Keith Emerson - Emerson Plays Emerson

This is the album that longtime fans of Keith Emerson have dreamed of. For most of this hourlong CD, Emerson sticks exclusively to grand piano, eschewing the bank of synthesizers (and Hammond organ) that tended at times to distract from his abilities as a keyboardist. Since this CD was produced over a period of time in different locales, the sound varies depending on the conditions under which the recording was made. Emerson's originals include the reflective ballad "Vagrant" (though it has its flashy moments), the gorgeous and somewhat bittersweet "Solitudinous," the jaunty boogie-woogie "A Cajun Alley," "Roll'n Jelly" (a bluesy salute to jazz great Jelly Roll Morton), and a new version of "Barrelhouse Shakedown" (which mixes ragtime and boogie-woogie). Read More