Category / music

by trondjs

11. Axe

Martin Axenrot, drummer

Martin Axenrot, drummer from Opeth.

Martin “Axe” Axenrot from Opeth handled the drums used during the concert – and of course he did it excellently. His drum solo during the number “Gigue” received a standing ovation during the concert.
Having played with Swedish prog-metal band Opeth since 2005, joining full time the year after, Axe is one of those drummers which combines excellent technique, great skill and speed, with jazz leanings, providing that wonderful flair that no pure “speed drummer” or “power drummer” comes close to. Come to think of it, Jon Lord himself played with another drummer which fits this description nicely during the largest part of his career.

Last year (2014), Axe was named “best prog drummer in the World” by Rhythm Magazine after an extensive poll.

Martin Axenrot’s private life played an important role in his involvement in this concert. His significant other, Nathalie Lorichs, has a father, Christer, who befriended Jon Lord probably while Jon still was in Whitesnake, if I’ve understood things correctly (and since Christer will be reading this, we’ll quickly have it fixed if I’m mistaken).

So Nathalie probably has been raised with Jon’s music as a backdrop. She was asked to do background vocals for the concert in Trondheim in 2007. For the 2010 concert, she was invited to do the main vocals on several numbers. More about that – and photos of Nathalie singing – later. (So sorry, Christer, I’m afraid I didn’t take any photos of you!)

It was via Nathalie’s participation that Martin Axenrot and Martín Méndez from Opeth got involved with this concert – and from reports I’ve had, both of them were very keen and humbled to be given the chance to work with the legendary Jon Lord.

A cropped, colour version of this photo, which I posted to Flickr after the concert, can be seen here.

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No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

10. The Bassist

Martín Méndez from Opeth on bass, with bandmate Martin Axenrot on the drums in the background.

Martin Méndez, Martin Axenrot

Martin Méndez from Opeth on the bass. His bandmate Martin Axenrot on the drums visible in the background.

Martín Méndez from Opeth was the bass player for the numbers that were amplified with electrical instruments. Born in Uruguay, but relocated to Sweden, he’s been a member of prog-metal band Opeth since 1999 – apart from frontmant Mikael Åkerfeldt, he’s the longest serving member of the band now.

Along with Martin Axenrot, drummer, seen at the back here, he makes up a tight rhythm section in a great, progressive band with a worldwide fan base.

And the guys know their deep purple tinted heritage. By all accounts, at least one of them pretty close to home, Martin and Martin were awestruck to share the stage with Jon Lord.

A few months after this concert, Opeth would pay their own tribute to “Deep Purple family member” Ronnie James Dio, who lost his fight with cancer just a week prior to this concert. Opeth played Rainbow’s “Catch the Rainbow“ at some festivals in August 2010 as a homage to Dio.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

9. First Violinists

The Lord Chamber Orchestra was gathered for the concert. This photo features three of the first violinists for the evening.

The Lord Chamber Orchestra - 1. Violinists

1. Violinists (from left) Sveinung Lillebjerka, Åse Våg Aaksnes and Kristin Reigstad.

The Lord Chamber Orchestra was gathered for the concert by conductor Torodd Wigum. This photo features three of the violinists for the evening. (Quoting the “Credits” section of the website dedicated to the concert here.)

From the left:
Sveinung Lillebjerka – First Violinist – whom I believe was the concertmaster – known for fans of Jon Lord from the “Beyond the Notes Live” DVD, where he played as one of the Trondheim Soloists. He’s also been leader of the Trondheim Symphonic Orchestra (TSO), and is currently the leader of Bodø Sinfonietta.
Åse Våg Aaknes – First Violinist – from the Trondheim Soloists, and Marit Laugen – Second Violinist – who also is in the Trondheim Soloists.

To the left on the second row, 1. violinist Ellen Fjærvoll Samdal, a music student at the time. She has played both with the Trondheim Soloists and the TSO, and have recorded albums with both orchestras, and have toured both nationally and internationally. She’s also received several prizes.
In the middle of the second row we see flutist Trine Knutsen, who later will reappear in a more prominent position. She’s been the leader for the Trondheim Soloists, she’s an associate professor at the Department of Music at NTNU in Trondheim, and has had several roles and parts as flute soloist in a large number of Norwegian orchestras.

Of course the orchestra are the “unsung heroes” of an orchestral production like this. And I’m afraid I don’t have close up photos of each and every one of them. In hindsight I should have made an effort to get those. Of course.

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No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

8. Take Two

Jon Lord reaching out for the score on the grand piano. Behind the Hammond organ, bassist Martín Méndez and drummer Martin Axenrot from Opeth are visible.

Jon Lord, Martin Mendez, Martin Axenrot

Jon Lord by the grand piano, reaching out for the score. Behind the Hammond organ, bassist Martin Mendez and drummer Martin Axenrot from Opeth are visible.

Jon Lord reaching out for the score on the grand piano. Behind the Hammond organ, bassist Martín Méndez and drummer Martin Axenrot from Opeth are visible.

They’re getting ready to launch into “Bourée” again, this time with sound on Magnus’ keyboards.

A Swedish Anecdote

Since this is a photo of Jon Lord with two Swedes, I guess this is as good as place as any for a little anecdote from Sweden.

In the Summer of 1996, Deep Purple were touring Europe on the back of their strong first album with Steve Morse on guitar, “Purpendicular“. I’d seen them in London in March the same year, great concerts. Then a weird Summer tour of Sweden was announced. Ten dates in all, scattered all over the long country. As it turned out, the Swedish Summer of 1996 turned out to be one of the colder Summers – Pär Holmgren, metheorologist, if you’re reading this I’m sure you can supply weather statistics for 1996 in the comments field.

Anyway, some friends and me, basically the same guys who had travelled to London in March, decided to go to the concert in Smögen, on the Swedish west coast. Smögen is a pictureque, sleepy village, beautifully located on the coast, which comes alive during Summer time with lots of holiday guests.

But this day was cold and rainy. The temperature was around 10 Centigrades, there was light rain, and there were probably not much more than 1,000 people gathered on a football stadium basically in the middle of nowhere. There were posters at the site for the next concert there – Smokie. Enough said.

Deep Purple played a good set, conditions considered. But it was cold, raining, not all that many people, and I was standing a bit to the back on a football stadium. This was nothing like seeing them at the Brixton Academy a few months earlier.

Anyhow – we knew the band were staying at the Smögen Hafvsbad Hotel – I’m not sure there’s really any other places to stay. So we went there, and surely, the band came, and at least Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Jon Lord stayed for a while in the hotel bar, having a drink and chatting with the likes of us.

I’d been in touch with them through what was then known as the “Deep Purple Homepage” (I think there was just a couple of thousand web servers in the world when we put it up in 1994, unless my memory is playing me tricks) and the Usenet newsgroup alt.music.deep-purple. So, talking with Jon (“My fingers felt like sausages”, he commented on playing in the cold weather), he suddenly lightens up, remembering I’m Norwegian: He wants to play some Grieg!

He says Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s “Wedding Day at Troldhaugen” was (one of) the first pieces his piano teacher in Leicester taught him, he wants to play it, and hey, there’s a grand piano here!

But dang. It’s locked.

So we head over to the young bartender and ask for the keys.

But – this being Sweden, he just says: “No. Sorry. Hotel regulations.” Norwegians have this impression of Swedes being overtly careful to follow all rules and regulations, so I’m not surprised. But several of us try to tell the young Swedish bartender that there’s a world famous keyboardist in front of him, who wants to play some classical music in his bar. But “No, sorry, it’s after midnight, we can’t do that, the guests will be upset”.

So I never got to hear Jon play “Wedding Day at Troldhaugen”. Until this day. Jon has written a tribute to Edvard Grieg (and to the Trondheim Soloists, who he’s worked with several times, and several members are in the orchestra this evening) which he’s called “For Example“. (E.G., get it?)

