Airey, Don Keyed Up

2014, Virtuoso and legendary keyboard player (and all round nice guy) Don has played with pretty much everyone worth playing with, and is currently touring with Deep Purple. This new solo album draws from a range of influences from his past. And while he has a solid band, there are a few notable guests, which includes one of the last pieces of work by the late Gary Moore. The album mixes jazz, rock and blues, and some instrumental passages allow some rightly deserved self-indulgence from Don; whether intricate playing or use of effects, it's all enjoyable. One of the highlights of the album is a remake of Rainbow's ,,Difficult To Cure", while it lacks Blackmore's finesse the guitar sounds fantastic and Don's keyboards are bright. The programmed orchestral break is a good touch too. ,,Mini Suite" sees some good guitar interplay, before switching to piano. There are touches of Gary Moore here, and more on ,,Adagio", here his guitar work stands out.