Nick Fletcher: Hackett guitarist releases 'Cycles of Behaviour'
NICK FLETCHER.
New Album, ‘Cycles of Behaviour’ CD & DL.
Release Date: 26th March Available from - www.nickfletcherguitarmusic.com or
I consider Nick Fletcher to be an absolute star’ (Steve Hackett)
“Outstanding guitar in the form of Nick Fletcher (often compared to the late Allan Holdsworth)”. (Fatea)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpKKstx0zzY (album taster)
Nick is available for interviews
With contributions from luminaries from the world of Prog including Dave Bainbridge (Lifesigns, Celestial Fire, Iona, Strawbs and most recently, Downes Braide Association); Tim Harries (Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, Steeleye Span); Russ Wilson from The Book of Genesis, Caroline Bonnett and flute and vocal contributions from the wonderful John Hackett, Nick Fletcher’s first solo prog recording incorporates many diverse influences. Caroline also co-produced and mastered the album. Nick’s music has a unique take on the genre which incorporates such diverse influences that range from Pink Floyd, Genesis, Camel, Jazz fusion, Bruford, Holdsworth, Ravel, Stravinsky and the English choral composer Herbert Howells! It’s often powerful with wild, virtuosic guitar playing and compositions which are full of emotional moments which pull the listener into an evocative sound world, making this an incredible listen and something unique in the world of Progressive Rock.
“Nick Fletcher is probably the best jazz rock guitarist in the country. His fluency is astounding, plus he possesses a first-rate classical guitar technique to boot! I find the combination of him working with my brother John is totally incendiary… I consider Nick Fletcher to be an absolute star’ … (Steve Hackett 2020)
The new solo album ‘Cycles of Behaviour’ came about as there had been great press reaction to his previous recording with John Hackett, ‘Beyond the Stars’ (Esoteric Records, 2018). Nick had been writing similar material and some new musical ideas that expanded on the ‘Beyond the Stars’ project, which posed a new direction and musical development, with a broader sound palette and more instrumental tracks in the mix.
“Stellar soloing and strong songs!” (Sid Smith, PROG magazine)
Perhaps somewhat of an enigma, Nick has been described as “the best kept secret in British Prog”. He is, in fact a guitarist and composer who has been playing the guitar and writing music professionally since 1981, starting out after leaving Music College as a classical guitarist and guitar teacher but also embarked on a career as a session guitarist, as well as playing in many bands with the likes of Dave Bainbridge and Tim Harries.
In 1991 Nick started to concentrate more on his solo performing, arranging and composing music for the classical guitar. This resulted in curtailing his work with the electric guitar for 25 years! In this time. he has had over 80 compositions published by the Canadian music publisher Les Production’s d’Oz and over 100 published song arrangements by Integrity Music. He has recorded many CDs of classical guitar music as a soloist and with John Hackett as part of the Fletcher /Hackett guitar and flute duo, receiving fantastic reviews in Classical Guitar magazine and The Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) ‘Soundboard’ publication.
“There are too many other delights to spoil, and many interesting stylistic turns, so I would heartily encourage a listen of this wonderful recording, the production of which is superb “. (Tim Panting, Classical Guitar magazine about Nick’s solo CD ‘The Journey Continues’..)
In 2014 Nick performed live and was featured on the BBC Radio 3 ‘In Tune’ programme, presented by Sean Rafferty. His music has been played regularly on Classic FM. In the mid 1990’s Nick was a Producer for Kingsway Records and made a number of successful Celtic recordings and co-produced the album ‘Breaking of the Dawn’ with prog maestro Dave Bainbridge
In 2015 Nick once again took up performing and recording with the electric guitar after being invited to join the John Hackett Band. Since that time Nick has received numerous, great reviews of his writing and playing in the Prog Rock genre, as well as his continuing career as classical musician. Nick has also performed and recorded with Steve Hackett, collecting many excellent plaudits along the way in the prog media, all going to make Nick a very different guitar player, who writes and plays in a unique way, particularly when playing the electric guitar.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nick_Fguitar
“When I saw the John Hackett band I was impressed with the sheer virtuosity. In Nick Fletcher they have an amazing guitarist who is up there with the best!” (The Progressive Aspect)
“Nick Fletcher is the John Hackett Bands’ secret weapon.” (Helen Robinson, Sounds)
“... there’s the performance of an absolute top guitarist named Nick Fletcher. Certainly not a youngster, on the contrary, but a relative ‘rookie’ when it comes to rock music. In recent decades Fletcher has mainly focused on the classical guitar, nevertheless, he was the star of the show with his play on the electric guitar, which is a cross between the late Allan Holdsworth, Dave Gilmour and Steve Hackett himself.” (ProgDreams 2019 festival review)
https://open.spotify.com/album/1xboCHVnBxu89JL4aXsvLO (Beyond the Stars)
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zkktODM7ilY2D4K0YkOYE (Nick Fletcher, Spotify)
https://productionsdoz.com/nos-artistes/fletcher-nick (Les Productions d’Oz)
