SOLO PIANO
Introspective, spontaneous jazz
Nick Maclean's solo piano work delves into his 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: SNAGGLE and NICK MACLEAN QUARTET. Maclean, who's groups have frequently been lauded for the strength of their collective improvisatory vision, continues in that unconstrained spirit of spontaneous and courageous personal exploration in order to perform rich and prismatic interpretations of originals, standards, and other contemplations delivered in the moment. Nick Maclean's debut 18-track, double disk solo album "Can You Hear Me?" features 7 Maclean-penned compositions, 8 standards and 2 spontaneous improvisations, all recorded at the renowned Chalet Studio in Uxbridge. Produced by "Canada's preeminent jazz trumpet player" (NYC Village Voice) the highly decorated BROWNMAN ALI, this new double album was released in Canada on Oct 31, 2021, and internationally on Dec 3, 2021 on Browntasauras Records.
– 2022 No.7 on the jazz charts across Canada
'Can You Hear Me?'
– 2022 2X 'Bronze' Global Music Award winner
'Can You Hear Me?' in the ‘instrumental’, and ‘composer’ categories
– 2021 AllAboutJazz.com’s ‘download of the day’
for “Blackbirds”
BOOKING: NickMacleanProductions@gmail.com
"Nick Maclean has superior piano skills, coupled with great ideas and emotional execution."
- Randy Brecker, jazz trumpet legend (NYC, USA)
SET LIST
- Tell Me Something I Don't Know (Nick Maclean) – expansive, colourful odyssey *
- Rational Discourse (Nick Maclean) – angular, Monk-ish swing * VIDEO
- Difficulties of Discernment (Nick Maclean) – dark, moody ballad *
- Why the Caged Bird Sings (Nick Maclean) – bouncy, soulful w/ gospel and hip hop flavours *
- Circle of Influence (Nick Maclean) – expansive, colourful odyssey * VIDEO
- Estratagema (Nick Maclean) – angular, Cuban *
- Variations On A Porkpie Hat (Nick Maclean) – exploratory spontaneous improvisation * VIDEO
- The Truth of It (Nick Maclean) – expansive, dark odyssey * VIDEO
- Zion (Nick Maclean) – bright, hopeful spontaneous improvisation * VIDEO
- Ease (Nick Maclean) – spacious ballad
- Lagaan (Nick Maclean) – solo piano interpretation of bouncy jazz fusion a la SNAGGLE
- Dolphin Dance (Herbie Hancock) – introspective ballad * VIDEO
- Driftin (Herbie Hancock) – straight-down the middle, feel-good swing *
- All of You (Cole Porter) – a contemplative and moody ballad *
- Someday My Prince Will Come (Frank Churchill) – waltz with various textures * VIDEO
- It Could Happen To You (Jimmy Van Heusen) – delicate ballad *
- Blackbirds (Lennon/McCartney & Ray Henderson) – medley of 'Blackbird' and 'Bye Bye Blackbird' * VIDEO
- Nardis (Miles Davis) – introspective ballad *
- Footprints (Wayne Shorter) – fast, angular three * VIDEO
- Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Mercer Ellington) – raunchy blues *
- Christmas Time Is Here (Vince Guaraldi) – gentle ballad ** VIDEO
- Beautiful Love (Victor Young) – uptempo swing
- In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (David Mann) – gentle ballad
- I Fall In Love Too Easily (Jule Styne) – gentle ballad
- Tiny Dancer (Elton John) – bluesy with hints of salsa
- Take The A Train (Billy Strayhorn) – uptempo swing
- Well You Needn't (Thelonius Monk) – angular medium swing
- Days of Wine and Roses (Henry Mancini) – medium swing
- There Will Never Be Another You (Harry Warren) – medium/up swing
- Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (Sigmund Romberg) – uptempo swing
* appears on 'Can You Hear Me?' (Browntasauras Records, 2021)
** holiday single (Browntasauras Records, 2024)
Nick Maclean's solo repertoire is made up of a collection of originals, standards, and other contemplations delivered in the moment.
QUOTES
“Nick Maclean has superior piano skills, coupled with great ideas and emotional execution.”
