Yet another vinyl reissue for the popular jazz rock fusion band with musicians like trumpeter and MILES DAVIS/ KEITH JARRETT chronicler Dumfries born IAN CARR, drummer JOHN MARSHALL and guitarist CHRIS SPEDDING who played together on JACK BRUCE’s seminal albums “Songs for a Tailor” and “Harmony Row”. Marshall also played in SOFT MACHINE (1972-1981 then in variously named incarnations between 2003 and 2023). And then of course there was Welshman KARL JENKINS, sax, oboe and keyboard player, writer, arranger and conductor as ADIEMUS and also in Soft Machine between 1972 and 1981. It was he who wrote the most remarkable piece on “Elastic Rock”, ‘Torrid Zone’ (also the most substantial on an album of linked musical vignettes). The album made the top 50 UK album chart, unusual for a Jazz-Rock fusion album.
Incidentally, Ian Carr’s albums with DON RENDELL as part of a quintet (like “Shades of Blue” (1964) and “Dusk Fire” (1966) are also rather good. Ian’s younger brother was organist/ pianist MIKE CARR who was part of the RONNIE SCOTT TRIO and who played with brilliant Glasgow guitarist JIM MULLEN (of PETE BROWN’s PIBLOKTO, BRIAN AUGER’S OBLIVION EXPRESS etcetera and leader of an acclaimed organ trio between 2005 and 2014) on an excellent album recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s in 1979. ROGER DEAN designed the covers.
“We’ll Talk About It Later” starts with the classic “Song for the Bearded Lady” and has longer pieces on the whole. Prog Archives reviewers rate it even more highly than “Elastic Rock”. Both are essentials for fans of Jazz Rock Fusion, and the early reviews of the www.bewithrecords.com vinyl pressings are favourable. They are priced at £27 each, but if you add one of their other LPs to an order (I would suggest some of the other NUCLEUS/ IAN CARR title, AHMAD JAMAL: THE AWAKENING or TONY WILLIAMS’ LIFETIME: EMERGENCY!) you will get free UK postage (orders over £60)
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