Graham Bond
| Graham Bond | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Graham John Clifton Bond |
| Born |
28 October 1937 Romford, England |
| Died | 8 May 1974 (aged 36) Finsbury Park, London, England |
| Genres | Rhythm and blues, blues-rock, blues, jazz |
| Instruments | Keyboards, saxophone, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s–1974 |
| Labels | Decca |
| Associated acts | Don Rendell, Blues Incorporated, The Graham Bond Organisation |
| Website | grahambond.org |
| Notable instruments | |
| Hammond organ, Mellotron, saxophone | |
Graham John Clifton Bond (28 October 1937 – 8 May 1974) was an English musician and occultist, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s.
Bond was an innovator, described as "an important, under-appreciated figure of early British R&B", along with Cyril Davies and Alexis Korner. Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin and Ginger Baker first achieved prominence in his group, the Graham Bond Organisation. Bond was voted Britain's New Jazz Star in 1961. He was an early user of the Hammond organ/Leslie speaker combination in British rhythm and blues – he "split" the Hammond for portability – and was the first rock artist to record using a Mellotron, on his There's A Bond Between Us LP. As such he was a major influence upon later rock keyboardists: Deep Purple's Jon Lord said "He taught me, hands on, most of what I know about the Hammond organ".
Bond was born in Romford, Essex. Adopted from a Dr. Barnardo's home, he was educated at the Royal Liberty School in Gidea Park, East London, where he learned music. His first jazz gig was in 1960 with the Goudie Charles Quintet, staying for a year. He first gained national attention as a jazz saxophonist as a member of the Don Rendell Quintet, then briefly joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated before forming the Graham Bond Quartet with musicians he met in the Korner group, Ginger Baker on drums and Jack Bruce on double bass, together with John McLaughlin on guitar; and adopting the Hammond organ as his main instrument. The group then became The Graham Bond Organisation (GBO), while John McLaughlin was later replaced by Dick Heckstall-Smith on saxophones. Their album There's A Bond Between Us of October 1965 is considered the first recording of rock music that uses a Mellotron.
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