Something seem to be up in connection with Deep Purple’s appearance at this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival. The other day, festival founder “Funky” Claude Nobs said this to Billboard:
Speaking of casino burning and fire in the sky, you are closing this year with Deep Purple, whose classic “Smoke On The Water,” was inspired by the Casino fire.
It is going to be a special evening. I don’t know who they are going to invite. I hope Ritchie Blackmore will join them. I know they are trying.
Earlier, Pete York announced on his site that a gig he was about to do with Jon Lord on the day of Purple’s appearance had changed:
Unfortunately Jon Lord has to be in Montreux on the 15 July and has had to cancel his appearance in Kitzbühel.
So, are we looking at a Mk. 2 reunion, maybe playing “Smoke on the Water” in celebration of the Montreux Jazz Festival’s 40th anniversary? DP is even featured on the posters to the festival so they are obviously a big part of the festival this year. We have no idea what is happening, this is just speculation based on some cryptic facts but if they do reunite in one way or another, I sure hope they release some kind of recording from the event.
Erik Thomsen was a legendary Danish promoter who over his 40 years in the music business became close friends to lots of bands, including Deep Purple and Rainbow. There are lots of funny stories from ET’s meetings with both bands, many involving Ritchie Blackmore and his unusual sense of humour.
Erik passed away on May 20, 2006. Beside his family, he is missed by the entire music industry. Read more about Eric (and one of those Blackmore pranks) in this nice tribute.
Posted in Blog by Svante Axbacke on 2006-05-31 1 Comment
As we reported earlier, Dream Theater covered the entire “Made in Japan” album at some of their concerts in Asia in January. Here is a video of “Highway Star” as performed in Seoul.
Billboard did an interview with Claude Nobs (founder of Montreux Jazz Festival etc) earlier this spring. During the interview, Billboard mention that Deep Purple are closing the festival this year, to which Claude Nobs reply:
“It is going to be a special evening. I don’t know who they are going to invite. I hope Ritchie Blackmore will join them. I know they are trying.”
Jon Lord was in Stockholm last Monday to be involved in the Polar Prize Ceremony. He read the citation to one of the recipients, Led Zeppelin. At the dinner, Jon sat with the Swedish crown princess Victoria and Led Zeppelin guitar player Jimmy Page, as seen on this picture. Jon can also be spotted in the tv broadcast of the event, available at the Polar Music Prize website.
In other Jon Lord news we see on the DPAS site that Jon’s work “Boom of the tingling strings” will be performed by the Odense Symphony Orchestra in Odense, Denmark on December 7. The orchestra will be conducted by Paul Mann who is the current conductor for the Odense Symphony Orchestra. Paul Mann is of course the man who had a vital part in the resurrection of “Concerto for group and orchestra” in 1999-2000. Jon Lord will be present at the concert but will not perform. Tickets are available through the Odense Symphony Orchestra website.
The week after the concert in Denmark, EMI Classics will record “Boom of the tingling strings” and Jon Lord’s work for string orchestra, “Disguises”, for release on CD in 2007.
Posted in Blog by Svante Axbacke on 2006-05-26 3 Comments
Don Airey plays keyboard on Gary Moore‘s new album, “Old, New Ballads Blues” He also did brass arrangements with Gary. You can buy the CD in our shop.
Thanks to Gary Moore for the information.
A well packed house was what I arrived to just before Swanee took the stage. unfortunately they were pathetic with both guitarists making major mistakes onstage.
Then came Status Quo who I am not a fan of, but they were fantastic. Quo really had the place rocking and gave us our money’s worth. The crowd really got into their music and I was super impressed. It was a smooth transition then to the main act everyone had come to see.
Purple were just sensational. They were really on! I have never heard either Ian Gillan sound better.
It was the first time I have seen Don and he was fantastic, really did a superb job on Space Truckin’.
Morsey was hot tonight. The solos were the finest I have heard him do in the three times I have seen this line-up of the band.
I hope this is not my last time in seeing the boys play. It really left me speechless. I guess one more time would still not be enough. When the end of the set did come everyone wanted more and people were reluctant to leave.
![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/morse6.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/morse3.jpg)
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing