2 February 2012 - A documentary about Barbara Thompson's fight against Parkinsons, "Playing against Time", will be shown Sunday week (12th) February 2012 on BBC4 at 9pm. This film by Mike Dibb (who directed the highly acclaimed biographical films about Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett - both with the assistance of Ian Carr) has already garnered high praise from everyone who seen the previews of this very moving programme. Not to be missed.
29 January 2012 - Two of Ian Carr's friends and colleagues, Kenny Wheeler and Michael Gibbs both have new big band albums for 2012. Michael Gibbs and the NDR Big Band "Back in the Days" is released on February 6 on Cuneiform and features guest vibraphonist-extraordinaire Gary Burton and Kenny Wheeler's "The Long Waiting" on CAM Jazz features a 20 strong line-up which includes amongst others Brit jazz legends, Henry Lowther, Ray Warleigh, Stan Sulzmann, John Taylor and Chris Laurence , is available now. Both are excellent and very highly recommended.
25 November 2011 - Gerald Laing - artist and Ian Carr's oldest friend died on 23 November. The following is by Ian's friend George Foster, which he describes as "Notes towards an obituary":
The artist and sculptor Gerald Laing died of cancer on November 23rd aged 75. He was Ian Carr’s oldest friend. They met in 1957 when Ian was a National Service Conscript Officer in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, stationed in Belfast. Gerald, 3 years younger and from an old Scottish family with military traditions, was a regular army officer in the same regiment. However his deep interest in art, which he found difficult to satisfy, was leading him into frustration and disillusionment. Then along came Ian who had already graduated in English Literature, wrote poetry and was an accomplished jazz trumpet player. At a time when regular and conscript officers did not mix socially, the two quickly became friends.
As Gerald described in his moving eulogy at Ian’s funeral, it was partly under Ian’s influence that he began to indulge his talent for drawing and love of art, both of which he suppressed under family pressure to be a career officer. He began to consider alternatives to a military career. Gerald’s website here has a long reminiscence from Ian, based on his diaries. After discharge from his military service Ian went to teach English in the south of France, and Gerald soon came to visit and stayed with Ian during a long leave. Ian recounts that he showed Gerald what an impoverished & bohemian artistic lifestyle was like.
Soon afterwards Gerald resigned his commission, in the face of family opposition, and enrolled in Art College. A few years later he was working in the New York art scene alongside Warhol. He was to become one of the most successful of the British “Pop Artists”. Gerald returned to the UK with an American sports car which Ian celebrated in his composition “Hot Rod”. Gerald designed the cover for the Don Rendell – Ian Carr Quintet album “Live”.
Together with architect Terry Stewart, Gerald and Ian collaborated on a multimedia installation at the 1963 Paris Biennale Exhibition (Ian taped himself, Jeff Clyne (bass) and Laurie Morgan (drums) playing music and making background sounds). The other UK entrants included Peter Blake, Francis Bacon, Allen Jones, Richard Rogers, Cornelius Cardew and David Hockney. Their collaboration was renewed some years later when several pieces on “Out of the Long Dark” were written to accompany an exhibition of Gerald’s sculpture.
George Foster (25 November 2011)
Members of his various groups included the likes of Shake Keane, Tony Coe, Don Rendell, Ian Carr, Henry Lowther, Art Themen, Coleridge Goode, Norma Winstone, Trevor Tomkins, Alan Jackson, Dave Green and the incomparable Joe Harriott, for whom Garrick had a deep admiration, so much so that he released two albums related to the alto player (“Genius” comprising previously unreleased recordings and “Big Band Harriott” which Garrick arranged for his larger ensemble ).
Despite a dearth of recorded material in the 1980s, he released over fifteen albums on his own label (Jazz Academy) during the subsequent two decades, several of which were big band recordings (including "Meteors Close At Hand" and "Down On Your Knees"). All his Argo recordings were reissued on CD by Vocalion except for Poetry and Jazz 250. However the first Poetry and Jazz recording from 1963 was reissued and demonstrates yet another string to Garrick’s bow, namely his interest poetry and literature (he was a UCL English graduate). With poet Jeremy Robson, he arranged hundreds of poetry and jazz concerts, featuring the leading poets of the day including Adrian Mitchell, Dannie Abse, Vernon Scannell, Thomas Blackburn, Laurie Lee and even Spike Milligan (a keen jazz fan and trumpeter). Some early recordings including the ultra rare “Moonscape” were unearthed by Jonny Trunk who received permission from Michael Garrick to reissue them on his own Trunk label. The latest of these was “Rising Stars” which also featured Shake Keane and which was reissued in 2011.
