CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE
Composed by Vince Guaraldi
This contemplative and prismatic performance of the Vince Guaraldi holiday classic comes from JUNO nominated and 10X Global Music Award winning pianist NICK MACLEAN, who takes influences from jazz piano greats such as Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Brad Mehldau for his solo piano ruminations. Maclean, whose two divergent ensembles, Snaggle and Nick Maclean Quartet, are frequently lauded for their collective improvisatory vision, continues here in that unconstrained spirit with courageous risk-taking and musical exploration springing from in-the-moment inspirations.
Tracked during the "Can You Hear Me?" (2021, Browntasauras Records) sessions at the renowned Chalet Studio in Uxbridge, ON, "Christmas Time Is Here" was recorded spontaneously as a single take. Shaped by Maclean's respect and trust in his acclaimed producer BROWNMAN ALI's impactful omnipresent guidance, the result is a rich palette of gentle solo piano performance suffused with a warm holiday spirit.
BUY "CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE" (releases Dec 6, 2024)
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WATCH a 30 min in-depth discussion where producer Brownman Ali interviews Nick Maclean about the process, the venue, and stories from the studio. Don't miss it!
th-cam.com/video/6b5peV8jPR8/w-d-xo.html
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ABOUT NICK MACLEAN
Based in Toronto NICK MACLEAN is a JUNO nominee, the winner of 10 'Gold' Global Music Awards, a Toronto Independent Music Award, and has quickly become a piano player in high demand in that city’s bustling jazz scene. Nick holds a Bachelors of Music from Humber College and a Masters of Jazz Performance from the University of Toronto where he studied with some of Canada's leading jazz musicians including David Restivo, Bernie Senensky, Nancy Walker, David Occhipinti, Andrew Downing, Chris Donnelly, and David Braid.
Maclean leads two multi award-winning ensembles, the hard-swinging NYC-style jazz ensemble the NICK MACLEAN QUARTET - a foursome that delivers jazz between the two poles of thoughtful introspection and powerhouse conveyance, taking influences from Herbie Hancock’s primordial 1960’s Blue Note era recordings - and the groove-based, electric jazz project SNAGGLE - a fearlessly muscular yet introspective group likened to a cross between 'electric-era Miles Davis' and 'Rage Against The Machine'. Both groups have released multi-award winning albums and with them Nick has toured right across Canada as well as internationally, performing for countless audiences as well as running jazz improvisation workshops for students and listeners eager to learn more about the artform. Maclean also presents a SOLO PIANO project which delves into a reflective and soul-searching realm of expression, taking influences from jazz piano legends like Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Brad Mehldau, as well as that of his two divergent ensembles, to perform originals, standards, and other spontaneous contemplations - all delivered in the moment. From Miles Davis & Herbie Hancock to Weather Report & Snarky Puppy, Maclean’s musical influences are diverse.
A protege of "Canada's pre-eminent jazz trumpet player" (NYC Village Voice) the highly decorated BROWNMAN ALI (GURU, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Quincy Jones), Nick has studied and performed extensively with the internationally acclaimed jazz-trumpet iconoclast and features him in both of his ensembles. Maclean and Brownman have become collaborative partners across numerous musical endeavours and Maclean is signed to Brownman's NYC-based jazz record label BROWNTASAURAS RECORDS, an independent record label widely regarded as a vanguard for Canadian, forward-thinking jazz. The future is bright for this young visionary as he continues his upward ascent in jazz artforms of all shapes and sizes.