Nucleus were a British

jazz-fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...

band, which continued in different forms from 1969 to 1989. In 1970, the band won first prize at the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

, released the album ''

Elastic Rock ''Elastic Rock'' is Nucleus' first album. Recorded in January 1970, it was a pioneering work in the emerging genre of jazz-rock fusion. Bandleader Ian Carr (later a jazz journalist and published expert on Miles Davis) was probably inspired by ...

'', and performed both at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

and the

Village Gate The Village Gate was a nightclub at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village, New York. Art D'Lugoff opened the club in 1958, on the ground floor and basement of 160 Bleecker Street. The large 1896 Chicago School structu ...

jazz club. The band was established by

Ian Carr Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr performed and recorded with the Rendell-Carr quintet and jazz-fusion band Nucleus, and was an associate professor at the Guildhall ...

, who had been in the Rendell–Carr Quintet during the middle and late 1960s. Their debut album, ''Elastic Rock'', and the next two collections, ''We'll Talk About It Later'' (1970) and ''Solar Plexus'' (1971), were all released on

Vertigo Records Vertigo Records is a record company with United Kingdom origins. It was a subsidiary of the Philips/Phonogram record label, launched in 1969 to specialise in progressive rock and other non-mainstream musical styles. Today, it is operated by Un ...

, and music journalist

Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...

noted were "vital in any comprehensive rock or jazz collection". In August 2005, a reincarnation of Nucleus with old and new members performed at Cargo in London. This was followed on 30 March 2007 by a Nucleus Revisited concert at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club as part of a series of concerts to mark the tenth anniversary of ''

Jazzwise ''Jazzwise'', launched in 1997, is the UK jazz monthly magazine. ''Jazzwise'' has a broad sub-genre coverage, from jazz, improv, hard bop, and jazz-rock to bebop and classic jazz, and also covers jazz crossover, including jazz-funk, jazz hip-h ...

'' magazine. Nucleus Revisited included Geoff Castle, Mark Wood, and Tim Whitehead and on trumpet, as at the 2005 Cargo concert, Chris Batchelor. Although Ian Carr did not play due to ill health, he was present at the concert and received a standing ovation. On 4 August 2009, Nucleus Revisited appeared at

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sco ...

in London with

Michael Garrick Michael Garrick MBE (30 May 1933 – 11 November 2011)Peter VacheObituary: Michael Garrick ''The Guardian'', 15 November 2011 was an English jazz pianist and composer, and a pioneer in mixing jazz with poetry recitations and in the use of jazz ...

's Quartet as part of their two-week-long Brit Jazz Fest.

Members

– trumpet * Chris Batchelor – trumpet *

Harry Beckett Harold Winston "Harry" Beckett (30 May 1935 – 22 July 2010) was a British trumpeter and flugelhorn player of Barbadian origin. Biography Born in Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados, Harry Beckett learned to play music in a Salvation Army ...

– trumpet *

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active i ...

– trumpet * Bob Bertles – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute * Brian Smith – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute * Phil Todd – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute * Tim Whitehead – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute *

Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song " Adiemus" and the ''Adiemus'' album series; ''Palladio''; ''The Armed Man''; and his ''Requiem''. Je ...

– baritone saxophone, oboe, piano, electric piano *

Tony Coe Anthony George Coe (born 29 November 1934) is an English jazz musician who plays clarinet, bass clarinet, flute as well as soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. Career Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, Coe started out on clarinet and was self- ...

– clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone * Tony Roberts – clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone * Geoff Castle – piano, electric piano, synthesizer *

Gordon Beck Gordon James Beck (16 September 1935 – 6 November 2011) was an English jazz pianist and composer. At the time of his death, 26 albums had been released under his name. Early life Beck was born in Brixton, London, and attended Pinner Co ...

– piano, electric piano *

Dave MacRae David Scott MacRae (born 2 April 1940, Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand keyboardist, noted for his contributions in jazz and jazz rock, and his collaborations with musicians from the Canterbury scene. Life and career MacRae studied at t ...

– piano, electric piano * John Taylor – organ *

Paddy Kingsland Paddy Kingsland (born 30 January 1947) is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggar's Grammar Scho ...

– synthesizer * Keith Winter – synthesizer *

Allan Holdsworth Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer. Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respec ...