Another poet with whom Michael Garrick worked was John Smith who wrote lyrics for and recited on the 1971 album “Mr Smith’s Apocalypse” (the “Mr Smith” in the title is John Smith). Smith also appeared on other records. Like his friend and colleague in the RCQ Ian Carr, he also was an educator and his encouragement was surely instrumental in helping to achieve the launch of the Jazz examination syllabus by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. He taught at the Royal Academy of Music and also at Trinity College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music. Additionally he ran his own courses at the Jazz Academy for several years. He was appointed Member of the British Empire in 2010. He died on 11 November 2011 at Harefield Hospital, aged 78. His sudden death (he was playing right up to the end) is a great blow to the jazz community, already reeling from the loss of three other key figures in British jazz this year (Tony Levin, Graham Collier and Gordon Beck). His contribution to jazz is immense and his influence great. He will be missed by many.
16 November 2011 - An obituary for Michael Garrick appears in today's Guardian, which can be viewed online here
12 November 2011 - The death has just been announced of the inspirational pianist, composer, arranger, teacher and bandleader Michael Garrick,last night, aged 78. He was one of the major figures in British jazz and also, of course, a key member of the Rendell Carr Quintet, writing many of its most notable pieces including 'Dusk Fire'. Rest in Peace, Michael.
7 November 2011 - This website is extremely sad to report the death yesterday of the great pianist Gordon Beck, aged 73. In the early 1970s he made substantial contributions to three important albums by Ian Carr and Nucleus; "Belladonna", "Labyrinth" and "Under The Sun". Rest in Peace, Gordon.
6 November 2011 - A Japanese-only limited edition CD of Ian Carr's "Out of the Long Dark" will be reissued on 21 December 2011. This will be digitally remastered with superior sound quality, complete with obi-strip & Japanese introductory/lyrics sheets.The catalogue number is TOCJ 50254
5 November 2011 - An invitation to The UK's first Jazz Open Space Event - What are we doing about UK Jazz in 2011, and for 2012-2015? Monday 21st November 2011, 10am - 5pm. Free entry to MU members. £10 non MU/£5 concessions at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London, WC1R 4RL. Full details can be found here
1 October 2011 - Tomorrow night's Freakzone (BBC Radio 6 Music) presented by Stuart Maconie, pays tribute to the late Graham Collier by including his "Down Another Road" as its featured album. BBC 6 Music, 2 October 2011, 18.00 hours. Meanwhile on Radio 3 tonight, Alyn Shipton is repeating his Jazz Library programme of last year featuring Graham Collier whom he interviewed for the programme.
13 September 2011 - This website is saddened to learn of the death of Graham Collier, who was one of the great leaders, composers, educators and innovators of British jazz. Alumni of his bands included ex-Nucleus musicians John Marshall, Karl Jenkins and Geoff Castle. He died in Greece on 9 September, suddenly, aged 74. More on this at the London Jazz blogspot here. Rest in Peace, Graham.
30 August 2011 - A new Mike Dibb film is to be screened on BBC TV in November. This news, just in, is from the Jon Hiseman and Barbara Thompson website (Temple-Music) where it is revealed: "The BBC 4 documentary, "Playing Against Time" is scheduled for broadcast on November 4th, 2011 at 9pm. It's a 75 min. 'musical-medico' documentary about Barbara's fight to keep performing, while suffering from her ever deteriorating Parkinson's condition. It's directed by Mike Dibb, who was responsible for the original film about B&J, 'Jazz, Rock & Marriage' back in '79 and the subsequent award winning Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett [both with Ian Carr as musical consultant] & Astor Piazzolla films. Good company!" [Update as at October 2011: this programme has been postponed for screening until sometime in early 2012; more news when we have it - Ed]
6 August 2011 - A copy of the much sought-after album by Joe Harriott and Amancio D'Silva "Hum Dono" has just gone on sale on eBay for a staggering £1,000. "Hum Dono" has yet to be re-issued on CD and features Ian Carr and other members of the Rendell-Carr Quintet.
8 July 2011 - Some exciting new reissues have just been released by Vocalion and these include long out of print British jazz recordings by Paul Gonsalves with Tubby Hayes ("Just Friends"), John Dankworth's major albums of the 1960s and 1970s (including the never previously reissued "Full Circle"), two Dick Morrisey albums ("Storm Warning" and "Here and Now and Sounding Good") and one of the greatest British jazz albums ever recorded, Alan Skidmore's "TCB" featuring guests Mike Osborne and John Surman. Once again, Mike Dutton and Vocalion have rendered a substantial and much appreciated service to the jazz community with these lovingly produced reissues. For more detail please click here
17 June 2011 - The Guardian’s short series “A history of modern music” focuses today on Jazz and included within its 100 track playlist is the Rendell Carr Quintet's track “Dusk Fire”. To download the playlist click here
18 April 2011 - Amancio D'Silva's son Stephano is playing at Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, London on Tuesday 21 June (7:00pm): Celebrating the Music of Amancio D’Silva. Stephano D'Silva's band features Norma Winstone, John Edwards and Henry Lowther: The start time is 8:30pm / Doors Open 7:00pm. London based guitarist Stephano D’Silva re-visits the exotic Indo-Jazz masterpieces of his father the late Goan guitar icon Amancio D’Silva (who recorded with Ian Carr), alongside new music – some written for the occasion. For tickets and further information please call 0845 6027 017.
