Posts

Ian Carr (Nucleus)

Image
Scottish trumpeter Ian Carr had been working with saxophonist Don Rendell in the mid- and late-1960s, The Ian Carr-Don Rendell Quintet , when he got the idea for moving his jazz music into a more rock-infused direction. The result became his "Nucleus" project with experimental electric guitarist Chris Spedding, diverse keyboardist Karl Jenkins, bass player Jeff Clyne, drummer-extraordinaire John Marshall, and long-time collaborator, saxophonist Brian Smith. From 1969 to 1972 the original Nucleus lineup was able to pump out four stellar, trend-setting and standard-setting albums before things fell apart. Other than Brian Smith, Ian Carr was able to attract amazing musicians to his project for successive tours and studio sessions but, for whatever reason, he was unable (or unwilling?) to retain them for (usually) more than one album. Still, the number of Ian Carr/Nucleus albums churned out during the 1970s is at the absolute highest level of quality and marksmanship for that wh...
Post a Comment
Read more

Herbie Hancock

Image
Herbie Hancock is without a doubt one music's most intrepid pioneers. He had a very  significant role in expanding the boundaries of Jazz, Jazz-Rock Fusion, and music in general. His name is deserving of being mentioned among the greatest artists in music like Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Shostakovich, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson. Without Herbie leading the way (and, to a great degree, also Tony Williams), there would have been no "Second Great Quintet." Without Herbie (and  Joe Zawinul, John McLaughlin, and Chick Corea), I do not believe that the  breakout of that which would become called "Jazz-Rock Fusion"  would have been as successful and certainly not as popular. (Pressures from inside the staunch old-school mainstream of jazz would have squelched it as they did with other avant-garde modalities like "free jazz.") Herbie was popular! He sold albums! (Herbie has four of the biggest selling jazz al...
Post a Comment
Read more