Latimore's talent as a keyboard player as well as a singer meant that he regularly included interesting piano and clavinet parts in his bluesy soul music. My favourite track Let's Straighten It Out was also his most successful - reaching No.1 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1974. It has an long instrumental introduction with the electric piano creating a menacing blues prelude to the plaintive vocal. Unfortunately, I have never seen film of Latimore performing but I always picture him as being similar to other great player/singers like Ray Charles and Les McCann.

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Minneapolis based Casino Royale came up with an enjoyable and varied set of original funky grooves for their Mad Props To The Universe album. Every cut features John Keston skilfully utilising all sorts of vintage keyboards to great effect, including plenty of electric piano. In the following clips he uses a Wurlitzer for the solo on Intro To Elmar(1), while the Rhodes is chosen to create the atmospheric opening to Sustainiac(2). There is a Casino Royale website to check for more information.

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A very strong jazz-funk/fusion album from Japan with Takehiro Honda providing lovely crisp Rhodes solos and backing work on all the tracks - and he's obviously a true lover of the instrument as two entire faces of the sleeve feature close-ups of the Rhodes logo and keyboard. It's hard to pick specific tunes out of such a great set but on Wing It Shuffle(1), after some harmonica, trumpet and saxophone, the piano takes a turn riding the bouncy groove. A more wistful feel on Evening Glow(2) calls for a delightful mellow solo, and Fa La Na Ku(3) is pure e.p. all the way through. All cuts are extended workouts, five clock in at over eight minutes - and it really is a case of "all killers, no fillers!" Honda previously played keys as a member of a band called Native Son, who are as yet unheard by me but could be worth investigating too.

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As promised on the previous page here is some more from Clare Fischer. Latin Patterns is the apt title for this collection of material taken from the four albums he recorded for the acclaimed German label MPS between 1979 and 1981. Fender Rhodes is the dominant instrument and there are lots of good tracks, all with an excellent clear production sound. Minor Sights(1) is typical with bright Rhodes over subtle percussion, Inquietacao(2) is beautifully gentle and Clavo(3) is another great track that has similarities in style to Joe Sample. Some may feel that the sound is a little too polished but not me, smooth sounds done the right way by this underrated musician as far as I'm concerned.

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Queen were rewarded with huge sales for pulling out all the musical stops on their A Night At The Opera album - and it's most famous track Bohemian Rhapsody still regularly pulls in the votes in polls for the best song of all time. Amid all this pomp You're My Best Friend stands out with a simpler but still very effective approach that includes a distinctively toned electric piano. The group's bassist John Deacon composed the song and he also took a turn at the keyboard playing on what I understand to be a Hohner Pianet.

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I have received several e-mails nominating tracks by The Beatles that include the electric piano - and conveniently they all appear in various forms on this second volume of non-album material and alternative versions. Although the group itself contained capable players, I suppose it is Billy Preston's keyboard contributions that are the best known. The highly successful organist played live e.p. on Get Back(1) and also Don't Let Me Down(2), these two versions appearing on the 1969 single - and of course he also appeared in that legendary rooftop performance. Released the previous year as the flip of the Hey Jude single, this take of Revolution(3) contains brief a brief piano part by seasoned British session player Nicky Hopkins, who battles valiantly against some raucous guitar.

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