What do people who know think of Elton John as a pianist?

[Cartooniverse]

@pulykamell

I’ll be honest: it’s very good, very classic Elton John. He’s got a nice New Orleans-style 3+3+2 beat going on in his left hand, with blues and gospel-type phrasings in the right. His phrasing is impeccable. Wonderful feel. I wouldn’t characterize as what he is doing as particularly difficult technically–it is hard to get the feel right, though. He excels at that feeling, IMHO. But it’s not a piano solo I listen to and think “what in the fuck just happened.” Which is fine. I’m having a hard time thinking of a pop/rock piano solo that made me feel that way.

Try Rick Wakeman’s solo from the Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe tour.

It’s well into the " what the fuck just happened " category of technical and artistic accomplishment.