Everybody knows Jon Lord! Since leaving Deep Purple in 2002, he has devoted himself to classical composing while he hasn’t stopped presenting in a live environment his musical pieces whenever an occasion arises. The new album is entitled “To Notice Such Things” and it may not have a lot in common with the overall context of Rockpages (after all, does Blackmore’s Night have anything to do with it?), but this is Jon Lord we are talking about, the man who was the first to combine classical music with rock 30 or so years before it became a trend in the music business.

“To Notice Such Things” is a six-movement suite for solo flute, piano and string orchestra (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is featured here), composed in memory of Lord’s close friend, Sir John Mortimer, a multitasked figure who passed away in 2009.

I don’t have the knowledge to present a thorough analysis of “To Notice Such Things” but I am pretty sure that it is a relevant companion to the “Durham Concerto” (2007) due to the presence of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra although I must point out that on that 2007 release the basic instruments were the violin and the cello. 

“To Notice Such Things” will definitely be embraced by all those who seek something unique and different from the person who has linked his name to some of the most memorable and timeless rock tunes while it won’t go unnoticed by all the fans of the legendary “Concerto of Group and Orchestra”.

Highlight: The albums closes with Jeremy Iron’s reading of the poem “Afterwards”.