Nucleus... British Jazz fusion - 2 live videos

[Mike Flynn]

Hey all

I was very fortunate to live next door to great British trumper Ian Carr for three years here in London, before he went into a retirement home as he has dementia - we are still friends and I saw him recently and he is well(ish) - but I just wanted to share a couple of videos I shot of his amazing band Nucleus. They have been around since the 1970s in different guises and were probably the first Brit electro jazz band - they actually existed before Miles did Bitches Brew - Ian also wrote the definitive Miles Davis Biography - so there is a link to Miles who he knew very well.

Anyway Nucleus truly kicked ass then and now - they have quite a few albums that have been reissued as two for one - but Ian always used great bassists - Joe Hubbard was in the band in 1980s - and the last one Rob Statham is a brilliant fretless player who's incredibly underated but I've had lessons with the guy and he's a monster. All the tracks are pretty heavy on the bass - with some great lines - plus Ian's writing is just brilliant.

I thought some of you would dig these - this is how good fusion should sound - this is the Nucleus Revisited Band - all orginal members but with Chris Batchelor on trumpet - Ian was in the audience loving this gig - it was brilliant.

Hope you dig:

Midnight Oil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM-qD...de=user&search=

Mutatis Mutandis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7yHVBZN3S0#GU5U2spHI_4


Cheers

Mike

[Sterling_Bass]

I enjoyed this very much. Thanks for posting the great videos. And I agree with you, this is how good fusion should sound.

[Baryonyx]

That was alright. I love fusion, more than anything else, but I like things a bit more electric than that!

[bassybill]

Great vids, Mike, thanks. I remember that brilliant number "Splat" from way, way back in the late 70's/early 80's, awesome stuff.

[Lo.]

This is great. Thanks!

...now listening to one of my old favourites: Sun Child (1970) - superb pickwork!!

[Mike Flynn]

Originally Posted by Chris2112

That was alright. I love fusion, more than anything else, but I like things a bit more electric than that!

Yeah but Chris - that's the problem with a lot of fusion - it gets too electric - Nucleus bridged the gap between what Miles was doing with The Birth Of Cool and Bitches Brew - if you hear this band live they are amazing - so much Nucleus stuff is really funky too, you should also hear their fast 7/4 blues called Mr Jelly Lord - that is killing! The melodies are so strong and the arrangements are just wicked. And believe me the the guitarist absolutely kicks butt as well as the bass player Rob - my overall point is that Nucleus were actually tasteful - so much fusion isn't! No disrespect to you sir - I love some tacky fusion myself - but you just need to hear them live - they really are one of the all time great British jazz fusion bands.

Glad you guys are digging this though - you have good taste!

Mike

[bassist15]

Awesome videos. Ive been a big fusion fan ever since I started listening to it. This is a great mixture of both traditional jazz and electric jazz. I love the sax and trumpet work with the Rhodes-sounding keys , electric bass , electric guitar , and drums. I guess Ive got to get a few Nucleus cds. Is BestBuy a place where I could pick some up and what do you guys suggest.

[Baryonyx]

Originally Posted by Mike Flynn

Yeah but Chris - that's the problem with a lot of fusion - it gets too electric -

Could you suggest for me some fusion which you find too electric? I have not yet come across this in my opinion, but I guess that is just my taste!