Album review: Nigel Price Organ Trio - It's On! (Nervy)

Nigel Price (guitar); Ross Stanley (Hammond C3); Joel Barford (drums)

Six Price originals, a standard and two modern jazz classics, exquisitely played, make this the cat's pyjamas - it certainly had me purring.

Jule Styne, Adolph Green combined to write Make Someone Happy. Kenny Burrell recorded it, inspiring Price to put his own take on it and history was re-written. Beginning soft and gentle, gradually building up to Stanley's entry and, culminating with the irrepressible Barford's break, the die was cast.

The six Price compositions followed:

Backatcha: The trio are at their driving best. This is as good as anything that came out of Detroit or Philly or anywhere, uptown or downtown or in between.

Chonky is a word that Nigel's daughter uses to describe their overweight Siamese cat Nora who, seemingly, despises him. Nora will come round if he plays this while giving her a generous helping of Felix. There's a funky feel with the occasional half a dozen bars of swing slotted in. Tricky but effective.

It's On!  A good title for the album and the track. It would also have been appropriate when funding for the tour was in jeopardy. Fortunately, the tour is on - details HERE. For the Newcastle gig at the Globe on Nov. 16 the trio becomes a quartet with the addition of fellow guitar wizard Lorne Lofsky. Lofsky is on several of the tour gigs.

Straight Talk: Inspired by a conversation with American guitarist Peter Bernstein who inspired Nigel to try writing a blues in 5/4. Good advice if this was the end result.

78: One of the hottest summers on record until 2025 showed up. Nigel reflects back to that summer when he was young and life less complicated. Simplicity is no less beautiful than complexity in fact, if anything, more so as the gentle, airy waftings of the trio prove.

Splash the Cash: Funky as a chicken the trio get a great groove going. This really is a band for all seasons. 

Joe Zawinul composed Midnight Mood but it was Wes Montgomery's version that had Nigel wondering what it would sound like with a double time feel. It worked - did it not!

The album draws to a close with Art Pepper's Red Car. It has a funky boogaloo feel to it that I guarantee it will lure you to the dance floor even if you have two left feet. Barford has a work out, Stanley puts the bassline in and Nigel does the rest. 

I get so many albums, both physical and otherwise, that not many make the cut. However, this one automatically jumped the queue. If the Nigel Price Organ Trio was a football team they'd be FC Barcelona! Lance