18 April 2011 - The Neil Ardley website has received a great new makeover and can be viewed here
12 April 2011 - Ex-Nucleus guitarist Ray Russell and friends including ex-Nucleus stalwart Geoff Castle plus Andy Mackintosh, Ralph Salmins and George Baldwin played a benefit gig at the Six Bells, Chiddingly, East Sussex on 19 October 2010. They played Ian Carr's "Midnight Oil" and fortunately this was recorded on video and is available to view on You Tube here
5 April 2011 - The WAC in North London is under threat of closure due to imminent funding withdrawal. Ian Carr was one of the jazz tutors of the WAC and a big supporter of it. It was through his active participation in the WAC that many jazz musicians are now playing professionally in the UK, including some famous names. This (from the obituary for Ian Carr from 2009) explains the WAC and Ian's connection to it in slightly greater detail: "He also taught at the Weekend Arts College for groups of young jazz musicians in North London and many of today’s jazz stars, such as pianist Julian Joseph and vocalist Cleveland Watkiss (both of whom performed at a tribute concert for Carr held at the Guildhall School of Music in November 2006) were inspired by him for his boundless enthusiasm and encouragement." More about the WAC here and please sign the petition to keep the WAC's funding here
31 March 2011 - There's a talk on Friday 22 April 2011 by Alyn Shipton entitled ‘Remembering Ian Carr’. His biographer, the Oxford-based author and broadcaster Alyn Shipton looks back on Ian Carr's remarkable contribution to British jazz. Alyn Shipton is an award-winning author and broadcaster, who is jazz critic for The Times in London, and a presenter/producer of jazz programmes for BBC Radio 3. The Oxford Jazz Festival takes place between 21-24 April 2011 and more details can be found here
10 March 2011 - A cross-departmental collaboration directed by Michael Garrick and Scott Stroman takes place on Tuesday 22 March at 7:30 pm at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (Music Hall). This features poetry and jazz, jazz songs and dance with some of the GSMD students. Admission is free. This event is part of the Guildhall Annual Jazz Festival.
3 February 2011 - Michael Garrick will be debuting "Lament for Ian Carr" with the old Michael Garrick Quintet (Henry Lowther, Art Themen, Dave Green and Trevor Tomkins) at Pinner Church on Saturday 5th February 2010 at 7.30 which should make for a fascinating and unmissable gig.
3 February 2011 - The great drummer Tony Levin who played with Ian Carr's Nucleus in the early 1970s and was heard on the album "Labyrinth" died on 3 February aged 71. This is another great loss to British jazz. RIP Tony.
10 January 2011 - There will be a free concert on Tuesday 25th January 2011 celebrating the life and music of the late British jazz composer and arranger Neil Ardley, director of the 'New Jazz Orchestra'. The concert is to mark the donation of Neil’s scores by his widow, Vivien Wilson, to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The concert, featuring the Guildhall Jazz Band under the direction of Scott Stroman will feature some of Neil’s scores and will take place in the Music Hall, beginning at 7.30pm. There are no tickets so simply turn up at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in good time to gain admission. Warning – this will be a popular event so there will probably be a queue!
Alyn Shipton's biography of Ian Carr 'Out of the Long Dark', was published by Equinox on 21 June 2006. 
Information about the book is viewable on the Equinox website
here
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| Exclusive interview with Alyn Shipton, author of 'Out of the Long Dark', the biography of Ian Carr is viewable here |
images © BGO Records
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Little known fact: Ian Carr recorded an album of contemporary music with John Taylor playing organ, entitled 'Sounds and Sweet Airs' which was produced by Jon Hiseman. This album is still available to purchase from: Discord Distribution in the UK or from Celestial Harmonies in the USA. |
Ian Carr was at the forefront of jazz music for over 40 years. He began in his home town of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where he joined his brother Mike's modern jazz group, the EmCee Five which ran successfully from the late 1950s until the early 1960s. He then co-led the innovative modern British jazz group the Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet which released 5 albums on EMI Columbia's "Lansdowne Series" label. The Rendell-Carr Quintet is regarded by many as one of the most influential, important and original modern British jazz groups ever. After the break-up of the Rendell-Carr Quintet, which also featured pianist Michael Garrick, Ian Carr went on to form the iconoclastic jazz-rock group Nucleus, which represented the United Kingdom at the 1970 Montreux Jazz Festival and won the award for top group that year. They also played the Newport Jazz Festival in the USA on the strength of Montreux.