– guitar * Jocelyn Pitchen – guitar *

Ray Russell Ray Russell (September 4, 1924 – March 15, 1999) was an American editor and writer of short stories, novels, and screenplays. Russell is best known for his horror fiction, although he also wrote mystery and science fiction stories. His most ...

– guitar *

Chris Spedding Christopher John Spedding (born Peter Robinson, 17 June 1944) is an English musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his st ...

– guitar * Mark Wood – guitar *

Roy Babbington Roy Babbington (born 8 July 1940 in Kempston, Bedfordshire, England) is a rock and jazz bassist. He became well known for being a member of the Canterbury scene progressive rock band Soft Machine. Biography Babbington started his musical care ...

– bass guitar * Rob Burns – bass guitar *

Jeff Clyne Jeffrey Ovid Clyne (29 January 1937 – 16 November 2009) was a British jazz bassist (playing both bass guitar and double bass). He worked with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott in their group the Jazz Couriers for a year from 1958, and was par ...

– bass guitar * Mo Foster – bass guitar * Joe Hubbard – bass guitar * Billy Kristian – bass guitar * Dill Katz – bass guitar * Rob Statham – bass guitar * Roger Sutton – bass guitar *

Ron Mathewson Rognvald Andrew Mathewson (19 February 1944 – 3 December 2020) was a British jazz double bassist and bass guitarist. During his career, Mathewson performed with Ronnie Scott, but also recorded with Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Joan Armatrading, ...

– bass guitar *

Neil Ardley Neil Richard Ardley (26 May 1937 – 23 February 2004) was a prominent English jazz pianist and composer, who also made his name as the author of more than 100 popular books on science and technology, and on music. Early years Neil Ardle ...

– drums *

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 19 ...

– drums * Roger Sellers – drums * Bryan Spring – drums *

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– drums * Clive Thacker – drums * Richard Burgess – percussion * Chris Fletcher – percussion *

Chris Karan Chris Karan (born Chrisostomos Karanikis, 14 October 1939) is a Britain-based Australian jazz drummer and percussionist of Greek descent. Life and career Karan was born in 1939 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Karan played in The Three Out t ...

– percussion * Aureo de Souza – percussion *

Trevor Tomkins Trevor Ramsey Tomkins (12 May 1941 – 9 September 2022) was a British jazz drummer best known for his work in a number of British bands in the 1970s, including Gilgamesh. Biography Tomkins was born in London and studied music at the Guildhall ...

– percussion * Kieran White – vocals *

Norma Winstone Norma Ann Winstone MBE (born 23 September 1941) is an English jazz singer and lyricist. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is best known for her wordless improvisations. Musicians with whom she has worked include Michael Garrick, ...

– vocals * Joy Yates – vocals

Discography

* ''

'' (Vertigo, 1970) ( UK No. 46) * ''We'll Talk About It Later'' (Vertigo, 1970) * ''Solar Plexus'' with Ian Carr (Vertigo, 1971) * ''Belladonna'' (Vertigo 1972, CD CD Linam Records) * ''Labyrinth'' with Ian Carr (Vertigo, 1973) * ''Roots'' (Vertigo, 1973) * ''Under the Sun'' (Vertigo, 1974) * ''Snakehips Etcetera'' (Vertigo, 1975) * ''Alleycat'' (Vertigo, 1975) * ''In Flagranti Delicto'' (Contemp, 1977) * ''Out of the Long Dark'' (Capitol, 1979) * ''Awakening'' (Mood, 1980) * ''Jazz London 29/30'' with Brian Lemon (BBC, 1983) * ''Live at the Theaterhaus'' (Mood, 1985) * ''Live in Bremen'' (Cuneiform, 2003) * ''The Pretty Redhead'' (Hux, 2003) * ''Hemispheres'' (Hux, 2006) * ''UK Tour '76'' (Major League 2006) * ''Live 1970'' with Leon Thomas (Gearbox, 2014) * ''Three of a Kind'' with Ian Carr (Gonzo, 2015) * ''Bracknell Sunshine'' with Ian Carr (Gonzo, 2016) * ''Live At The BBC'' 13-CD box-set (Repertoire, 2021)

References

External links

Ian Carr and Nucleus website

Article about Nucleus at All About Jazz

Article about Ian Carr at All About Jazz

Article about Nucleus at Prog Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nucleus (Band) British rock music groups British jazz-rock groups Vertigo Records artists Musical groups established in 1969 Musical groups disestablished in 1989 1969 establishments in the United Kingdom 1989 disestablishments in the United Kingdom