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The Keith Emerson Trio The Keith Emerson Trio Review by Gary Hill Most people probably know of Keith Emerson for his work with The Nice and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. This set predates all of that. In the early 60s Emerson was playing with a jazz trio, and this recording recently surfaced. Although this is not the prog you are used to hearing from Emerson, there are plenty of things that are instantly recognizable as him. The recording quality isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough to do the trick. I actually like this set quite a bit. While it’s under prog more for Emerson’s later career, there is still some prog in this, even though it wasn’t called that then. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

You Say You Care Starting with piano, they launch out into a cool jazz jam from there. The jamming is solid, just stand up bass, piano and drums. I dig the bass solo, but then again I’m a bass player at heart. Some of the piano soloing on this is quite recognizable as Emerson.

There Will Never Be Another You This starts in a more classical way. It grows out to an arrangement that’s much like the previous one.

Teenies Blues The rhythm section starts this in a very rock and roll kind of approach. Eventually the piano joins and the piece really swings. It again feels a lot like something ELP might have done in some ways. It’s one of my favorite pieces here.

Winkle Picker Stamp This is very much a Little Richard type stomper, but done by a jazz trio. It’s high energy and a lot of fun.

56 Blues The piano that starts this, and really much of the song, feels very much like something ELP would have done. This is more like an old time rock and roller, but it’s trademark Emerson, too. This is one of my favorites here.

You Came a Long Way from Saint Louis Another that merges old time rock and roll and jazz, this is fun, too. It’s rather explosive and definitely ELP-like.

Soul Station Here we get one that’s more fully a jazz treatment. It’s a classy tune with some recognizable Emersonisms.

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