As an amateur piano player, I have studied Christine's work for years. She may see herself as a rhythm player but there is more than enough evidence on record that she has a distinct style on the piano, organ, and electric keys, respectively.
My favorite Christine piano moments span across several decades. "Rolling Man" and "Love That Burns" from MR. WONDERFUL show what a fine blues pianist she was--especially with a superior supporting band. But "Smile I Live For" represents an entirely different aspect of her style--the haunting ballad, where her stately and expressive playing recalls her classical training.
Christine is a top-notch organist. Her bedrock work on any number of Mac tunes, including "Spare Me a Little," "Night Watch," "So Afraid," "The Chain," "Oh Daddy," and LB /CM's "Carnival Begin" is so distinctive I recognize the tonalities anywhere. She carries that over to "One in a Million" as well. "Crystal"--her most extensive and impressive feature on organ--is an anomaly: it's an all-out, front-and-center solo so well executed I wonder why she didn't do more of this.
My favorite tunes of hers combine the piano and the organ. "Sugar Daddy" is the perfect case in point. What a tune! You could remove the vocal and still have an entertaining track in large part because of they keyboard work. Same with "No Road is the Right Road" on her first solo record.
As an electric keyboardist, she's much sparer, avoiding the thicker chord style of the acoustic piano and relying on single choice notes. I think of "Bermuda Triangle" and "I Loved Another Woman" live from the 74 tour. Expert placement of a few notes. "Rhiannon" is another good example, as are "Angel" and "Brown Eyes." My favorite examples of her work on electric keys are when she structures the entire song around her parts, as in "Honey Hi" and the acoustic version of "Friend."
Finally, in the studio at least, she's a first-rate textural player. Think of all the keyboards in "YMLF," "Dreams," and "Don't Stop," "Nights in Estoril," and "Anything is Possible."
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