Biography
Among rock's more persistent tales of misfortune stands the career of Mick Abraham's. Although his blues-infused playing on Jethro Tull's opening album This Was drew favorable reviewer comparisons to Eric Clapton, his exit from the band ushered in decades without comparable recording success or the global stature reached by his former colleagues. Steering successive lineups of his signature outfit Blodwyn Pig, he sustained activity across twenty-five years and cultivated substantial underground regard, most notably in England.
He entered the Crusaders in 1964, sharing the stage with pianist Graham Waller, drummer Carlo Little—a veteran of Screaming Lord Sutch and Cyril Davies—and bassist Alex Dmochowski behind vocalist Neil Christian. Alexis Korner, who together with Cyril Davies introduced the blues to British audiences, remained Abraham's central inspiration; like Brian Jones and Keith Richards, he traced his entry into music to Korner's pioneering Blues Incorporated. During 1965 Abraham's and Waller moved to the Toggery Five, a seven-piece that also featured drummer Clive Bunker. The group briefly appeared in discographies after issuing an unsuccessful Mick Jagger-Keith Richards single, yet otherwise left no lasting mark.
In summer 1967, while performing with McGregory's Engine alongside Bunker, Abraham's encountered Ian Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick of John Evans' Smash. Their mutual blues enthusiasm prompted the formation of Jethro Tull. Abraham's stayed until November 1968; during this span his guitar defined the ensemble's sound and established him among England's foremost blues practitioners. His technique, intensity, and melodic command appear throughout the second single "A Song for Jeffrey" and the album This Was. Anderson's vocals and flute soon eclipsed the guitar's role, and by autumn 1968 Anderson had assumed leadership; Abraham's departed the following month.
Early in 1969 he assembled Blodwyn Pig, recruiting Jack Lancaster on saxophone, former McGregory's Engine colleague Andy Pyle on bass, and Ron Berg on drums. The unit remained rooted in blues yet quickly earned critical favor amid London's crowded field of white blues acts through its concerts and debut album Ahead Rings Out. Regarded as a landmark progressive-blues recording, the LP attracted modest American interest while reaching the British Top Ten. Its successor, Getting to This, issued a year later, likewise received warm notices and also charted inside the UK Top Ten.
Internal tensions nevertheless surfaced when Lancaster and the others sought a shift in direction that would elevate the saxophone. Abraham's exited in 1970; ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks and guitarist-singer Larry Wallis took his place. The band persisted under Lancaster before adopting the name Lancaster's Bomber. Abraham's briefly launched Wommet, which dissolved almost immediately, then concentrated on the Mick Abraham's Band featuring Walt Monaghan on bass, Bob Sargeant on guitar, keyboards and vocals, and Ritchie Dharma on drums. Chrysalis released two albums, Mick Abraham's and At Last, with Lancaster expanding the lineup to a quintet. Sales remained modest, though steady live work continued.
In 1974 Abraham's revived Blodwyn Pig with ex-Tull drummer Bunker, Pyle, and Lancaster, yet the reunion collapsed after only a handful of performances. He largely stepped away from the industry, pausing only to record his strongest-selling solo project, the instructional album Learning to Play Guitar With Mick Abraham's. Occasional shows followed, while income derived from non-musical roles as driver, lifeguard, and financial consultant; he appeared content with impromptu pub performances or local-benefit appearances in his hometown of Dunstable.
In 1988 he reconstituted Blodwyn Pig, restoring Andy Pyle on bass and adding ex-Bonzo Dog Band saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, Bernie Hetherington on saxes, Bruce Boardman on keyboards, and Clive Bunker on drums. The ensemble prospered, issuing the well-received All Said and Done. Its 1993 configuration—introducing keyboardist Dave Lennox, bassist Mike Summerland, and drummer Graham Walker—delivered Lies, widely viewed as Blodwyn Pig's strongest studio effort. A subsequent live document from the 1993 tour, capturing a reunion with Ian Anderson at one concert, appeared as All Tore Down. Abraham's maintains regular performing and recording activity, retaining followings in England and America with Blodwyn Pig. By the mid-1990s the core quartet of Abrahams, Walker, Lennox, and Summerland was augmented in the studio by vocalist Jackie Challenor and saxophonist Nick Payne.
