Keith Nichols
Keith Nichols is one of the best classic jazz pianists, one of the foremost authorities on classic jazz and a brilliant entertainer. His piano playing reflects his reflects his deep involvement with pioneer stylists such as James P Johnson, Scott Joplin, Fats Waller and Duke Ellington. He is one of the very few British musicians to play at Carnegie Hall (in Dick Sudhalter’s New Paul Whiteman orchestra) and more recently masterminded a similarly ambitious Whiteman recreation with a ten-piece ensemble and twenty musicians from the Northern Symphonia.
This year he leads his Blue Devils, back by popular demand, plays one of his inimitable solo sets and joins with Spats and Mike Piggott for some fun on Sunday morning
Keith Nichols Blue Devils, featuring Joan Viskant
Keith Nichols (p) Enrico Yomasso (t) Mike Henry (t) Alistair Allan (tr) Bob Fowler, Bob Sydor, David Horniblow (reeds) Martin Wheatley (g,bjo). Dave Chamberlain (b) Richard Pite (d)
Keith leads the band for which he produces excellent arrangements, plays the bigger band music of the 20-s and early 30s. It’s full of exciting soloists like Rico Tomasso, James Evans, Ben Cummings and Joan Viskant adds a touch of vocal sophistication.
Abbreviations: as-alto sax; b-acoustic bass; bjo-banjo; bsax-bass sax; cl-clarinet; ct-cornet; d-drums; eb-electric bass; eg-electric guitar; fl-flute; flg-flugel horn; g-guitar; org-organ; p-piano; sousa-sousaphone; t-trumpet; tr-trombone; ts-tenor sax; viol-violin; voc-voice.