Record Reviews

JON LORD ~ CONCERTO FOR GROUP AND ORCHESTRA EAR MUSIC 4029759081838 (Barcode: 4029759081838) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2011 - 2012 Released: 2012 British organist / composer Jon LordFind albums by this artist composed his legendary “Concerto For Group And OrchestraFind albums with this title” in 1969, when he was a member of the iconic British group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist. The concerto was first recorder live by Deep Purple with the Royal Philharmonic OrchestraFind albums by this artist, conducted by Malcolm ArnoldFind albums by this artist, and became Depp Purple’s 4th consecutive album (1st live). It was one of the first Rock albums to feature a full orchestra. The concerto’s original score was lost shortly after the first performance and was later painstakingly recreated by Lord and since 1999 was performed live many times around the globe with many different orchestras. This album presents the first studio recording of the concerto, recorded in 2011 and 2012, and completed shortly before Lord’s death in July of 2012. The orchestral parts were executed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Paul MannFind albums by this artist. The group parts were executed by Lord, guitarists Darin VasilevFind albums by this artist, Joe BonamassaFind albums by this artist and Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, vocalists Steve BalsamoFind albums by this artist, Kasia LaskaFind albums by this artist and Bruce DickinsonFind albums by this artist, bassist Guy PrattFind albums by this artist and drummer Brett MorganFind albums by this artist. Separated by forty-two years, this version of the concerto offers a much better balance between the Rock group and the orchestra and a sublime sound quality, which was simply unobtainable at the time of the original recording. The music lost absolutely nothing of its power, beauty and relevance over time and is still very much a model of cross-genre thinking. Overall, this is a timeless classic, which every fan of Rock, Prog and good music in general must have in his private music library. Thanks to Lord’s determination to complete this project before his departure, we can now enjoy it in its full glory.

Updated: 16/12/2021Posted: 16/12/2021

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JON LORD ~ LIVE EAR MUSIC 4029759159810 (Barcode: 4029759159810) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2009 Released: 2023 This is a reissue of a live album by the great British keyboardist / composer Jon LordFind albums by this artist recorded in 2009 in Bucarest, Romania, with a local Symphonic Orchestra and several soloists, including singers Steve BalsamoFind albums by this artist and Polish Kasia LaskaFind albums by this artist, Bulgarian bassist Ivaylo ZvezdomirovFind albums by this artist and drummer Venko PoromanskiFind albums by this artist and Russian guitarist Darin VasilevFind albums by this artist. Balsamo, Laska and Vasilev participated later in the recording of the “Concerto For Group And OrchestraFind albums with this title”, completed shortly before Lord’s death in 2012. The album presents nine tracks, all of which, except one. are composed or co-composed by Lord. The music is a mixture of Lord’s orchestral music, which was his main field of interest in the last year of his life, and Deep Purple material, arranged for the orchestra and Rock group. The performances are all quite spectacular, and Lord / Deep Purple fans will find this stuff irresistible. Vasilev’s guitar soli are pretty blood curdling, Lord plays some great organ parts and both vocalist are world-class performers, so the result is really spectacular. Lord’s affinity to Classical Music was always an important part of his musical vision and although performances with Symphonic Orchestras are always costly and complicated affairs, he managed to make some groundbreaking recordings in this area, often bringing Rock listeners to discover Classical Music. Overall, this is another wonderful piece of music, which documents the splendid career of one of the most colorful and talented British musician, who managed to create many cross-genre projects, all of which were exemplary achievements. It is great to see this album reissued, as the original release was quite limited and disappeared from the market almost immediately after being released. This is an absolute must to all Lord / Deep Purple fans!

Updated: 16/08/2023Posted: 16/08/2023

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