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Testimonials - page 10

Marcelo Soares, Porto Alegre, Brazil:
Listening to Deep Purple opened my heavy rock ears to other sounds. Blues, for sure, then jazz and classics. The music produced by Jon Lord taught me that music and musicianship can't be labelled. Taught me that it's a prejudice to set hard boundaries between musical genres. Jon Lord, for me, was the most effective musical educator, teaching without words and even away in space and time. I can learn a lot from a Deep Purple concert performed seven years before I was born, in Sweden, the land where the mother of my great-grandfather was born. Sadly, I have never met Jon in person. I saw him briefly here in Porto Alegre in 1991, saw him playing live with Deep Purple here in 1997 and missed the opportunity to see him play in Sao Paulo in 1999 and 2000. Having missed the concert with the orchestra is one of my deepest regrets. In my early internet years I exchanged some emails with Jon. Particularly when Abandon brought me back to Deep Purple, and I sent him a thank you note. He replied very kindly, making me a proud fan. Last year, when I came back to my city after two years away, I found out a friend had sunk into drugs. Reading The Highway Star, I found a comment Lord made about the death of Tommy Bolin. He talked about feeling somewhat guilty for having done nothing to help his colleague earlier, but at the same time knowing not what to do. And I knew my pain was not only mine. That day, Lord gained a new human dimension to me. And it's all these dimensions that make me admire him so much. I admit I feel divided about Jon's retirement. I was looking forward to seeing him with Deep Purple once again. But I am also very confident about the new ways his career may take from now one. Jon Lord is one of the most creative composers that I've ever seen. And maybe, just maybe, my grand children will hear about him like I hear about Mozart. Jon has all the competence and creativity to get into the musical canon. Just let's hope the future canon has no prejudice towards composers who did a career in rock'n'roll.

Michalis Kechagiadakis, Greece
In the early 70's, the bands that utilised guitars and keys together were more than plenty. The difference was that Jon Lord was a fully accompliced classical musician and not just someone to back up the guitarist. There is no other reason than Jon Lord's extraordinary neoclassical playing in the songs for why I've kept listening to this band for so many years. Jon, keep creating music and sending us to paradise through your keys

Norman Weichselbaum, Austria:
For me, Jon's solo records have always been more brilliant than the Purple stuff. I'm glad he recognized that it can't be the future to play Lazy on the Hammond when you're 60. For all of you who haven't heard Sarabande or Pictured Within yet - this is the real Jon Lord. And there is much more talent and inspiration in this man than what you hear on DP records from the mid-eigthies on. Respect, Jon.

A fan from Gothenburg, Sweden:
For me, born in the same year as Machine Head and Made In Japan but a fan since my teens, Jon Lord was the true uniting musical factor in the band. His virtuoso organ style, borrowing jazz and classical styles and turning them into an integrated part of hard rock music form, was what gave Deep Purple their edge. On such different - both in style and musical quality - works as The Book Of Taliesyn, Machine Head, Burn, Come Taste The Band, or The House Of Blue Light. Remember, in the beginning Lord musically dominated Purple. Lord is not just a fantastic performer, but also a well-read, talented arranger and composer. Listen to his arrangements of Mark 1 classics like Anthem and April - or the Concerto. Such technique, such taste.

Rolando Procupez, Costa Rica:
I have only seen Deep Purple once in my life, at the end of the Purpendicular tour in Costa Rica (where they played a couple of songs from Abandon). I remember that in the middle of all the ectasy I was a little sad because Jon Lord's keyboards didn't sound as strong as on the Made In Japan or Nobody's Perfect. With all the pain in my heart, it was sad enough for me when Gillan left after The House Of Blue Light, and when Blackmore left after The Battle Rages On.... Now Lord is gone, maybe in a definitive way. All the musicians that have been part of Deep Purple are indeed great musicians among the great, and I believe that they all can make wonderful projects on their own. No matter what, we will always revere the music of the best hard rock band ever in the history of rock, Deep Purple is eternal.

