Description
Keith Emerson, Carl Palmer, Robert Berry “3” – Live – Rockin’ The Ritz – Double Vinyl Record
Recorded live at The Ritz in New York City, NY on April 14, 1988
In the late 1980s, progressive rock veterans Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer joined forces with singer, bassist, and guitarist Robert Berry to form the project known simply as 3. The collaboration produced the studio album To the Power of Three in 1988, and the band’s live energy from that brief period is captured on Live – Rockin’ The Ritz, a recording drawn from a concert at the Ritz nightclub in New York City.
The performance highlights the trio format at the heart of the project. Without a large ensemble, each musician carries a significant role in shaping the sound. Emerson’s keyboards dominate the musical landscape, shifting between powerful synthesizer lines and intricate piano passages that recall the grand style he had developed with Emerson, Lake & Palmer. His playing remains bold and theatrical, often pushing the music into dramatic territory.
Robert Berry provides the band’s vocal presence while also handling bass and guitar duties. His voice adds a melodic, arena-rock quality to the material, helping bridge the technical complexity of Emerson and Palmer’s progressive background with the more straightforward rock songwriting that characterized the 3 project.
On drums, Carl Palmer delivers the precision and power that made him one of progressive rock’s most respected percussionists. His playing moves effortlessly between tight rock grooves and more intricate rhythmic passages, giving the music both drive and dynamic range.
The setlist draws primarily from the To the Power of Three album, with songs that mix progressive rock elements with the polished production style of late-1980s rock. Live, the material takes on a slightly heavier and more energetic feel, with extended keyboard flourishes and rhythmic interplay between the musicians.
The Ritz itself was known for hosting energetic rock performances, and the venue’s intimate setting adds a sense of immediacy to the recording. Rather than the grand arenas often associated with progressive rock acts, this performance places the musicians closer to the audience, giving the music a direct and engaging atmosphere.
Although the project 3 existed only briefly, Live – Rockin’ The Ritz stands as a snapshot of that moment when three seasoned musicians came together to blend progressive rock virtuosity with contemporary rock songwriting. The recording captures both the technical skill and the live chemistry that defined the collaboration.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Fanfare For The Common Man
Desde La Vida
Band Introductions
Hoedown
You Do Or You Don’t
Talkin’ ’Bout
Dream Runner
Creole Dance
On My Way Home
Standing In The Shadow Of Love
America – Rondo – Carl Palmer Drum Solo – Fugue In D Minor BMV 565
Eight Miles High – Peter Gunn
