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Ian Carr 1933–2009
By Chris Parker
The death of Ian Carr robs the British jazz scene not only of a fine trumpeter, bandleader and composer, but also of a perceptive commentator and biographer. In the first two capacities, he was at the centre of many important developments in UK jazz history, initially as co-leader of the Rendell–Carr Quintet (1963–69); then as leader of pioneering jazz-rock band Nucleus, formed in 1969; and subsequently as a sideman with such bands as the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble and George Russell's Living Time Orchestra. As a composer, he not only provided material (such as the extended piece Labyrinth) for Nucleus, but also wrote music for string ensemble and soloists, collected in 1988's Old Heartland.
It was chiefly in his biographer/journalist capacity, however, that I knew him best, first encountering him in person when he wrote – at a time when such things were relatively rare beasts – a life of his great hero and inspiration Miles Davis (Miles Davis: A Critical Biography, Quartet Books, 1982; rev. edn HarperCollins, 1998), then copyediting his Keith Jarrett: The Man and His Music (Grafton Books, 1991). He also wrote a definitive study of British jazz, Music Outside (Latimer, 1973; reprinted Northway, 2008 – see Book Reviews) at a time when it was cruelly neglected, and many pithy entries in what eventually became one of the most accessible general jazz reference books, Jazz: The Rough Guide. His writing in all these projects was imbued with his most endearing characteristic: unequivocal (and unembarrassed) love of the music.
About his Jarrett book, for instance, he said to me: 'I write about what I love, always. Love makes life worth living – all kinds: women and men, men and men, love of place – so I've had more excitement from Keith Jarrett in the last twenty years than from anyone else apart from Miles Davis. I listen to him and learn from him more than anyone else. He's a genius – all five [Jarrett] brothers have IQs of 140 – & he's very funny, bright. His level of inspiration is unparalleled; almost everything he does achieves an inspired state. Also he had terrible struggles. He's very self-critical in the way of the true artist. The European quartet is brilliant – some of the greatest quartet records of all time – but also the solo piano stuff – you'd be astonished to hear what conditions these things are done under. Rhythmically, he's the most exciting pianist I've ever heard. Musicians all feel he's a genius – so despite the critics writing him off as romantic wishy-washy stuff, musicians all know.' This is pure Ian: totally committed, unabashedly enthusiastic, utterly indifferent to the vagaries of critical fashion. I shall miss his (often acerbic) wit, his erudition and his generosity, but the British jazz scene will miss his unique combination of knowledge about and passion for the music.
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