Origin United Kingdom (1969) | Genres Jazz fusion, Funk | |
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Years active 1969–1989;
2005, 2007, 2009 (one-off shows) Associated acts Soft Machine, Rendell–Carr Quintet Members Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Chris Spedding, Jeff Clyne, Dave MacRae, Gordon Beck, Billy Kristian Albums Elastic Rock, We'll Talk About It Later, Sentient, Solar Plexus, Live in Bremen | ||
Nucleus were a pioneering jazz-rock band from Britain who continued in different forms from 1969 to 1989. In their first year they won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival, released the album Elastic Rock, and performed both at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Village Gate jazz club.
Contents
They were led by Ian Carr, who had been in the Rendell–Carr Quintet during the mid and late 1960s, and was a respected figure in British jazz for more than forty years. Their jazz-based music evolved from an early sound incorporating elements of progressive and psychedelic rock toward combination with a funkier sound in the mid and late 1970s.
Line-up changes
Nucleus' first line-up was:
By their third album, the band had expanded to include:
Keyboardist Dave MacRae joined soon after for several albums.
Band members
Over the years the band had many members:
Recent years
In August 2005, a special one-off reincarnation of Nucleus, with old and new members, performed at London's Cargo venue. 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 Jazzwise magazine's tenth anniversary. Nucleus Revisited featured, amongst others, Nucleus stalwarts, 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 also appeared at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London on a double billing with Michael Garrick's Quartet, as part of their two-week-long Brit Jazz Fest.
Discography
Songs
Song for the Bearded LadyWe'll Talk About It Later · 1971
Elastic RockElastic Rock · 1970
We'll Talk About It LaterWe'll Talk About It Later · 1971