HACKETT GUITARIST NICK FLETCHER RELEASES SOLO ALBUM ‘CYCLES OF BEHAVIOUR’ – OUT 26TH MARCH
Nick Fletcher is a guitarist who has worked with the who’s who in the world of Prog. A regular member of the John Hackett band, he has also played with the likes of Dave Bainbridge and Steve Hackett.
His new Album, ‘Cycles of Behaviour’ features contributions from luminaries from the world of Prog including 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
Check out the album teaser below:
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.
“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.
The album will be released on 26th March and is available to pre order here
