Chris Jasper

Any serious list of highly influential keyboardists in the soul/pop/funk field would have to include the Isley Brothers' Chris Jasper. Jasper can be heard laying down adept acoustic piano, organ, funky clavinet, and Moog/Arp synthesizer lines on such seminal '70s hits as "Who's That Lady," "Fight the Power," "For the Love of You" (covered by Whitney Houston on her multi-platinum Whitney album), and "Who Loves You Better" over a catalog that includes 11 gold and four platinum albums. Most are still in print. In January 1992, Jasper, along with the rest of the Isley Brothers, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. At an early age, Jasper began tickling the ivories. At age eight, his mother encouraged him to take piano lessons after she heard him play Motown tunes by ear. After high school, he went to study to study at Julliard. The Isley Brothers and Jasper grew up on the same block in their native Cincinnati. In 1959, the group scored their first big hit, "Shout," later covered by the Beatles, and moved to New York. More hits followed, including "Twist and Shout" and "This Ol' Heart of Mine" on Motown. While visiting a sister who lived east, Jasper struck up a friendship with one of the younger Isleys, Ernie. Every summer he and Jasper would get together and jam. Ernie started on drums before moving to guitar. Another young Isley, Marvin, would bring along his bass and joined the duo. The teenagers patterned themselves after the Young-Holt Unlimited and covered jazz, pop, and Motown. While they'd be rehearsing, the other Isleys would walk through and suggest they'd go into the studio. They cut some demo tracks with Ronald Isley singing lead. In 1969, the Isleys got a manufacturing and distribution (custom label) deal with Epic Records. The It's Your Thing...