Morrissey - Mullen
Encyclopedia
Morrissey Mullen was a British
jazz-funk
/fusion group of the 1970s and 1980s.
Considered one of the most popular jazz groups in London, the band was led by Dick Morrissey
on tenor and soprano saxes and flute, and Jim Mullen
on guitar, who joined forces in 1975, their playing together for sixteen years, during which they came to be known as "Mr Sax and Captain Axe" because of their hallmark based around calls and responses
between guitar and saxophone.
, where Dick Morrissey and Jim Mullen were recording and touring with their mutual friends in the Average White Band and Herbie Mann
.
Coinciding with the recording and release of the first of seven Morrissey Mullen albums (plus two EPs), Up
(Atlantic, 1977
), which featured AWB as a rhythm section, plus Luther Vandross
and Cissy Houston
on vocals, together with some of the New York's session musician
s, the Morrissey Mullen band spent eight months in New York. A six-week residency at New York's Mikell's
, attracted the attention of many of the top musicians of the day, with Boz Scaggs
, David Sanborn
, Steve Gadd
, Steve Ferrone
, Richard Tee
, George Benson
, Ray Barretto
, Michael Brecker
and Randy Brecker
, among others dropping by for a jam.
On their return to the United Kingdom
, Morrissey Mullen concentrated on the small-club/pub circuit, with sell-out gigs at the venues they played at, including a residency at The Half Moon
, Putney for many years. In 1979, EMI
commissioned them to enter the Abbey Road Studios
to make "Britain's first digitally-recorded single record", a cover
of the Rose Royce
hit "Love Don't Live Here Anymore
". Their 1981 album Badness
reached number one in the UK disco charts.
The band featured in the live sessions of Night Owls, a BBC Radio 2
programme presented by jazz writer and tenor saxophonist, Dave Gelly.
M&M's backing band had various regular line-ups over its existence, featuring British jazz musicians such as Martin Drew
on drums, John Mole
(ex-Colosseum II
) on bass, and Pete Jacobsen
, John Critchinson
, Martin Blackwell or John Burch
on piano (with whom Dick Morrissey would also form an octet in 1984). Although early members of the band had included two top session musicians from New Zealand
, Frank Gibson, Jr.
on drums and Bruce Lynch
on bass, the band was also a springboard for a new generation of young British musicians, including Chris Fletcher on percussion, Gary Husband
on drums, Claire Hamill
and Carol Kenyon
as vocalists (both on whom appeared with Dick Morrissey on the 1981
Jon & Vangelis album The Friends of Mr. Cairo
), Tessa Niles
, and Noel McCalla
.
Morrissey’s failing health required too many visits to hospital for the band to be viable. When M&M dissolved in 1988, Mullen and Morrissey continued meeting up for jam sessions with what they called, “Our Band”, usually featuring the same musicians that had accompanied them in M&M.
They appeared together at the 1991 Cork Jazz Festival in the Metropole Hotel in Cork, Ireland.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
/fusion group of the 1970s and 1980s.
Considered one of the most popular jazz groups in London, the band was led by Dick Morrissey
Dick Morrissey
Richard Edwin "Dick" Morrissey was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor sax, soprano sax and flute.- Background :...
on tenor and soprano saxes and flute, and Jim Mullen
Jim Mullen
Jim Mullen is a Glasgow-born jazz guitarist with a distinctive style, like Wes Montgomery before him, picking with the thumb rather than a plectrum.-Biography:...
on guitar, who joined forces in 1975, their playing together for sixteen years, during which they came to be known as "Mr Sax and Captain Axe" because of their hallmark based around calls and responses
Call and response (music)
In music, a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first...
between guitar and saxophone.
History
The band began in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where Dick Morrissey and Jim Mullen were recording and touring with their mutual friends in the Average White Band and Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
.
Coinciding with the recording and release of the first of seven Morrissey Mullen albums (plus two EPs), Up
Up (Morrissey Mullen album)
Up was the debut album by British jazz-fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen. Produced by Herbie Mann, it was recorded in New York in 1976, and featured the Average White Band as the rhythm section, together with other leading New York-based session musicians....
(Atlantic, 1977
1977 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1977.-January–February:*January 1 – The Clash headline the gala opening of the London music club, The Roxy....
