| Jazz |
While Michelle Nicolle is widely celebrated in her native Australia and recognized in select circles worldwide, her eleventh album now finds its way to the United States, accompanied by the outstanding guitarist Larry Koonse. Having already released ten albums, Nicolle presents a work that seamlessly blends jazz, folk, and blues. She views the voice as an instrument in its own right—a belief she upholds with remarkable conviction. Yet beyond this philosophy, she remains an extraordinary interpreter, offering a new, acoustic album of profound subtlety and exquisite craftsmanship, where she and Koonse achieve sheer musical brilliance from one track to the next.
If you are unfamiliar with this phenomenal guitarist, here is a glimpse of his biography: Cleo Laine, Al Hirt, Jimmy Rowles, Bob Brookmeyer, Luciana Souza, Lee Konitz, Larry Goldings, Mel Tormé, Alan Broadbent, Ray Brown, Bill Perkins, Toots Thielemans, Rod Stewart, Seth MacFarlane, Linda Ronstadt, David Friesen, Bob Sheppard, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Warne Marsh, Charlie Haden, Natalie Cole, and many other jazz luminaries have all had the privilege of collaborating with him. His solo guitar work was also prominently featured in the film Crazy, which recounts the life of the great guitarist Hank Garland.
An impressive résumé, indeed. Both Michelle and Koonse, as composers and arrangers, have embraced a remarkable artistic vulnerability, allowing the raw fragility of the voice to shine through unfiltered. The album’s second track, I Hope Never, may even send shivers down your spine, as it pushes the beauty of the art form to its very pinnacle.
Here, too, is an excerpt from Michelle Nicolle’s biography: Renowned for her ability to capture the very essence of a song and for her remarkable gift as an improviser, Nicolle has continuously refined and expanded her artistry alongside her quartet. Beyond releasing nine albums, the MNQuartet has toured extensively across Australia and internationally, gracing the stages of the Tokyo Jazz Festival, Jakjazz (Indonesia), Jarasum Jazz Festival (South Korea), as well as venues in Turkey, Estonia, Finland, the North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Asia Pacific Festival (Russia), Prague Jazz Festival (Czech Republic), Trinity Laban (London), and the JEN Conference (2017, 2020, 2023). She has also performed at the Frost School of Music (Miami), JazzVox (Seattle 2017, 2019, 2023), University of North Texas (2019), Oceanside Jazz Festival, Sidebar (New Orleans), G Spot, Kulak’s Woodshed (Los Angeles 2023), Classic Pianos (Portland, OR 2020), Jazz Lounge Live (San Diego 2023), The Blue Building (New York 2023), Jazz Dock Prague (Czech Republic 2024), and Jazz Potet Bergen (Norway 2024).
This album is, above all, a labor of love. Its accessibility is one of its greatest strengths—though technically intricate, it never overwhelms. Instead, it offers only the masterful interpretation of two extraordinary artists. If you wish to understand what a perfect duo sounds like, simply listen to this record. Michelle Nicolle’s approach is original, her interpretation singular, resembling no other. The entire album unfolds like a cinematic journey, with meticulously crafted soundscapes. And while only seasoned musicians may fully grasp the technical prowess at play, anyone can appreciate the sheer quality of this work.
I can only hope that this album, which I personally rank among the “Indispensables,” will receive the recognition it so richly deserves. Rarely has a duo captivated me to such an extent…
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, February 26th 2025
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