Ian Carr is undoubtedly one of the true greats of British jazz and has justifiably been featured on DJ Gilles Peterson’s Impressed collection and interviewed in the recent TV series ‘Jazz Britannia’ on BBC4.

The Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet had been a major force in British straight ahead jazz since 1962 and, when that band broke up in 1969, Ian formed Nucleus as a jazz-rock fusion outfit.

Carr is associated with the North-East as he was playing bop with the EmCee Five in the early sixties before he moved to London, whilst he was actually born in Scotland (See comment below for his first public appearance). Apart from his mastery of the trumpet, he is also a prolific writer, broadcaster and teacher.

His biography of Miles Davis is accepted as the standard. Also, he co-wrote Jazz: the Essential Companion with Digby Fairweather and Brian Priestley. From his introduction he writes, “without a knowledge of the past we cannot properly understand the present. And a musician should function not only with his own generation in his bones, but also with a sense of the music’s entire history existing simultaneously behind (or even within) the work of its living practitioners.”

The book itself is a who’s who of jazz musicians and under his own entry, it lists some of the ‘history’ of musicians he has played with, such as, Michael Garrick, Neil Ardley, Guy Warren of Ghana, John Stevens, Trevor Watts, Joe Harriott, John McLaughlin, Mike Westbrook and Don Byas. And that’s not even counting the Nucleus alumni.

If you’re wondering what form Mr. Carr is in of late, check out his guest appearance on ‘Kali Yuga’ by Solar Apple Quarkette on Further Out (who are co-presenting the Cargo gig with the good folks at 3hedz).

As mentioned in the Impro preview, there are plenty ‘living practitioners’ returning to the Nucleus back catalogue for inspiration. If you want to know all there is to know about Nucleus, check out the excellent Unofficial Ian Carr website (see links below).

The band on the night joining Ian has just been announced as Mark Wood (guitar), Geoff Castle (keyboards), Rob Statham (bass), Nic France (drums) and Phil Todd (saxes) plus special guests to be announced. Whilst on the desks we have Richard E (Further Out Recordings), Nigel Prankster (3hedz & Milkaudio) and Matz (3hedz & Samurai FM).

So if you’re lucky enough to be able to clean off those old vinyl releases on Vertigo — or even if it’s a CD re-issue you’ve got — get prepared to get excited as the legend that is Ian Carr’s Nucleus will be live on stage very soon! As Jez Nelson said on his show only on Friday night, “Oh yeah! Don’t you love well-played fusion? Once it’s in your blood, you’ll never get it out.” Oh Jez, never a truer word mate.

Links:
‘Jazz: the essential companion’ and other Ian Carr books on Amazon
Kali Yuga - Solar Apple Quarktette (SAQ2) www.furtherout.co.uk
Unofficial Ian Carr website : www.geocities.com/icnucleus/
Radio on 3 with Jez Nelson (1st July, 2005)
The Works - ‘Beware Of The Dog’ (Better Late Records) (Only available from www.jazzcds.co.uk and www.worksmusic.net)
IAN CARR AND NUCLEUS LIVE AT CARGO, Wednesday 31st AUG 2005
8PM - 1 AM, PRICE £12
CARGO, 83 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3AY
T: 020 7613 7743 : F: 020 7613 7740
Tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street : Buses: 35 / 55
www.cargo-london.com www.ticketweb.co.uk / 08700 600 100