What is the name of the E Street Band pianist?

The E Street Band pianist is Roy Bittan. Nicknamed “the Professor,” Bittan joined Bruce Springsteen’s band in 1974 and became one of its defining keyboard players.

Bittan’s piano is especially prominent on Springsteen’s breakthrough album Born to Run, released in 1975. He has also played organ, accordion, and synthesizer, but piano remains his signature role in the E Street Band. His playing helps supply the band’s large, orchestral rock sound without displacing Springsteen’s vocals and guitar.

The other names can be confusing because they are also longtime E Street Band members. Max Weinberg is the drummer, Garry Tallent plays bass, and Danny Federici was primarily the band’s organist and accordionist. Bittan was the only E Street Band member Springsteen retained when he temporarily dissolved the group in 1989.

Beyond Springsteen’s records, Bittan has worked as a session musician with artists including David Bowie, Dire Straits, Meat Loaf, Stevie Nicks, and Peter Gabriel. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the E Street Band in 2014.