Former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord recently announced that he is fighting cancer and will be taking a break from performing while getting treatment.

An update from Lord states: "Just a quick line or two from an absolutely overwhelmed, gratified and humbled musician.

Your responses to the news of my condition have touched my heart in a way that has truly helped to make my life a better place to be than it had occasionally threatened to become these last few weeks.

Your wonderful messages wishing me strength and courage have given me even more strength and courage – and so much more than you can ever know.

I read many of them with tears in my eyes, grateful for this cast-iron proof of the innate goodness of the human being, and grateful to every single one of you for your invaluable support.

This message goes out too to all the similarly wonderful folk on other websites whose support has been equally warm and strong and I want you all to know how greatly heartened and comforted I am by all this.

The treatment continues and I am confident and being supported by my glorious family and an amazing group of friends.

See you soon."

Jon Lord’s 1976 orchestral album Sarabande was re-released on August 23rd via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The album was recorded between September 3rd and 6th at the Stadthalle Oer-Erkenschwick in a small town near Dusseldorf, Germany using a mobile recording studio.

Musicians used on Sarabande include bassist Paul Karass, percussionist Mark Nauseef, guitarist Andy Summers (prior to forming THE POLICE) and drummer Pete York. Lord, who co-produced the album with Martin Birch, plays the Hammond B-3 organ, piano, clavinet and synthesizer.

Sarabande tracklisting:

‘Fantasia’

‘Sarabande’

‘Aria’

‘Gigue’

‘Bouree’

‘Pavane’

‘Caprice’

‘Finale’