Modern blues rock titan and Gibson ambassador Jared James Nichols is one of the most impressive guitarists in the scene today, with his distinctive, hard-charging playing style and soaring vocals constituting the nucleus of his scorching musical approach. Having developed a taste for music at an early age, the Wisconsin-born rocker began playing guitar and performing live in his teen years, developing an early reputation as a promising player. And it would not take long for him to become a household name, with his debut album Old Glory & The Wild Revival (2015) and its follow-up Black Magic (2018) being received with wide acclaim. Gearing up toward the next steps in his already remarkable career, Nichols is now releasing his third studio album: Jared James Nichols.
With his second Origin release, Jared Hall directs his attention to the influences that first kindled and then nourished and sustained his life path as a trumpeter/composer. Thoughts of Woody Shaw, Tom Harrell, Wallace Roney and others provided the inspiration for the eight original compositions, along with Gigi Gryce's "Minority," while their adventurous spirits, technical brilliance and commitment to a voice infuse the performances by Hall's quartet. Miami-based, Grammy-winning pianist Tal Cohen's exhilarating interplay along with the dynamic lift from Seattle's Michael Glynn on bass and drummer John Bishop launches "Song for Shaw" with a '70's momentum. They deliver an expansive warmth on "Dear Roy" for Hall to reflect on Roy Hargrove within, and the tribute to his main mentor Brian Lynch, "Professor B.L.," is imbued with a Latin-tinged fire.