), which featured AWB as a rhythm section, plus Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
and Cissy Houston
Cissy Houston
Emily "Cissy" Houston is a Grammy Award–winning American soul and gospel singer. She led a very successful career as a backup singer for such artists as Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Wishbone Ash and Aretha Franklin, and is now primarily a solo artist...
on vocals, together with some of the New York's session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s, the Morrissey Mullen band spent eight months in New York. A six-week residency at New York's Mikell's
Mikell's
Mikell's was a jazz club on the corner of 97th Street and Columbus Avenue, New York.Run by Mike Mikell and Pat Mikell, from 1969 to 1991 it was a regular venue for New York's top studio and session musicians who would turn up for jam sessions with major soul, funk and jazz artists visiting the...
, attracted the attention of many of the top musicians of the day, with Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
, David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
, Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd is an American session and studio drummer, notable for his work with popular musicians from a wide range of genres.-Biography:...
, Steve Ferrone
Steve Ferrone
Steven "Steve" Ferrone is a British drummer.He was a member of the Average White Band, and has recorded and performed with numerous other high-profile acts, including Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Scritti Politti...
, Richard Tee
Richard Tee
Richard Tee was a pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger.Tee graduated from the High School of Music and Art and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Though better known as a studio and session musician, Tee led a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee, and was a founding member of the...
, George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, Ray Barretto
Ray Barretto
Ray Barretto was a Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican jazz musician.-Early years:Barretto was born in New York City of Puerto Rican descent...
, Michael Brecker
Michael Brecker
Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...
and Randy Brecker
Randy Brecker
Randal "Randy" Brecker is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. He is a highly sought after performer in the genres of jazz, rock, and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears,...
, among others dropping by for a jam.
On their return to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Morrissey Mullen concentrated on the small-club/pub circuit, with sell-out gigs at the venues they played at, including a residency at The Half Moon
The Half Moon (music venue)
The Half Moon, Putney is a London music venue in London. Providing a stage for different kinds of music, it became a major venue for many name performers and bands, offering both lunchtime and evening performances...
, Putney for many years. In 1979, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
commissioned them to enter the Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
to make "Britain's first digitally-recorded single record", a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Rose Royce
Rose Royce
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:...
hit "Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Love Don't Live Here Anymore
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" is a song written by Miles Gregory and originally recorded by Rose Royce. It was produced by former Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield for the Whitfield Records...
". Their 1981 album Badness
Badness (album)
Badness is the third album released by British jazz fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen. Released in 1981, it entered the UK Album Charts on 18 July 1981 at no. 65, eventually reaching no...
reached number one in the UK disco charts.
The band featured in the live sessions of Night Owls, a BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
programme presented by jazz writer and tenor saxophonist, Dave Gelly.
M&M's backing band had various regular line-ups over its existence, featuring British jazz musicians such as Martin Drew
Martin Drew
Martin Drew was an English jazz drummer, who played with Ronnie Scott and Oscar Peterson .-Career:...
on drums, John Mole
John Mole
John Mole was an English bass guitar player.Mole was born in Stratford, London. A member of Jon Hiseman's reformed Colosseum II, he went on to work with fellow band members Gary Moore and Don Airey...
(ex-Colosseum II
Colosseum II
Colosseum II was a British band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore was named. Rehearsals were due to...
) on bass, and Pete Jacobsen
Pete Jacobsen
Pete Jacobsen, born Peter Paul George Jacobsen, May 16, 1950 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, died April 29, 2002 in London, England was an English jazz pianist....
, John Critchinson
John Critchinson
John William Frank Critchinson, "Critch", is an English jazz pianist. He was born in east London, 24 December 1934.In the early 50s he worked, as a part-time musician, with Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, Jimmy Deuchar, among others. In 1979, at the recommendation of his mentor, Bill Le Sage, he joined...
, Martin Blackwell or John Burch
John Burch (musician)
John Burch , was a British pianist, composer and band leader equally at home playing traditional jazz, bebop, blues, skiffle, boogie-woogie and rock....
on piano (with whom Dick Morrissey would also form an octet in 1984). Although early members of the band had included two top session musicians from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Frank Gibson, Jr.
Frank Gibson, Jr.
