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Julian Nicholas

Julian learned clarinet with Nicholas Bucknall at John Roan School, Greenwich from 1976 to 1983, when he went to York University and continued with Alan Hacker. He studied saxophone with Tony Coe, Don Rendell, Bobby Wellins. Julian didn't fit into the critics and promoters templates, necessarily, stylistically gravitating towards African rhythms with Western harmonies in his compositions, as well as the influence of folk music through artists such as John Surman, but he managed to pop up as a mainstream-to-modern freelancer with some of the legendary names of jazz from a very young age, as well as with reggae bands and on garage recordings. Perhaps over-shadowed by such a burgeoning wave of saxophone talent in the 1980s, his relative obscurity can also be attributed to him moving to Brighton and in 1988 taking on single-parenting his daughter from her first year. Julian also ran a jazz club, The Junction in Brighton in 1990 - booking 150 gigs in its first year, and bringing the new wave of talent to Brighton, as well as South African, Brazilian and European bands who otherwise had no promotion on the South Coast. Julian is a member of the great 'Loose Tubes' as well as Eddie Parker's own group 'Mr Vertigo', Mark Edwards 'The Cloggz', 'The Brotherhood Of Breath', and many more. Julian has worked with Carleen Anderson Red Rodney Harry 'Sweets' Edison Jimmy Witherspoon Bobby Wellins Oleta Adams Will Gaines Joe Lee Wilson Mark Lockhart’s ‘Big Idea’ Martha Reeves Loose Tubes Chris McGregor's 'Brotherhood of Breath' Dudu Pukwana London Jazz Composers' Orchestra Ernest Mothle Stan Tracey Claire Martin Eddie Henderson Kirk Lightsey Arnie Lawrence Balugi Shrivastav Bosco D’Olivera Selena Jones Edwin Starr Osibisa Toyah Wilcox Liane Carroll Spike Wells Hazel O’Connor A Man Called Adam Belle And Sebastian 'Dedication Orchestra' Eddie Parker Pete Jacobsen Peter Saberton Don Weller Laurie Cottle and Emily Saunders, among many others. In 2009 Julian achieved his PGCE with a category 1, took a full-time teaching position in a secondary school and four years later took up the leadership (2013-2020) of the famous Chichester Jazz course of 35 years. Albums include Mountain People, Heavy plant Crossing (Arts Council supported 1997) Food Of Love, Square Groove, One January Morning (Anöna Trio), David Beebee Quartet, One Two Three Four, Sawdust & Spangles (The Cloggz), Dancing On Frith Street (Loose Tubes) among many others. Julian composes in many styles for his own and other ensembles.

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Album Review

Imogen Ryall: Imogen Ryall Sings the Charles Mingus / Joni Mitchell Songbook

Read "Imogen Ryall Sings the Charles Mingus / Joni Mitchell Songbook" reviewed by Neil Duggan


In 1976, bassist Charles Mingus was suffering from a degenerative condition which had left him part-paralysed and unable to play or compose in a conventional manner. He still had a mind full of musical ideas so needed a collaborator. He had become aware of Joni Mitchell and thought she might be the right choice. For her part, Mitchell had gradually been escaping the confines of her folky image, flirting with jazz structures in her albums and saw an opportunity to ...

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"Located on the South Coast, Nicholas has never courted to much publicity, but clearly knows the contemporary tenor lexicon well, leaning towards Rollins and Henderson, with even a hint of Getz in his sound." Peter Vacher / Jazzwise "Loose Tubes/Brotherhood Of Breath saxist Julian Nicholas will need no introduction to followers of top-flight UK jazz: after a period out of the spotlight his profile has been rising again of late, and it’s a real treat to hear his slightly rough-edged, unsentimentally romantic tone, and unfailing instinct for finding the surest melodic path through the most abstruse harmony, in such sympathetic settings

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Sonny Rollins
saxophone
Wayne Shorter
saxophone
John Coltrane
saxophone
Miles Davis
trumpet

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