Heartbreaking: Ian Paice Musician and drummer Just Passed Away At The Aged of 76…see…more…:

Heartbreaking: Ian Paice Musician and drummer Just Passed Away At The Aged of 76…see…more…Souls, having touched, are forever entwined.” It’s a lyric penned by Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan in honor of his dear friend and late bandmate Jon Lord, the original keyboardist for Deep Purple who pioneered merging rock music with classical themes when he composed the material played jointly by Deep Purple and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold for Concerto for Group and Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 24, 1969. (To get the full impact of this groundbreaking evening, seek out the 2003 DVD-Audio version from Rhino mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound by Jonathan Allen.) Lord propelled the use of the Hammond organ as both a growling lead and nurturing rhythm instrument all throughout his career, and he continued exploring hybrid classical/rock themes with Purple, Whitesnake, and in his own solo career. He composed challenging new material after leaving Purple in 2002, right up until his death at age 71 from pancreatic cancer on July 16, 2012.

 

Jon Lord, Deep Purple & Friends: Celebrating Jon Lord (earMusic/Eagle Rock), recorded at the Royal Albert Hall this past April 4, showcases the breadth of Lord as both composer (“All Those Years Ago,” “Pictured Within”) and rock legend (“Soldier of Fortune,” “Perfect Strangers,” “Hush”). Guests like Rick Wakeman, Paul Weller, Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, Jeremy Irons, and Orion Orchestra conductor Paul Mann all funnel Lord’s legacy to new heights. Born out of The Sunflower Jam, a semi-annual charity event spearheaded by Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice’s wife Jacky to help those fighting cancer, Celebrating Jon Lord not only shines a spotlight on the man’s storied career, but earmarks all proceeds toward The Jon Lord Fellowship, which funds research projects designed to battle pancreatic cancer.

 

Here, Paice, 66, and I discuss the challenges of getting great sound in such a storied venue, how he adapts to working with different bass players, how influential Ringo Starr continues to be, his personal highest and lowest moments from the original Concerto, and what the future might hold for Deep Purple. After listening to and watching all that went into Celebrating Jon Lord, there’s one word in the Purple canon that one absolutely cannot use to describe Paice’s energy and tireless work ethic: “Lazy.”