Nigel Price: 'It’s On!'

From Nigel Price’s opening sumptuous guitar noodling on ‘Make Someone Happy’ to the gorgeous groove as the rest of his Organ Trio join in, It really is on. ‘It’s On!’ brings to your ears some of the loveliest jazz you’ll hear in 2025 - and you can hear it live as the ensemble is on the road around the UK right now to share the album launch.

Apart from three standards, the remaining tracks are all composed by Price specifically for this pared-down and exemplary trio. I interviewed Ross Stanley (keys) for an episode of Harmonious World: he’s an outstanding player who you may have heard with Maceo Parker and Robben Ford. Joel Barford (drums) has appeared with some of my favourite musicians already in 2025, including Paul Edis and Liane Carroll and he completes this rather brilliant trio.

Nigel tells me that the recording process with these guys was “relaxed” and they laid down seven of the tracks on the first day.

If you want to see what relaxed recording looks like to Nigel, I can only recommend you watch the video of Backatcha. It steams along with brilliant musical interaction that promises much for the live gigs. And the smiles on the faces for the final chord say a great deal about how 

If you think you don’t know Nigel Price, you will probably have heard his guitar on some of the finest jazz albums the UK has produced in recent years. Apart from his own ensembles, he spent 10 years with acid jazz outfit The Filthy Six, recorded five albums in the three years he was a member of James Taylor’s band, JTQ. He’s appeared with David Axelrod and on Van Morrison’s Keep Me Singing album, as well as a support show for Gladys Knight at The Royal Albert Hall.

Oh, and his awards include the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Jazz Ensemble (2010) and the British Jazz Award for Best Guitarist (2016). He was also nominated for the Services to Jazz Awards in the 2021 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. 
He has directed Swanage jazz festival and Shepperton Jazz Club, and is the founder of Grassroots Jazz, the charity that raises money for stricken jazz clubs.

As I’m listening to the fabulous It’s On, I’m preparing to meet Nigel for a live interview that will feature in a forthcoming episode of Harmonious World.The Nigel Price Organ Trio is at the start of its impressive tour around the UK - check out the dates here and get your tickets before they sell out. Then you can also buy a copy of It’s On (although it is available online).

Watch this space for the Harmonious World episode and a live review of one of the upcoming gigs.