![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/morse2.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/gillan2.jpg)
Artwoods: Live at Klooks Kleek
From the letters to our better-late-then-never desk, we are glad to present you an actually pretty decent quality recording of the two early Artwoods performances from 1964, featuring Jon Lord. It apparently came out a few years ago: in 2016 on vinyl, and in 2023 on CD and digital. The latter are available via Amazon, and, presumably, other outlets as well.
Amazon blurb reads:
Back in 1964 before they secured a recording contract, the Artwoods were making a name for themselves on the live UK R&B scene. One of the venues where they played was Dick Jordan and Geoff William’s Klooks Kleek in West London. The Artwoods cut their teeth as a support band and got such a positive response from the crowd that they were soon headlining their own nights. Like many R&B bands of the day, the Artwoods set comprised of standards like Smack Dab In The Middle, Big Boss Man, Kansas City, Shame Shame Shame, Detroit City and Green Onions. This 2-CD release features two different sets that the band played at that legendary venue in 1964 featuring a line-up of Art Wood (vocals/harmonica), Derek Griffiths (guitar), Jon Lord (keyboards), Malcolm Pool (bass) and Reg Dunnage (drums). The band are on fire and on most of the tracks cut loose instrumentally when Wood is not singing. As a special treat, Long John Baldry joins the band on the first set to lend his vocal prowess to Five Long Years and Got My Mojo Working. Licensed from Dick Jordan this is a must-have for fans of the Artwoods and classic British R&B. This 2-CD set comes with liner notes penned by Ian Shirley featuring an interview with former Artwood, Derek Griffiths.
Our regular Uwe Hornung adds:
This isn’t some hissy and murky audience recording (like some Artwoods live recordings released before), but actually a “professional” one (for the time!), distortion-free where all the instruments and the vocals can be heard well and Jon’s (back then still) Lowrey organ is prominent throughout. Interesting to hear how already in 1964, at 21 years of age, he was very rhythmic in his organ approach (though he solos a lot too).
Ab-so-fucking-lute-ly recommended!
Thanks to Uwe for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Add a comment: