - Tarkus
From 1972, the third Emerson, Lake, and Palmer album! ELP – Trilogy
We’ll close with a great live 11 minute performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival of part of their November 1971 album Pictures at an Exhibition. This was a bold live experiment by Keith performing Mussorgsky's masterpiece! ”Pictures at an Exhibition.”
For our encore, two entire shows of that masterpiece! Here are 12 tracks from their December 1970 show at the Lyceum Theater in London and 16 from their March 1971 show at Newcastle City Hall! Pictures at an Exhibition Live at the Lyceum and Newcastle.
Thanks for the years of great music, Keith. You gave the world something it never heard before you. RIP.
© Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson
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