He entered the Crusaders in 1964, sharing the stage with pianist Graham Waller, drummer Carlo Little—a veteran of Screaming Lord Sutch and Cyril Davies—and bassist Alex Dmochowski behind vocalist Neil Christian. Alexis Korner, who together with Cyril Davies introduced the blues to British audiences, remained Abraham's central inspiration; like Brian Jones and Keith Richards, he traced his entry into music to Korner's pioneering Blues Incorporated. During 1965 Abraham's and Waller moved to the Toggery Five, a seven-piece that also featured drummer Clive Bunker. The group briefly appeared in discographies after issuing an unsuccessful Mick Jagger-Keith Richards single, yet otherwise left no lasting mark.
In summer 1967, while performing with McGregory's Engine alongside Bunker, Abraham's encountered Ian Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick of John Evans' Smash. Their mutual blues enthusiasm prompted the formation of Jethro Tull. Abraham's stayed until November 1968; during this span his guitar defined the ensemble's sound and established him among England's foremost blues practitioners. His technique, intensity, and melodic command appear throughout the second single "A Song for Jeffrey" and the album This Was. Anderson's vocals and flute soon eclipsed the guitar's role, and by autumn 1968 Anderson had assumed leadership; Abraham's departed the following month.
Early in 1969 he assembled Blodwyn Pig, recruiting Jack Lancaster on saxophone, former McGregory's Engine colleague Andy Pyle on bass, and Ron Berg on drums. The unit remained rooted in blues yet quickly earned critical favor amid London's crowded field of white blues acts through its concerts and debut album Ahead Rings Out. Regarded as a landmark progressive-blues recording, the LP attracted modest American interest while reaching the British Top Ten. Its successor, Getting to This, issued a year later, likewise received warm notices and also charted inside the UK Top Ten.
Internal tensions nevertheless surfaced when Lancaster and the others sought a shift in direction that would elevate the saxophone. Abraham's exited in 1970; ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks and guitarist-singer Larry Wallis took his place. The band persisted under Lancaster before adopting the name Lancaster's Bomber. Abraham's briefly launched Wommet, which dissolved almost immediately, then concentrated on the Mick Abraham's Band featuring Walt Monaghan on bass, Bob Sargeant on guitar, keyboards and vocals, and Ritchie Dharma on drums. Chrysalis released two albums, Mick Abraham's and At Last, with Lancaster expanding the lineup to a quintet. Sales remained modest, though steady live work continued.
In 1974 Abraham's revived Blodwyn Pig with ex-Tull drummer Bunker, Pyle, and Lancaster, yet the reunion collapsed after only a handful of performances. He largely stepped away from the industry, pausing only to record his strongest-selling solo project, the instructional album Learning to Play Guitar With Mick Abraham's. Occasional shows followed, while income derived from non-musical roles as driver, lifeguard, and financial consultant; he appeared content with impromptu pub performances or local-benefit appearances in his hometown of Dunstable.
In 1988 he reconstituted Blodwyn Pig, restoring Andy Pyle on bass and adding ex-Bonzo Dog Band saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, Bernie Hetherington on saxes, Bruce Boardman on keyboards, and Clive Bunker on drums. The ensemble prospered, issuing the well-received All Said and Done. Its 1993 configuration—introducing keyboardist Dave Lennox, bassist Mike Summerland, and drummer Graham Walker—delivered Lies, widely viewed as Blodwyn Pig's strongest studio effort. A subsequent live document from the 1993 tour, capturing a reunion with Ian Anderson at one concert, appeared as All Tore Down. Abraham's maintains regular performing and recording activity, retaining followings in England and America with Blodwyn Pig. By the mid-1990s the core quartet of Abrahams, Walker, Lennox, and Summerland was augmented in the studio by vocalist Jackie Challenor and saxophonist Nick Payne.
Albums
