Jim Mullen, a guitarist and long-time collaborator of Dick Morrissey was the leader of the British jazz-fusion movement in the 1970s. Mullen was born November 26, 1945 in Glasgow (Scotland). He acquired his first guitar when he was eight years old, shortly after a friend introduced him to jazz. He studied journalism but remained a regular on the local jazz circuit. He eventually formed a group with Malcolm Duncan, tenor saxophonist, and Roger Ball, keyboardist. In 1969, Mullen moved to London and joined Pete Brown’s Piblokto! He then signed up with Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express. This solidified his place in the emerging jazz-rock culture. He also had stints with Vinegar Joe, Kokomo and later with Duncan and Ball in the blue-eyed funk group the Average White Band in the 1970s. Through the AWB, Mullen met Morrissey who was a veteran of If, a well-respected jazz-rock band. They formed a duo called Up in 1977. Their music embraced everything from pop to funk, and they found favor with both sides of the jazz-rock diad through acclaimed albums like 1979’s Cape Wrath. Morrissey u0026 Mullen co-headlined six albums. They veered more towards mainstream music, but didn’t achieve the American commercial success that would have boosted their careers to the next level. After 1988’s Happy Hour, Morrissey split with Mullen. Mullen continued to work alongside Claire Martin as a singer. He was also the headliner on a number of albums, including Rule of Thumb (and Soundbites). Mullen was a sought-after sideman who supported American giants such as Mose Allison, Jimmy Smith and Terry Callier. He reunited with Morrissey in 2000, months before Morrissey died from spinal cancer. Allmusic
