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A genius at keyboard
Don Airey was interviewed by Classic Rock Revisited. he talked about Now What?!, Bob Ezrin, the spirit of Jon Lord, Wurlitzers, and the great guitar players he worked with.
Don Airey had the seemingly impossible task of replacing the amazing Jon Lord when he joined Deep Purple eleven years ago. To say he’s done okay is a huge understatement. While he had been with the band for over a decade, he is still considered the ‘new guy’ in the group.
Iconic producer Bob Ezrin, who was brought into to lead the charge for Deep Purple’s latest album Now What?! had this to say about working with Airey, “I was most impressed with Don Airey, who I had never worked with before and I didn’t know. He is one of the best keyboard players I have ever seen in my life. He is beyond amazing; he’s a genius.”
His bandmate and other DP newbie, twenty year member Steve Morse, also had praise for Airey, “Between Jon Lord and Don Airey I have really been blessed to work with two of the very best rock keyboardists in history.” Stalwart Roger Glover, who has been with Purple since 1969, added this “It is very difficult with Don Airey and Steve Morse, who are such great musicians, to play anything simple. They come up with ideas that I would have never thought of.”
Continue reading in Classic Rock Revisited
Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Well, that record is awesome. And if someone stands out, it is Don Airey. The production is wow ..
Gillan wow …
Paice, always wow …
Glover, super wow …
Morse, is somehow hunting himself from track to track, mega wow …
But Airey, he is fuckin’ double-wow !!!
This album is dedicated to Jon Lord and that’s what he puts he into to the whole record, dominant all over the place, amazing.
It is a real pleasure to hear this piece of art, all the time. Amazing, Sir Jon Lord would be proud of it. This is rock’n’roll, this is Deep Purple, it is overwhelming. End of. Fantastic. Pure pleasure. Wow.
And Don Airey –> Double-Wow …
Cheers from Vienna
Simon
May 2nd, 2013 at 21:18don airey saw him in the rainbow band awesome key him & david were great
May 2nd, 2013 at 21:27Great musician,great guy,great interview.They are making a video for “Vincent Price “.Deep Purple doesn’t make videos,so I really want to see this and looking forward to it.I hope it is not done in a cheap way ! lol
May 2nd, 2013 at 21:51Outstanding keyboardplayer!
May 3rd, 2013 at 05:27He’e a great keyboard man but he’s not been able to leave the same mark as Jon Lord…
May 3rd, 2013 at 05:36Rainboe’s “Eyes Of The Word”‘ solo , Ozzy’s “Mister Crowly” intro just few examles of such great musician !
May 3rd, 2013 at 10:21And of course his fantastic job with DP!
… I like his nervous, angry Hammond … Don is Don … not Jon … and that’s good!
May 3rd, 2013 at 12:06no doubt underrated keyboard player. same as axeman Steve M. both playing under the shadows of the best in JL and RB. They did not fold under the pressure of critics or the fans…. good job.
May 3rd, 2013 at 12:07-one thing that Jon Lord and Don Airey have in common is humility. this is a rare trait in the world of rock or music in general. Don came into the band that had giants towering in the land of highway stars. nevertheless, he has found himself in a round about way in this album. it does not take a purple fan to see his admiration and respect for Jon, and we could not asked for someone better to carry on Jon’s spirit and dept. Shine on Don! the “Sun Goes Down and the Moon comes up…”
May 3rd, 2013 at 14:43@5 there we go with the comparisons !
May 3rd, 2013 at 15:315 – Nobody can beat Jon Lord, but Don is VERY close.
May 3rd, 2013 at 17:54Don really is something else. It can be said before even hearing the new album, but listening to what he offered in Colosseum II. It’s hard to believe he helped the late, great Gary Moore become the musician he did.
May 3rd, 2013 at 22:27#5 I am really bored with all this comparison things. Why don’t you just sit down and enjoy the new album, rather than making reviews about who is the 1st and the 2nd???
May 4th, 2013 at 04:13Don is very good, but knowing someone who has played with both him and Jon I’m afraid Don isn’t in the same league.
May 4th, 2013 at 10:59Airey is a genius!!! Different from Lordy, but equal exciting!!! Hope Deep Purple´s new album to be a smash!!! It has to be!!!
May 4th, 2013 at 15:12There is no ranking or best when discussing artists in the league of Airey and Lord. Either you like them or you don’t.
May 5th, 2013 at 04:57@16 you mean….you like ’em or you really.. really.. really like ’em : )
May 5th, 2013 at 13:22The whole album is a fitting tribute to Jon Lord. Paicey has his own inimmitable style, Roger Glover’s bass is immense all through, Big Ian has thrown back the years, Steve Morse is playing rock and not blues, and Don Airey has made this his own dedication to the great man’s memory! I absolutely adore the intro to ‘Uncommon Man’ and the whole track is Deep Purple back to their majestic best!
May 6th, 2013 at 02:26The whole album is more a tribute to Keith Emerson.
The great solo in HTT, the only good part IMHO, is taken from Mandrake Root.
And Jon took it off a NICE track.
And what to think of this :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syM7ogDgiwU
May 14th, 2013 at 10:59Good old Ritchie, the Riff thief….
Ch-BeerZ?!
May 17th, 2013 at 02:49