On a recent vacation in Scottsdale, near Phoenix (Arizona), Nissim heard a great musician – Dean Nelson – performing at a dinner club, and was thoroughly impressed with his unique arrangements of classic rock songs. A friendly conversation ensued and over the past weeks a special correspondence began between the two.
Nissim learnt a lot more about Dean and his music and band, and in turn shared stories about The Combustibles and the Bombay rock scene of five decades ago! Soon, a copy of Watch Her/Some Peace of Mind made its way to Phoenix and is being played there in 2024!
Take a look at Dean’s comment on this site: “You guys are so good! I have really enjoyed listening to you the past week! It is so cool to go through this memorabilia! Everything has such a great style!”
Truly grateful to Dean for his video listening to “Watch Her” and his kindness in posting The Combustibles to his social media: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCxlpgjS1gO/?igsh=MWN0ZWI1dWRrYmhjMA%3D%3D
Dean’s music with his band is worth a listen, too. Take a look at his website and links to different recordings: https://crazylegsdean.com/. In particular, give a listen to recent recordings of “Heist” and “Sex on Fire”, and “Before” from a different genre a few years ago: https://crazylegsdean.com/blog/. This link to Dean Nelson performing “On the Roof” is great too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmGxd8JDeJ8
The love of music never fails to connect individuals over time and space and geography! We are thrilled that this new connection with Dean has brought The Combustibles to Phoenix.
16 comments
Michael Saltman
The Combustibles rocked and still rock!
Nissim Ezekiel on rhythm leading the way.
Gets better with age, like fine wine
The Band
Thanks, Mike: Was very special meeting Dean in Scottsdale and sharing our music over the decades and hearing his original music too!
DEK
Great music like this is timeless! Cool to see a new generation of musicians rocking out to this gem!
PSI
Awesome to hear about Dean and his band, and how they’re rocking out with The Combustibles’ tracks! Hope you guys can collaborate (or at least get those beers) soon. :)
Dean Nelson
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to you guys! Thank you so much for the shout out! This is such high praise! It was so great to meet you! I’ve been telling all my friends about your amazing band and we all are a big fans
The Band
Hey Dean: What a great fun adventure we have begun here at the end of 2024! Lets make some music together in 2025 – Nissim
Georgia Joffe
Love it! The video is just fantastic. Nissim you are a rocker first, to your core …hoping there is a collaboration with Dean ahead.
GULU
Great stuff! Fond memories of cuz Nissim & Co. Keep rocking!
Jet
Dean – Just two months ago I was listening to you and particularly liked your arrangements of many classic rock songs including Queen’s “This Thing Called Love”. Would like to hear a lot more of you and your band. Can’t wait to see where the great connection between you and Nissim will lead!
REB
Hey Dean, Listening and watching you on YouTube now. What a beautiful voice and sound. Thank you. Wishing you only the best.
Josh
I really enjoyed those songs on Dean’s site. Thanks for sharing, and great to see The Combustibles finding their way to strange new worlds all these years later.
REB
Hey Nissim & Dean, As someone who loved attending the Combustibles’ many live shows long ago and far away in Mumbai, it’s exhilarating to see their music being revived and enjoyed in the here and now by cool, talented musicians like Dean in Phoenix today! So glad you both met and connected.
rafe Almagor
I am lucky enough to have a signed copy of the Album. thank you Nissim.
Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca
How wonderful to hear about the Combustibles reaching Phoenix. I have been there from the very inception of this band when it was formed in Bombay. I’ve heard them at concerts and danced to them in discos! What a fantastic journey! Keep going!
Elli
How fabulous that Dean Nelson in Phoenix is listening to the raw, energetic music of the Combustibles. They were cranking it up in the first wave of Bombay’s rock scene, homemade guitars, pretty basic kit (apart from Lionel’s Saturn) and lots of belief. When Nissim joined and added his Strat and Fender amps to their modest bank of equipment it was like the Pied Piper rode into town- all the neighbourhood kids would scramble up to the Taylor’s roof terrace to watch the practice sessions as soon as they heard the first ‘hello testing’ and the guitars tuning up. Electric!
Dean does some great arrangements on a couple of his cover tracks-any chance of hearing him re-work a Combustibles original??
VR
Awesome to hear The Combustibles being celebrated in Phoenix considering I was privileged to watch them live on stage in Bombay all those years ago!! Looking forward to hearing about more such connections – Every good wish