And at the very end of the piece, Jon has included a quote from “Wedding Day at Troldhaugen”. As a tribute to his old piano teacher, to Edvard Grieg, and to the Trondheim Soloists.

And so, 14 years after the rule abiding bartender in Smögen, I finally got to hear Jon Lord play a little “Wedding Day at Troldhaugen”.

“For Example” from the concert in Trondheim

 

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

7. No Sound on the Keyboard!

Jon Lord gestures, conductor Torodd Wigum stands at the front, as the keyboard lacks sound during the rehearsal.

Jon Lord and the Lord Chamber Orchestra

Jon Lord by the grand piano, conductor Torodd Wigum to the right.

Jon Lord gestures from behind the grand piano. Conductor Torodd Wigum standing at the front of the stage, also looking to his right – at the sound mixer. They were playing “Bourée“, and Magnus Johansen’s keyboards (he’s hidden behind the grand piano in this photo), which was supposed to carry the main theme, had no sound. Jon is telling the sound mixer in no uncertain terms.

Martin Axenrot at the drums at the back, we also see 1. violinists Sveinung Lillebjerka and Åse Våg Aaknes.

(Thanks to Christer Lorichs for a reminder of what was going on here!)

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No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

6. Playing “Bourée” (Outtake)

Jon Lord with his gaze fixed on the score during “Bourée”, a great number from his much loved “Sarabande” album. Martin Mendez and Martin Axenrot in the background.

Jon Lord, Martin Mendez, Martin Axenrot

Jon Lord at the grand piano with Martin Mendez and Martin Axenrot visible in the background.

Jon Lord with his eyes fixed on the score during the song “Bourée” – a number from Jon Lord’s 1976 solo album “Sarabande“, an album which is held in very high regard among his fans. There were two songs from the album played during this concert.

Martin Mendez – who is closely watching Jon – and Martin Axenrot from Opeth are visible in the background.

“Sarabande” was a fusion of orchestral music with the added “oomph” of rock musicians – including Andy Summers, later in The Police, on lead guitar, Mark Nauseef on percussion and Pete York on drums. Inspired amongst others by Bartók’s “Romanian Dances” and by Bach’s keyboard suites, the music is a playful mix of symphonic melody lines, often heavily saturated by Eastern European influences, and the rhythmic gusto of the electrically amplified musicians. In many ways, the album can be seen as the culmination of Jon’s attempts at joining the orchestra and the rock band starting with the “Concerto for Group and Orchestra” in 1969.

I was very pleased to get the chance to hear this song played live two times that day, both in rehearsal and during the concert – where there were very audible excited shouting from some of the audience after this performance.

(This photo didn’t make it to the printed book, but is shared here for the enjoyment of the blog’s readers and viewers.)

Further reading:

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

5. Jon, Martin and Magnus

Jon Lord, Martin Axenrot and Magnus Johansen

Jon Lord, Martin Axenrot and Magnus Johansen during rehearsals in the Nidaros Cathedral i Trondheim, Norway, May 23rd 2010.

Jon Lord at the grand piano, with drummer Martin Axenrot (from Opeth) and keyboardist Magnus Johansen in the background.

On the website “The Trondheim Experiment“, where the whole concert can be viewed in HD video, there’s also lots of background and behind the scenes material.

Here’s a photo of these three – and bassist Martin Mendez from Opeth – studying a score in the early stages of the rehearsals.

Also worth watching:
A video Christer Lorichs took of the “band only” rehearsal of “Bourée” the day before.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

4. Martin and Martin (and Magnus!)

Martin Mendez and Martin Axenrot from Opeth made up the rhythm section on some numbers. Here pictured with keyboardist Magnus Johansen.