They released 12 albums either under the Nucleus or Ian Carr name between 1970 and 1980 and toured extensively worldwide. Carr wrote all the music for three of these albums ("Solar Plexus", "Labyrinth" and "Old Heartland" of which the first two received bursaries from the Arts Council of Great Britain) and he wrote 8 of the 9 tracks on "Out of the Long Dark". He also made significant contributions to the recordings of compositions by jazz composer Neil Ardley on the albums, "A Kaleidoscope of Rainbows" (with Nucleus), "Harmony of the Spheres" and "Zyklus" and to jazz composer and pianist Keith Tippett’s jazz orchestra Centipede on the album "Septober Energy". He was also a founder member of the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble big band which made over 10 albums between 1977 and 1999 and which continued to perform until 2002, in which year it gave a series of farewell concerts.
As an author he wrote several important books on jazz including "Music Outside" (1973) which was republished as a 2nd edition in January 2008; the authorised biography of Miles Davis, "Miles Davis: A Critical Biography" (1982) which includes a third revised edition (1998). This is considered by many to be the definitive biography of Miles Davis. He also wrote "Keith Jarrett, The Man and his Music" (1992) and was co-author of "Jazz, the Essential Companion" (1987) and "The Rough Guide to Jazz" (3rd edition, 2004).
As a broadcaster he made many appearances on BBC Radio 3 including introducing a six part Jazz File series on Miles Davis in 2001. He was Programme Consultant for Mike Dibb's two-part Channel 4 television documentary "The Miles Davis Story", screened in April 2001. This attracted a record television audience for jazz of 1.2 million viewers. Similarly, he was consultant on Mike Dibb's documentary "Keith Jarrett - The Art Of Improvisation", screened on Channel 4 in December 2004.
He was also an inspiring teacher and Associate Professor of Jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He also taught at the Weekend Arts College for groups of young jazz musicians in North London and many of today’s jazz stars, such as pianist Julian Joseph and vocalist Cleveland Watkiss (both of whom performed at a tribute concert for Carr held at the Guildhall School of Music in November 2006) were inspired by him for his boundless enthusiasm and encouragement.
In May 2001, Ian Carr joined his old partner Don Rendell for a reunion concert playing to a packed foyer audience at the Royal Festival Hall, in one of several concerts celebrating 50 years of the South Bank.
The trumpeter, composer and author Ian Carr was one of the United Kingdom’s most important figures in contemporary jazz music. As a musician, his contribution to jazz was exceptional and his musical legacy remains a huge influence on generations of musicians and audiences who often have been drawn to the many layers of jazz through an initial interest in Ian Carr’s music. His performances and recording work with his first major group, the Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet in the 1960s made him a legendary figure. However, it was his later group Nucleus which was responsible for spearheading a huge revival in modern jazz music in the 1970s. Ian Carr passed away on Wednesday 25 February 2009, aged 75. However, his legend, his music and his indomitable spirit live on...
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"The Nucleus File - Evolution: Ian Carr formed Nucleus in October 1969 to enable individual members to express themselves as fully as possible and explore different ways of grooving. The band, which has always been based in London, started with Ian (trumpet/flugelhorn), Karl Jenkins (piano, baritone, oboe), Brian Smith (saxes, flute), Bernie Holland (guitar), Jeff Clyne (bass, bass guitar) and John Marshall (drums)" Source: Melody Maker Factfinder Series, 19 April 1975, p.48 |
Roots - The Early Days of Ian Carr and The EmCee Five:
Click here to go to the Roots page
Awakening - Various Nucleus and Ian Carr press releases and associated photos:
Click here to go to the Awakening page
Images - Some images of Nucleus and Ian Carr-related bands:
Click here to go to the Images page
Labyrinth - A selection of Nucleus links, discographies, reviews, etc:
Click here to go to the Labyrinth page
Old Heartland - For the archive of Nucleus news:
Click here to go to the Nucleus News Archive page
Things Past - A look back at some Nucleus gigs over the past 30 years:
This site was devised by me as a long overdue tribute to the genius of Ian Carr and his colleagues in Nucleus
in November 2002. Please feel free to email me (Roger Farbey) or if the link doesn't work just cut and paste this email address into your email outbox: elasticjazz@yahoo.co.uk
Site last updated 2 February 2012
