Belladonna by Ian Carr

Belladonna by Ian Carr, 1972 album

Ian Carr was a Scottish jazz trumpeter, composer, writer, and teacher, among the founders of Nucleus and the Rendell/Carr Quintet. He also wrote important biographies of jazz musicians Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett and was a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Nucleus, which he founded, is a British jazz-rock band formed in 1969 and active until 2009. Their debut album, Elastic Rock, is a true masterpiece, and from there, Nucleus evolved from progressive and psychedelic rock to a funky-accented sound, becoming one of the most influential bands in modern jazz.

The initial lineup included keyboardist/accordionist Karl Jenkins, saxophonist Brian Smith, drummer John Marshall, and guitarist Chris Spedding.
Lineup changes brought in other musicians such as Jeff Clyne,  Dave MacRae, Geoff Castle, and Gordon Beck.

Although credited to Ian Carr, Belladonna is an album that can be attributed to Nucleus and can be considered their first album after the original lineup disbanded. It was produced with a stellar lineup of British jazz musicians, including legendary guitarist Allan Holdsworth (remembered in Soft Machine and also for his collaboration on Enigmatic Ocean by Jean-Luc Ponty), and including Carr (trumpet) and Brian Smith (saxophone/flute) of Nucleus, and Dave McRae (keyboards), who we remember for his collaborations with artists from the Canterbury scene, including Matching Mole.

It is a seminal work of British jazz-rock with ambient influences, characterized by energetic, experimental, and atmospheric songs, with strong elements of improvisation, creative and engaging, and a jazz-rock classic with extraordinary performances by guitarist Alan Holdsworth.

My favorite songs are "Remadione" and "Mayday," with their superb technical performances, complex arrangements, and solos. The album's other highlights are exceptional, but "Suspension" is also fantastic, a haunting track recorded in one take that Carr considered the result of a magical moment in the studio.

- "Belladonna" is an experimental opener, with a theme that transitions from ambient to intense groove with gorgeous horns and guitar.
- "Summer Rain" has a wonderfully calm atmosphere created by the horns, drums, and electric piano.
- "Remadione" is one of the top tracks, starting with great complexity before launching with exceptional horns and electric piano and a great bass line.
- "Mayday" is another top track that builds in intensity with the horns joining the opening piano and drums.
- "Suspension" is a dark piece, featuring great flute and piano.

- "Hector's House," along with "Mayday" and "Remadione," is a splendid fusion of rock and jazz-rock with great riffs.

A forgotten gem, a cornerstone of British jazz and one of the cult jazz-fusion-rock albums, played by the best British jazz musicians of the '70s.

They say it's not Nucleus's best work, but I love it. Its dreamy, light atmosphere transports you where few other masters of the genre have managed to.

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.