Product Description
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Never before released on CD.
Tribute to Alexis Korner (died 1984-01-01)
Alexis Light Orchestra was a supergroup formed for a tribute
concert to the late Alexis Korner on June 5th, 1984 at the Palais
Ballroom in Nottingham, England.
Line Up: Jimmy Page - Guitar
Alexis Light Orchestra, Featuring:
Jack Bruce - Bass, vocal
Paul Jones - Harmonica, vocal
Charlie Watts - Drums
Ian Stewart - Piano
Ruby Turner - Vocal
and others.
Review
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Without Alexis Korner, there still might have been a British
blues scene in the early 1960s, but chances are that it would
have been very different from the one that spawned the Rolling
Stones, nurtured the early talents of Eric Clapton, and made it
possible for figures such as John Mayall to reach an audience...
Artist Biography by Bruce Eder --Allmusic Guide
Renowned British blues guy Alexis Korner had something of a
prolific career up to his untimely passing at the start of 1984.
Along with a later, concurrent career in broadcasting, he
performed within various bands and ensembles with luminaries and
legends in the making, such as Jimmy Page, Charlie Watts, Jack
Bruce, Ginger Baker, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, John Mayall, as
well as irrefutably one of the most seminal artists of the twenty
first century, Jimi Hendrix. It seems Korner was a widely
respected, much lauded guitarist so, just a few months after his
death, a tribute show for the man took place on 5th June at The
Palais in Nottingham, with a ten piece band that featured
musicians with whom he'd been associated over the years. Cue
Jimmy Page; Jack Bruce; Ian Stewart; Charlie Watts; Paul Jones;
Roger Sutton; Ruby Turner; et al. With the gig originally
broadcast on Radio Trent, here we have its release on the CD
format across two discs, billed under the attention grabbing,
''Jimmy Page & Friends''.
An unnamed person (simply listed within the digipak as 'Intro -
Non Musical Content') appears on stage prior to the band's
entrance, and speaks to the crowd about the essence of the
evening: ''Firstly, to pay tribute to Alexis Korner for
everything that he did for the British music scene… Secondly, to
raise money for Cancer Research… And thirdly, because of the
person that Alexis was, this shouldn't be a sad occasion; it's a
celebration of the fact that he was here in the first place, and
it's a party.'' What transpires across the two discs does,
indeed, feel like a celebration through music. Blues with a brass
section is the order of the day, and this illustrious ensemble
sound like they were having a blast with the songs, including
versions of tracks by the likes of Robert Johnson, Jimmy Reed,
Sonny Boy Williamson II and Muddy Waters. This is mainly old
style blues here so don't expect a rocked up Page-led outing as
implied by the branding of this release. It's all about the
ensemble, but I guess Page's name and photo on the front will
garner a lot more attention. And rightfully so, as it states
within the package that, ''All artists' royalties are paid to
Cancer Research''.
Sound-wise, there's zero info available about what kind of
clean-up work took place, but the s sound in very decent
shape. Despite a few wobbles here and there (notably, early on in
'Sweet Home Chicago'), all tracks have a great stereo mix and a
resonant sound, with a nice mastering job. Sure, it doesn't
sparkle with all kinds of modern dynamics but, for what it is, it
sounds pretty good. And the retro nature of the sound kind of
fits the retro nature of the music that Page and co. perform.
Overall then, a very commendable release of a long-lost rarity.
Well worth checking out, whether you be a Korner fan, a Zeppelin
aficionado, a Stones buff, or just like old blues.
Review by Mark Holmes --Metal Discoveries