Keith Emerson ‘Plays Emerson’ Album Reissued

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The Keith Emerson estate announced today (Oct. 2) the re-release of the late keyboardist’s 2002 album, Emerson Plays Emerson, which has long been out of print.

The Sept. 29 reissue uses a fresh transfer of the master tapes by Abbey Road, a 2017 remaster, and artwork from the original art files. The booklet contains the liner notes in English, Italian and German.

The re-release is via the estate’s own imprint label Emersongs, via Cherry Red.

Emerson’s family have personally overseen the preparation of the re-release and are also preparing a music transcriptions book of the album for release in early 2018. The announcement notes that the “family is focused on celebrating and enhancing Emerson’s musical legacy and supporting projects which further the appreciation of his life’s work.”

Keith’s eldest son, Aaron, said of the release: “Since the passing of my father, we have been inundated with requests for a reissue of the album. This album was a labour of love for Dad, so we decided to go with the original artwork to stay as true to the original as possible as we understand how happy Dad was with it. I know he would be happy with this re-issue, so on behalf of myself, Jo and my boys, of Damon and his family, of my mother Elinor, and of my father’s fiancé Mari, and with thanks to Daniel Earnshaw, Martin Darvill and Stewart Young for all their hard work, we hope you enjoy it!”

Watch an interview Keith Emerson did when the album was initially released

The longtime Emerson, Lake and Palmer keyboardist died on March 11, 2016. On July 28, 2017, a concert billed as Keith Emerson: A Musical Celebration of His Life was held in Birmingham, England’s Symphony Hall that featured music by the ELP virtuoso and performed by “the people who featured in his life,” including his 11-year-old grandson, Ethan.