Keyboardists:
In May 1973, Lonnie Liston Smith left Miles’s band and became the last specialist keyboardist in a Miles Davis group for more than a decade (Miles of course was away from the music scene for half of this period). Until August 1983, Miles played all of the keyboards on-stage himself, starting with a Yamaha organ and in the early 1980s, using an Oberheim OBX-a synthesizer.
In the 1980s, keyboardists were mainly hired for their ability to create orchestral soundscapes and sonic moods, rather than for their virtuosity (although all of Miles’s keyboardists were highly talented players). Many bands featured two or more keyboardists, with Miles often making up the third player.
[Click on a musician’s image to see their profile]
 Joey DeFrancesco |
 Robert Irving III |
 John Beasley |
 Deron Johnson |
 Adam Holzman |
 Kei Akagi |
Thanks to: Kei Akagi, John Beasley, Lorna Chiu, Mike Florio, Adam Holzman, Robert Irving III.
See also: Bassists and Guitarists profiles
