Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr performed and recorded with the Rendell-Carr quintet and jazz-rock band Nucleus, and was an associate professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He also wrote biographies of musicians Keith Jarrett and Miles Davis.
Early years
Carr was born in Dumfries, Scotland, the elder brother of Mike Carr. From 1952 to 1956, he attended King's College, now Newcastle University, where he read English Literature, followed by a diploma in education.
Musical career
At the age of 17 Carr started to teach himself trumpet. After university he joined his brother in a Newcastle band, the EmCee Five, from 1960 to 1962, before moving to London, where he became co-leader with Don Rendell of the Rendell–Carr quintet (1963–69). In its six years, the group (including pianist Michael Garrick, bassist Dave Green, and drummer Trevor Tomkins) made five albums for EMI – all of which have been re-issued – and performed internationally. During the 1960s he also played with the New Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Neil Ardley and recorded an album with altoist Joe Harriott.
He learned to play mouth organ at the age of three before going on to learn piano, piano accordion and rock guitar at the age of 13, since when he's developed his highly original style of accompaniment. He cites one of his many influences as Peerie Willie Johnson.
Until the late 1990s, Carr was a part of The Kathryn Tickell Band. He performs and records with amongst others Eddi Reader.
He plays a Collings acoustic guitar in both standard and dropped-D tunings.
Selected discography
Solo
Who He? - Ian Carr & The Various Artists (2013) Dalakollektivets
With Others
Syncopace – Syncopace (1990) Black Crow Records CRO CD 226
Did you know, did you feel Or was I the only one Did you know, did you feel This time I won't go back I feel it comming Once again closing in on me I feel it comming
Flugel for thought ... An instrument ... During the course of my over-research into the trumpet, I had mentioned how much I loved the warmer, more melancholic sound of the slightly larger flugelhorn, as played by Kenny Wheeler, Art Farmer and Ian Carr ... ....
MorristownEast’s Peyton Cox and Morristown West’s Ian Carr got the opportunity to compete at the Blue-Grey All-American game and play one last high school football game ....