- Randy Brecker, jazz trumpet legend (NYC, USA)
“Not too many artists are willing to assemble a double album for their debut solo release, but the piano extraordinaire Nick Maclean doesn’t seem to be concerned with such formalities as he interprets standards and brings us originals on this very diverse affair... gracing us with a gorgeous and intimate landscape...The producer Brownman Ali is onboard here, and he helps shape this daring first album into a contemplative,adventurous and unpredictable endeavor that never out welcomes its stay.”
- Tom Haugen, Take Effect
“...one of the young lions of jazz today.”
- Edward Blanco, AllAboutJazz.com and WDNA, 88.9FM (Miami, USA)
“It's a very special, yes, impressive solo double album, the Canadian jazz pianist, Nick Maclean, here broadcasts on Brooklyn-based Browntasaurus Records. I inevitably think of names like Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Brad Mehldau and Danish Carsten Dahl - great jazz pianists who before Maclean have thrown themselves into equally groundbreaking solo projects... The work as a whole is faceted, rich, personal and intimate, at times sensitive, at times exuberantly expressive. It is thus clear that this is a very virtuoso composer and pianist - understandably, he has been praised by critics and has received so many awards.”
- Ivan Rod, journalist, editor, critic (Copenhagen, Denmark)
“...Maclean’s creative mind and aesthetics are obvious in every aspect of this album, his piano solos both lyrical and invigorating...”
- Ivana Popovic, The WholeNote (Toronto, Canada)
“An important Canadian jazzbo makes his solo piano debut after cleaning up in various sounding crews and getting notice from some heavy hitters that know their apples. Clearly a cut above the usual solo piano set, he's got the skills to pay the bills and keep you in thrall for two discs. Bouncing between originals, covers and improvs, this is a cat so many know well but you could stand to get to know better. A real wiz kid!”
- Chris Spector, The Midwest Record (Illinois, USA)
“Personal expression and fun are the hallmarks of Nick Maclean’s music and both are in abundance here.”
- Peter Wockner, Jazz and Beyond (Australia)
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
– 2022 No.7 on the jazz charts across Canada
'Can You Hear Me?'
– 2022 2X 'Bronze' Global Music Award winner
'Can You Hear Me?' in the ‘instrumental’, and ‘composer’ categories
– 2021 AllAboutJazz.com’s ‘download of the day’
for “Blackbirds”
“Maclean, whose groups have frequently been lauded for the strength of their collective improvisatory vision, continues here in that unconstrained spirit with courageous risktaking and musical exploration springing from in the moment inspiration... Maclean delivers rich and prismatic interpretations of originals, standards, and other spontaneous contemplations.”
- Republic of Jazz
“Nick Maclean, a pianist of exceptional skill and sensitivity.”
- Glenn Astarita, AllAboutJazz.com (Winchester, USA)
“Might Nick Maclean be to Canadian pianists what Kamasi Washington has become to U.S. saxophonists? In terms of creating a lengthy, wide-ranging document of modern jazz with some agenda and ideology supporting its musical invention, Toronto-based Maclean’s Can You Hear Me? possesses commensurate scope and vision to Washington's name-making The Epic... the answer to Maclean's Can You Hear Me? is not only a “yes,” but “more, please,” too."
- Jamie Lee Rake, Shepherd Express (Milwaukee, USA)
“The prodigiously gifted pianist Nick Maclean... is to be roundly applauded because he literally soars in splendid isolation, although he did admittedly get help from the celebrated producer Brownman Ali. Enough help, it turns out, to turn in a brilliant recording, where both standards and original compositions come alive with percussive growls, and daintily eloquent phrases. Some of these are curvy and elegantly sculpted, others are long inventions punched, poked and - eventually - shaped into bravura melodies and harmonies with thumping left-hand triads and chords.”
- Raul Da Gama, The Wholenote (Toronto, Canada)
“...all are strong, compelling tunes, played with finesse and feeling... and if his influences show, so does his own personal voice.”
- Dan McClenaghan, AllAboutJazz.com (San Diego, USA)
“Nick Maclean stands out for me as one of the most gifted young Toronto pianists to come along in the last few years. His combination of raw creativity and a well studied grasp of the technical and theoretical aspects of music makes for a powerful musical statement."
- Adrean Farrugia, Juno Award winning jazz pianist
“Nick Maclean’s is a voice we should all look forward to hearing more from.“
- Dave Restivo, Canadian Jazz Piano icon