Artist: DON AIREY [DEEP PURPLE]
Album: KEYED UP (CD)

Release date: 2014
Media type: CD

‘Keyed Up’, the new studio album from renowned keyboard maestro Don Airey will be released through Music Theories Recordings, a division of Mascot Label Group. This is Don’s fourth studio set, and his third to be released through the label.  The album features many of Don’s friends and peers and, sadly, represents one of the very last times that Gary Moore recorded a guitar part.  He - a long time associate of Don - features on ‘Adagio’ and also on ‘Mini Suite’, which is dedicated to his memory.

The tracklisting of the album draws from throughout Don’s career and also takes in some of his influences, with twists upon familiar themes.  Don has performed with a host of the most important bands in the rock canon, from Cozy Powell to Colosseum II to Sabbath to Rainbow to Ozzy Osbourne and of course, ultimately to Deep Purple, via sessions for innumerable peers and this experience and panache illuminates ‘Keyed Up’.  This is an album that wears its virtuosity easily and never loses sight of its sense of fun, ‘Claire D’Loon’ anyone?  ‘Difficult To Cure 2013’ is a version of The Rainbow favourite re-arranged to include Beethoven’s double fugue, whilst the ‘Godbox’ referenced in the seventh track was Fats Wallers’ nickname for the Hammond organ.

The band on this record was Don Airey on Keyboards, Darrin Mooney [Primal Scream] on drums, Laurence Cottle on Bass, Rob Harris [Jamiroquai] on guitar and Carl Sentance on Vocals.  Guest performers include the aforementioned Gary Moore, Graham Bonnet, Simon McBride, Alex Meadows and Tim Goodyer. The engineer was the amazing Ewan Davies.

TRACKLIST:

1. 3 In The Morning
2. Beat The Retreat
3. Blue Rondo A La Turk
4. Solomons Song
5. Claire D'Loon
6. Flight Of Inspiration
7. Inside The Godbox
8. Difficult To Cure (2013)

9. Mini-Suite:
a. Lament/ Jig 
b. Restless Spirit
c.What went Wrong

10. Adagio
11. Grace