Martin Axenrot, Martin Mendez, Magnus Johansen

Martin Axenrot (drums) and Martin Mendez (bass) from Opeth with Magnus Johansen on keyboards rehearsing before a concert with Jon Lord in the Nidaros Cathedral 2010

Quite a few of the pieces performed at the concert featured a rock band based rhythm section and modern keyboards in addition to the chamber orchestra and Jon Lord’s grand piano – and the occasional use of his trademark Hammond organ.
For this one concert, the rhythm section was a very special one: Bassist Martin Mendez and drummer Martin Axenrot from the Swedish prog-metal band Opeth – a band that is quite an institution by themselves by now. Indeed, I was told that several young girls were starstruck as they saw Martin Mendez relaxing outside the cathedral after one of the earlier rehearsals.

Fabulous musicians, both of them, they certainly helped assuring the classical/rock fusion numbers became really groovy.

Magnus Johansen on keyboards were added at the suggestion of Jon himself. Magnus is the son of Knut Morten Johansen, Joss amongst friends – the main man responsible for luring Jon Lord to play in Trondheim in the first place. Jon saw it fitting that Magnus got the chance to join him on stage for this concert. “I’ve known him since he was the size of my shoe”, he claimed during the concert.

I’m afraid I didn’t text my photos well enough back when I still remembered everything, so I’m not positively sure which number they were rehearsing here, but I think it was either “The Telemann Experiment“ or “Bourée“. Quite possibly the latter.

Photographically speaking, it’s quite amazing how Magnus’ face seems to peep out through a dent in the column in the old cathedral.

 

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

3. The Musicians (Outtake)

The musicians who formed the Lord Chamber Orchestra for the occcassion listed by name.

Jon Lord and the Lord Chamber Orchestra

Jon Lord by the grand piano on the left. Musicians from the Lord Chamber Orchestra on the stage.

The musicians in the orchestra deserve to be mentioned by name.

The great musicians who formed The Lord Chamber Orchestra for this concert, assembled by conductor Torodd Wigum, were:

1. Violin:

  • Sveinung Lillebjerka
  • Åse Våg Aaknes
  • Kristin Reigstad
  • Cathrine Egeriis Søndberg
  • Ellen Fjærvoll Samdal

2. Violin:

  • Marit Laugen
  • Ingvild Ranum
  • Ingrid Wisur
  • Alva Press

Viola:

  • Bergmund Skaslien
  • Eigil Nordstrøm
  • Ragnar Heier Hovd

Cello:

  • Cecilie Koch
  • Marit Aspås
  • Siri Snortheim

Double Bass:

  • Rolf Hoff Baltzersen

Flute:

  • Trine Knutsen

Horn:

  • Inger Jacobsen

(Quoting the “Credits” section of the website dedicated to the concert here.)

As this photo is quite similar to the previous one, it didn’t make the final cut in the printed book. I’m still glad to share it here on the blog.

 

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

2. The Lord Chamber Orchestra

Who were the musicians behind the fabulous Lord Chamber Orchestra – not heard of before or since?

Jon Lord and the Lord Chamber Orchestra

Jon Lord and the Lord Chamber Orchestra

The orchestra was put together for the concert, and consisted of highly qualified musicians. Most of them from the Trondheim Soloists (Trondheimsolistene) and the Trondheim Symphonic Orchestra (Trondheim Symfoniorkester, TSO), as well as some very promising music students.

The Trondheim Soloists should be well known to fans of Jon Lord. In 2003, they played on the same stage with Jon Lord on the concert which Jon later referred to as a “life changing experience”.  This concert was Jon Lord’s first big concert after he left Deep Purple to concentrate on his orchestral music in 2002. And it was the concert which gave him the confidence to really pursue this path further.

Hot on the heels of this concert, the Trondheim Soloists played on Jon Lord’s first solo album after leaving Deep Purple, “Beyond the Notes” from 2004. They also toured Europe with Jon in 2004/2005. One of the shows can be seen on the excellent “Beyond the Notes, Live” DVD.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

The book is out – head to the bookstore to order your copy. There is two sizes and two bindings for each size available, from the standard sized book with soft cover, to the lavish coffee table book on high-end photo paper.