Paul A. Pedroli, Sonoma, Ca., USA:
The very first time I saw the band was on a broadcast of American Bandstand with Dick Clark on a Saturday afternoon in 1968. I was about 14. I didn't have a very good grasp of rock'n'roll. Ray Charles was my Mom's favorite, and my sister and her friends were ga-ga for the Beatles of course - I thought that was just a stupid fad. I knew I liked the organ break in Hush but still thought of an organ as a church instrument. Then I saw Jon Lord play the solo on TV. Even though it was playback, at the time it absolutely knocked me for a loop. Once Hush faded I lost track of Deep Purple until a friend of mine gave me a listen to an LP called In Rock. That was it. Hooked for life. I tried to see the band in the early 70s but they always got to the west coast last on the tours and suffered a lot of exhaustion and some serious illness to boot. I had two separate shows cancel in the San Francisco bay area. After the second cancelled show, they returned a few months later to salvage that part of the tour. But by now all they could get was a spot second on the bill at a place run by Bill Graham called Winterland (a former ice rink with a 5.600 capacity). The headliner was Malo led by Carlos Santana's brother Jorge. Purple's set was a bit over an hour but we finally got to see our heroes and Jon Lord was there. The most rocking organ you ever heard or saw. They had it rigged so he could tip it forward and then it would teeter to where you thought it would fall. We ate it up. Deep Purple didn't really get the respect they deserved, but they had so much musical skill that they were one hell of a hard act to follow. They will always be my favorite band. God Bless them. And thank you Jon for giving the band a sound that will never be duplicated. Good health and cheers.

Scott, Canada:
Jon's decision to leave fills me with a great sense of loss and saddness. But I look at it this way also; Jon left on good terms and with support from his former band mates. He never let them down in 34 years. He will remain one of the driving forces in Deep Purple. Good Luck to you, you will be missed.

Daniel Reichberg, Göteborg, Sweden:
Jon Lord, ex-member of Deep Purple. As Lennon once sang: Strange days in deed.
* The summer of 1983: I was 14 years old and not particularly into heavy rock/metal. On the traditional Swedish summer radio show Sommar a song starts with this fantastic intro! An organ going from soft and mellow to harsh and aggressive within seconds. This was of course Lazy. I loved the intro at first hearing, I loved the song at first hearing. Within a year, my tight schoolboy budget had allowed me to buy all of Deep Purple's albums. And through this, I discovered the whole hard rock/metal scene - and progressive rock. This was the start of a lifelong love affair with Deep Purple in particular, and it wouldn't have happened without Jon's marvellous Lazy intro on the radio.
* The summer of 1985: I was 16 years old and the location was Stockholm ice stadium. The mere sight of Jon Lord's Hammond made me burst into applause. The sight of the awesome fivesome back together onstage sent shivers down any normally functioning spine. This was the first time I saw Jon and the first time I saw any DP member.
* The winter of 1987: I was 17 years old. Same location. After a two hour show it is time for encores. The band starts playing Call Of The Wild without Ritchie. Then Smoke On The Water, still without Ritchie. Instead, we get the classic riff and a tremendous solo roaring out of Jon's Hammond. Thank you guys, for ignoring Ritchie's silliness, and thank you Jon, for giving us that solo.
* The fall of 2000: I was 31 years old and the location was Göteborg's Scandinavium. Although I don't know it at the time, I see Jon on stage with Deep Purple for the last time. But what a finale - with Paul Mann, the symphony orchestra, Ronnie Dio, Miller Anderson and the rest of the Purple boys.
Thank you so much, Jon, for all the great music you have given us. And whatever you do, don't stop playing! I'm overwhelmingly convinced that you still have thousands of gems up your sleeve. With friendly greetings

Sue Flavel, Adelaide, Australia:
We need more Jons' in the world. Jon is a gentlemen and a consummate musician. I'll never forget the Royal Albert Hall in 1999 and how wonderful it was. To later witness Jon's Concerto conducted by Paul Mann and performed by Australian band George in Brisbane in 2002 was fantastic. I thank you Jon for the years of great music. I hope he will continue to grace our ears for many years to come and I wish him all the best, with loads of love thrown in. Much love and peace to Jon and his family.

Photo by Rasmus Heide, NEC, Birmingham, November 11, 1993.

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