The Keyboard Chronicles

Trevor Nealon has been playing keys with Band of Heathens for more than ten years, after an already diverse career in music. We cover off Trevor’s career across those multiple projects and have a few laughs along the way. Hope you enjoy it! To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous epi...

Dan “Spiffy” Neuman is a multi-instrumental musician, whose organ playing caught our attention over recent years. As you’ll hear, Dan’s upbringing and career to date is incredibly diverse and he’s rightly gained recognition for his skills as a guitarist and organist. For those unfamiliar with churches with a gospel singing focus, this is a fascinating interview from t...

Rob Aries is a keyboard player and bassist for Average White Band . Rob also happens to be a formidable jazz player and in this episode we cover all of that plus some, in what’s been an amazing career to date. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our YouTube Channe...

Paddy Milner is a British keyboard player and blues pianist, who amongst other things is the current keyboard player for Sir Tom Jones, and co-founder of roots / rock ‘n roll outfit Jawbone . We speak with Paddy on his musical upbringing, his love for the blues and boogie woogie and his amazing gigs with artists like Jack Bruce and Tom Jones.  To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play...

Troye Kinnett is an Indiana USA-based keyboard player, who aside from holding down keyboard duties with John Mellencamp for close to twenty years, has had a lengthy and varied career in production, live work and composition. We talk on all this and more with Troye, including some great road stories and perspectives on the music industry in changing times. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on th...

In Part 2 of our interview with Rachel Flowers, we cover off her love of Keith Emerson’s work and her interactions and performances in that space, her love of Stevie Wonder as well as our raft of standard questions including some brilliant desert island disc picks! To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or...

Rachel Flowers is a renowned pianist who has played / collboarated with some of the biggest artists in the world. In this first of two parts, we cover Rachel’s early years and development in music, and have some good laughs along the way as well. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previo...

We speak with the amazing Rai Thistlethwayte on his incredible international career as an acclaimed keyboard player across a range of genres. As you’ll hear / see, Rai is an incredibly down-to-earth and insightful musician with some great perspectives on the keyboard playing life. Enjoy! To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the e...

We continue our chat with the amazing Bill Payne ( Part 1 is here ). We cover a lot more territory in relation to Little Feat, keyboard rigs, Bill’s other significant collaborations with other artists and a whole bunch more. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our...

Bill Payne is a highly acclaimed American musician best known as a founding member and keyboardist of the iconic rock band Little Feat . With his keyboard skills, Bill has made significant contributions to Little Feat’s extensive discography, including hit songs like “Dixie Chicken,” “Willin’,” and “Fat Man in the Bathtub.” Throughout his career, Bil...

Steve Maggiora has only been with Toto for a handful of years, but he’s already making a big impression. We talk with Steve on his recent tour with Toto, how he got the gig in the first place, and the much wider career he’s had as a keyboard player, including an amazing gig on the Canary Islands! To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Vid...

Aside from holding down keyboard duties with iconic act Blondie for more than 15 years, Matt Katz-Bohen has had an incredibly diverse career in music to date. We cover the gamut from Princess Goes to Matt’s work on Broadway, Blondie and a whole lot more. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it an...

Danalogue is a British keyboard player with The Comet is Coming , a British experimental jazz band formed in London in 2013. The group is known for their unique blend of jazz, electronica, funk, and psychedelic music. In addition to talking about that project we also cover Danalogue’s involvement in other musical projects and collaborations such as Soccer96 .  To listen / watch: Audio-only:...

In Part 2 of our interview with David Sancious  ( Part 1 here)  we cover his work with Sting and Peter Gabriel, working with Springsteen on Human Touch  and a massive amount more including David’s Desert Island Discs. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our YouTub...

David Sancious is a pianist / organist / keyboard player of reknown. Known for his contributions to the fields of rock, jazz, and fusion, Sancious gained prominence in the early 1970s as a founding member of  Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. He played keyboards and guitar for Springsteen’s first three albums, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.” (1973), “The Wild, the...

Dan Mansfield is a Queensland Australia-based musician who plays in a diverse range of musical outfits, including five years with iconic rock band You Am I. As you’ll hear, Dan covers a huge range of genres and also loves repairing Hammond organs and Leslie speakers. There’s also some decent Pink Floyd and Beatles chat.  Lots in the episode to check out, no matter where you’re ba...

Rachel Eckroth is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and producer who has played with a huge range of artists alongside her own burgeoning music career. We talk to Rachel on her playing history, touring highlights and her approach to playing. As always there’s a great rain wreck story and some thoughtful desert island discs selections. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play b...

Mike Garson has played piano and keyboards for seventy years. Best known as David Bowie’s keyboard player (no other musician has played more gigs with David Bowie), Mike’s career spans that amazing collaboration and so much more. In Part 2 of this interview ( Part 1 is here ), we talk to Mike a little more on David Bowie, then move onto his wider career in music, including his work wit...

Mike Garson has played piano and keyboards for seventy years. Best known as David Bowie’s keyboard player (no other musician has played more gigs with David Bowie), Mike’s career spans that amazing collaboration and so much more. In Part 1 of this two-part interview, we talk to Mike on his decades playing with David Bowie, his start in music and his role as a music teacher.  To listen...

Carey Frank is a Los Angeles based keyboard player who, with his Hammond organ in tow, plays with a range of amazing acts from Tedeschi Trucks Band through to Social Distortion and some fun times with Dr Lonnie Smith, Michael Bublé and Bruce Springsteen to name just three others. Carey also teaches and we cover all of that and more in this interview. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the pla...

Mitch Towne is a Grammy-nominated organ and piano player from Omaha, Nebraska USA. Mitch has a fascinating take on seeing success ‘later in life’ and has some great insights on his playing life more broadly. Enjoy! To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our You...

Dave Cohen is a Nashville-based keyboard playing powerhouse. Playing on more than 60 #1 charting hits and producing a bunch of others, Dave is an in-demand keyboard player. As you’ll h ear, Dave has some brilliant insights and advice for keyboard players, and he also happens to have a great sense of humour as well! To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player a...

We’re joined this episode by Tom Schuman, keyboard player for iconic jazz fusion outfit Spyro Gyra. Tom talks on his career in and outside of that band, and we shoot the breeze on the music industry more broadly and Tom’s recent retirement from Spyro Gyra. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or che...

Del Amitri have been an internationally successful Scottish band that have sold well over 6 millionalbums worldwide and have been on the scene for more than forty years. Andy Alston has been around for nearly all of that, aside from his own work and fascinating history. Andy has some great tips for new players as well as an amazing story of musical collaborations with prison inmates. To listen / w...

Dave Weiser is one of those players who makes the difference between a show going ahead or otherwise. Dave’s main gig is ensuring a smooth keyboard sound experience for some of the world’s biggest stage musical productions. On top of that, Dave is a Kurzweil subject matter expert and children’s book author. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio play...