Heads & Tales Volume 2

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Cat No: WR4695

Release Date: 14 July 2017

Label: Nigel Price

Packaging Type: Digipak

No of Units: 2

Barcode: 5052442008361

Genres: Jazz Contemporary

Description
British guitarist and composer Nigel Price brings his organ trio to Whirlwind in 'Heads & Tales, Volume 2', a double album which follows up his original 2011 release. Rooted in the blues and hard bop traditions - echoing the fluidity of the likes of Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery and Louis Stewart - his considerable appeal stems from unequivocal understanding of his instrument.

For part one of this 2-CD release, Price revels in his collaboration with Hammond organist Ross Stanley and drummer Matt Home. Together, they shape his original music through the earthy authenticity of the organ trio idiom, their connectivity sparking relentless verve and invention. He also invites saxophonists Alex Garnett and Vasilis Xenopoulos to guest on a number of tracks, adding further weight and dynamism to the guitarist's material.

Price's own works are cryptically modelled on well-known jazz standards, turning them on their head with imaginative composition and often quirky titling. For example: Gigi Gryce's 'Minority' becomes 'Majority'; Harold Arlen's 'Come Rain or Come Shine' translates into 'Wet & Dry'; and Frank Loesser's 'Slow Boat to China' is re-fashioned as 'Junk' ("Chinese boat, innit?", he quips). As Nigel explains, "There's something very clear and rewarding about developing these contrafacts. Knowing the form and harmony already, you then engage your own sensibilities to produce something new and punchy, conceived specifically with your own players and instrumentation in mind."

Such synergy is palpable in 'Blue Genes', Price proving that new light can shine through old windows by transforming Duke Pearson's 'Jeannine' into a fast-swing showcasing Vasilis Xenopoulos's voluble tenor improv, with the guitar adeptly comping behind. Ross Stanley's Hammond dexterity, throughout, is matchless.
Tracklisting