Frank Gibson, Jr., born 1946, New Zealand, is a jazz drummer and drum tutor. His father, also Frank Gibson, was drummer and leader of the first rock’n’roll band in the country, Frank Gibson’s Rock’n’Rollers....
on drums and Bruce Lynch
Bruce Lynch
Bruce Lynch, born 1948, New Zealand, is an electric and acoustic bassist, producer and arranger.Arriving in the UK in the mid-70s, he became a highly sought-after studio and session musician touring extensively with Cat Stevens, including the 1976 Earth Tour, as well as appearing on six albums...
on bass, the band was also a springboard for a new generation of young British musicians, including Chris Fletcher on percussion, Gary Husband
Gary Husband
Gary Husband is a British jazz and rock drummer, pianist and composer.- Short biography:Gary Husband is an English jazz and rock drummer, pianist and composer...
on drums, Claire Hamill
Claire Hamill
Claire Hamill is a British singer-songwriter.- Biography :Claire Hamill was active in the music business since age 17...
and Carol Kenyon
Carol Kenyon
Carol Kenyon , is a British singer. She was born c. 1959.Although primarily known as a session vocalist on many albums and singles by a variety of prominent artists, as well as in many concerts, Kenyon has also released several singles as a solo artist...
as vocalists (both on whom appeared with Dick Morrissey on the 1981
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
Jon & Vangelis album The Friends of Mr. Cairo
The Friends of Mr. Cairo
The Friends of Mr Cairo is the second album by Jon and Vangelis.There are two editions of this album, with different sleeves. Both versions were released in 1981 within a few weeks of each other. The title track, "The Friends Of Mr Cairo", peaked at #1 for 5 consecutive weeks on the Canadian...
), Tessa Niles
Tessa Niles
Tessa Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of artists.-Early life and career:Born in Kent, Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979...
, and Noel McCalla
Noel McCalla
Noel McCalla is a British rock singer. He was the lead vocalist for the rock group Manfred Mann's Earth Band from 1991 until September 2009, when his mutually accepted departure was announced...
.
Morrissey’s failing health required too many visits to hospital for the band to be viable. When M&M dissolved in 1988, Mullen and Morrissey continued meeting up for jam sessions with what they called, “Our Band”, usually featuring the same musicians that had accompanied them in M&M.
They appeared together at the 1991 Cork Jazz Festival in the Metropole Hotel in Cork, Ireland.
Discography
- 1976: UpUp (Morrissey Mullen album)Up was the debut album by British jazz-fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen. Produced by Herbie Mann, it was recorded in New York in 1976, and featured the Average White Band as the rhythm section, together with other leading New York-based session musicians....
(Embryo RecordsEmbryo RecordsEmbryo Records was a jazz and rock record label founded by Herbie Mann as a division of Atlantic Records, itself distributed by the Atlantic subsidiary Cotillion Records. The label released albums in the years 1969 through 1977.-Discography:...
) - 1979: Cape WrathCape Wrath (album)Cape Wrath was the second album recorded by British jazz-fusion duo Morrissey - Mullen, although it was the first they recorded in the United Kingdom...
- 1981: BadnessBadness (album)Badness is the third album released by British jazz fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen. Released in 1981, it entered the UK Album Charts on 18 July 1981 at no. 65, eventually reaching no...
- UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#43 - 1982: Life on the WireLife on the WireLife on the Wire is British jazz fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen's fourth album. It was released in 1982, reaching no. 47 in the UK charts.- Track listing :# "Life on the Wire" # "Takin' Time" # "Face of a Child" # "Come and Get Me"...
- UK #47 - 1983: It’s About TimeIt’s About TimeIt's About time is the sixth album released by British jazz fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen.The album was produced by Richard Niles, who also wrote some of the songs....
- UK #95 - 1983: After DarkAfter Dark (Dick Morrissey album)After Dark is a solo album by Dick Morrissey featuring Morrissey-Mullen co-leader Jim Mullen and the regular line-up of the band. It was recorded the same year as the duo's It’s About Time album, and although not strictly speaking a Morrissey-Mullen album, it is usually included in their...
- 1985: This Must Be the PlaceThis Must Be the PlaceThis Must Be the Place is a 1985 album by British jazz fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen.- Track listing :#"A Tear for Crystal"#"Mean Time"#"This Must Be the Place"#"With You"#"Southend Pierre"#"Visions"#"All I Want to Do"- Personnel :...
- 1988: Happy HourHappy Hour (1988 album)Happy Hour is an album released by the British jazz fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen. It was to be their last studio album and was followed by a compilation album released after Dick Morrissey's death, Everything Must Change: The Definitive Collection.- Track listing :#"Other Streams"#"Singing in the...
- 2003: Everything Must Change: The Definitive Collection