DON AIREY – One Of A Kind (2018)

Deep Purple keyboardist DON AIREY will release his new solo album, “One Of A Kind“, on May 25 via earMUSIC as 2CD (including a bonus live CD) as well as on vinyl and digitally.
It is hard to find a name among all those that over the last 30 years have left their mark in the history of rock that has not utilized Don’s keyboard skills at some point. But Airey has never been a session player. Bands and artists work with him for his unique musical vision, for the twist he gives to songs.
It is with the same passion, the same energy, the same talent that Don Airey approaches his very own songwriting.

Like Don’s previous solo effort, “One Of A Kind” it’s as much a showcase for Airey’s fellow musicians most of whom are retained for this new excursion. Vocalist Carl Sentance moonlighting from Nazareth and acquitting himself well away from McAfferty’s long shadow.
And erstwhile Snakecharmer guitar slinger Simon McBride also features. McBride shines on the Gary Moore-esque ‘Remember To Call’ and makes a particularly good fist of ‘Still Got The Blues’ but more of that later.

The songs reflect Airey’s musical inclinations, and a career playing with such alumni as Ritchie Blackmore and Ozzy. There’s an uptempo Purple vibe on this offering, demonstrated on pieces like ‘Respect’ and ‘Stay The Night’.
But there’s also some experimentation, such as the hard rocking ‘Victim Of Pain’ and the frenetic ‘Lost Boys’.Together with a track like ‘Children Of the Sun’ Airey shows what Purple might be like if they fused with Judas Priest.

Standouts include the grind of ‘All Out Of Line’ and the deftly orchestrated title track. ‘Everytime I See Your Face’ is a good vehicle for Sentance’s softer underbelly. ‘Need You So Bad’ is another big ballad but spiced with McBride’s muscular riffage and Airey’s fluent keyboard work whilst ‘Running Free’ would make a radio-friendly single.

But if you are also partial to a bit of hairy Hammond (and some spicy synth) “One Of A Kind” should tick your box. The album is padded out with a handful of bonus tracks (including Purple and Rainbow covers) recorded in Germany in 2017. This is where McBride gets to pay tribute to one of his great influences, the great Gary Moore with whom Airey also collaborated.

“One Of A Kind” is a more ‘direct’ solo album from Don Airey than his previous offerings, mostly rocking and with that classic hard rock vibe & feel that only the ones that made history in the genre can play.
It’s all about classic stuff, you know, Purple, Rainbow, Gary Moore, etc, you know, the best of the best.
Highly Recommended

01. Respect
02. All Out Of Line
03. One Of A Kind
04. Everytime I See Your Face
05. Victim Of Pain
06. Running Free
07. Lost Boys
08. Need You So Bad
09. Children Of The Sun
10. Remember To Call
11. Stay The Night

Bonus CD
(Recorded Live At Fabrik, Hamburg On March 14, 2017):
01. Pictures Of Home (Originally By Deep Purple)
02. Since You’ve Been Gone (Originally By Rainbow)
03. I Surrender (Originally By Rainbow)
04. Still Got The Blues (Originally By Gary Moore)

Don Airey – Keyboards
Carl Sentance – Vocals
Laurence Cottle – Bass
Jon Finnigan – Drums
Simon McBride – Guitars

PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.co.uk/One-Kind-Don-Airey/dp/B07B5W1THP/
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