Keef Hartley Band
The Keef Hartley Band was a British rock band that in 1968 by the drummer Keef Hartley was founded.
history
Hartley formed the core of the band with Miller Anderson (songwriter, guitar and vocals) and Gary Thain (bass). Well-known session musicians such as Mick Weaver (keyboards) and Chris Mercer (saxophone) provided temporary support. Guest musicians with the Keef Hartley Band included Mick Taylor , Barbara Thompson , Jon Hiseman , Elkie Brooks , John Mayall , Johnny Almond and many more.
In March 1969 the first album Halfbreed came out. In the same year the Keef Hartley Band performed at the Woodstock Festival (on the 2nd day - Saturday - before The Incredible String Band ). There are no audio or film recordings of her performance. Only a tape recording by a fan with fragments of some pieces has survived.
The band has been compared to jazz rock groups like Colosseum , Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears . The style of the Keef Hartley Band evolved from the blues John Mayalls and consisted of solid songwriting and jazzy arrangements. The brass players Henry Lowther , Dave Caswell and Lyle Jenkins played a key role in the band's sound . The band later even grew to a big band format (title of a live album recorded at the Marquee Club in London: Little Big Band ).
In 1971 Hartley separated from songwriter Miller Anderson and grouped around Thain a new, more funk- oriented line-up with singer and guitarist Junior Kerr. This formation only recorded one album, Seventy Second Brave . Live recordings of this line-up appeared on the posthumous album Not Foolish Not Wise .
In 1972 , Keef Hartley broke up the band to go on tour again with his former employer John Mayall.
Discography
- Halfbreed (1969)
- Battle Of NW6 (1969)
- The Time Is Near (1970)
- Overdog (1971)
- Little Big Band (1971)
- Seventy Second Brave (1972)
- Not Foolish Not Wise (1999)