2. Wizard of the Art: Jon Lord, a Legacy ‘In Rock’ keyboard
Who Do We Think They Are? - Deep Purple and Metal Studies - Andy R. Brown
James Dickinson [+]
Bath Spa University
Description
In Chapter 2, James Dickinson not only seeks to place Lord alongside progressive rock and neo-classical greats, Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, as a virtuoso keyboard player, but also to draw attention to his dynamic musical relationship with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. One that fused a baroque classical and R&B rhythmic attack, by developing a way to play his beloved Hammond C3 organ through a 200watt Marshall amplification set up, creating a powerful, heavy and distorted legato underpinning to Blackmore’s guitar riffs, as well as offering a solo virtuosity of equally striking proportions to that of the guitarist; an interplay that can be heard on the ‘Child in Time’ (1970) track as well as on Purple’s ‘live’ performances, such as those captured on the aforementioned bootleg ‘live’ album, Space (1970) and the double-vinyl ‘live’ LP, Made in Japan (1972). For Dickinson, it was Lord’s supportive role in this, sometimes fiery musical relationship, that enabled Blackmore to reach the virtuosic hights of his ‘live’ performances, knowing that Lord would maintain the riff heavy legato of Purple songs when needed, as well as compete with his own solo passages, where the two would duel while respecting each other’s space. In this respect, as Dickinson argues, Lord did more to show future rock keyboard players how this difficult relationship could work in a complimentary way; taking the lead role in tracks such as ‘Hush’ (1968), sharing the limelight on ‘Lazy’ or combining with Blackmore’s guitar in ‘Highway Star’ (both 1972) to create a hybridised sound-world unlike anything heard on record before. For Dickinson, Lord’s legacy is a musical masterclass in the balance between restraint and attack, demonstrated by a musician who could step aside to compliment some of the most iconic guitar riffs in history and then in the next track or section enter the limelight, turning his Hammond organ into a blistering distorted riff machine that merged with, and at times replaced, Blackmore’s guitar.