Clovis Nicolas – Blues in Blueprint

The beauty of tradition is that you can always return to it, no matter what style you usually play.

And what tradition is best suited to provide a solid foundation for a jazz musician? The blues, of course! And for this return to his roots, Clovis Nicolas has chosen a renowned partner who may surprise some, as he is better known as an organist than as a pianist.

It is therefore also a return to his roots for Larry Goldings, and it is a treat to hear him tackle classic and more recent blues tunes, including one of his own compositions and four themes penned by Nicolas.

Here, Goldings is both fully in the tradition of blues piano and perfectly contemporary, making use of his highly subtle touch, fluid phrasing, and a thoroughly personal harmonic and rhythmic inventiveness that works wonders in his solos.

Nicolas clearly takes great pleasure in accompanying this distinguished guest. His rhythmic and harmonic foundation is first-rate, and he treats himself to rare, solidly structured solos. As for Carl Allen, his drumming—at times powerful, at times more delicate—constantly energizes his two bandmates with a colorful approach to the instrument that fits this context perfectly. From Sydney Bechet to Ornette Coleman, via Duke Ellington, Wes Montgomery and Carla Bley, this album revisits the entire history of the blues in jazz, and the original compositions by Goldings and Nicolas fit right in.

The joy these three musicians take in exploring this repertoire is utterly infectious, and you can bet that listeners will share in it wholeheartedly.