The Link Quartet
Instrumental Hammond-led band from Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, active since 1993 — "a reference point for the Hammond sound thanks to an explosive blend of funk, rock and soul interpreted in a unique, modern and original way".^[raw/articles/linkquartet-lastfm-apollonegri.md] The flagship act of Hammondbeat Records and the band that turned the label from a fan site into a recording operation.
Story
- Founded in Piacenza in 1993 as an instrumental 1960s-jazz-oriented band.^[raw/articles/linkquartet-lastfm-apollonegri.md]
- Paolo "Apollo" Negri joined in 1997 (see player page); two 45s on the Spanish label Animal Records followed, then the albums Episode 1 and Beat.it.^[raw/articles/linkquartet-lastfm-apollonegri.md]
- The link to JTQ is explicit: they were greatly influenced by the sound JTQ established 15 years earlier, toured as JTQ's support act, and the Hammondbeat collaboration began as a recording project with them — Beat.it (HBR-001, 2002) being the label's first title, with founding members each carrying 10+ years of professional experience.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-hammondbeat.md]^[raw/articles/linkquartet-lastfm-apollonegri.md]
- Opened for JTQ, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, Manu Chao, The Chocolate Watchband; toured Italy, Europe and the USA.^[raw/articles/linkquartet-lastfm-apollonegri.md]
Labels and discography
Acid Jazz (UK), Record Kicks (ITA), Hammondbeat (USA), Soundflat (GER), P-Vine (JPN), Area Pirata (ITA), Spinout Nuggets (UK).^[raw/articles/linkquartet-lastfm-apollonegri.md]
- Episode 1 (Animal, Spain)
- Beat.it (Hammondbeat HBR-001, 2002)
- 4 (Hammondbeat HBR-013, 2011)
- Long Live The Link — live (P-Vine, Japan, rec. 2007)
- Hotel Constellation (Hammondbeat HBR-016, 2014, with Miss Modus)
- "Green Puma" (Spinout Nuggets, 2020s)
Lineup (2007 live, per P-Vine credits): Paolo "Apollo" Negri (Hammond organ), Marco "Mayo" Murtas (guitar), Giulio "Link" Cardini (guitar), Renzo Bassi (bass), Tony "Face" Bacciocchi (drums), Alberto "Pato" Maffi (drums).^[raw/articles/linkquartet-lastfm-apollonegri.md]
They are the strongest single proof that the hammond-b3-organ idiom survived as a living band tradition in Europe, alongside France's Eddy Louiss in the preceding generation.