Episode 16. Nigel Price (Guitar) - 'All The Things You Are'

In this episode Geoff catches up with the award-winning jazz guitarist Nigel Price.

Nigel’s remarkable journey from infantry service to jazz mastery provides a fascinating window into the development of a truly unique musical voice.

Nigel reveals how his three years in the army unexpectedly prepared him for life as a bandleader—discovering parallels between commanding a four-man military section and leading a jazz quartet. This disciplined approach extended to his practice regime, where he spent "three hours a day for seven years" developing his voice-leading technique within systematically organised fret positions.

Rather than simply copying jazz legends, Nigel focused on understanding harmonic foundations to create his own language. "I'd sort of hear something and work it out and then try and twist it around and try and make it my own," he explains. This philosophy was reinforced by mentor Jim Mullen's advice
that “…it’s far more interesting when someone's worked it out for themselves."

The conversation delves into Nigel’s ingenious "jazz wheel" practice method, his custom-designed Fibonacci guitar, and his approach to composition. We're treated to stunning demonstrations of his technique, including a masterclass in playing the challenging 1930s Hammerstein/Kern standard ‘All the Things You Are’ (accompanied by the steadfast Quartet app of course) while restricted to just five frets!

Between technical insights, Nigel shares candid stories about struggling with sight-reading ("a guitarist’s disease"), weeping on stage after selling out Ronnie Scott's, and watching Jaws 47 times!

Whether you're a jazz guitarist seeking practice inspiration or simply fascinated by the creative process, Nigel’s methodical yet deeply musical approach offers valuable lessons about finding your unique voice through disciplined exploration. Ready to revolutionise your practice routine? Listen now and discover how military precision transformed one guitarist's musical journey.

Presenter: Geoff Gascoyne
Series Producer: Paul Sissons
Production Manager: Martin Sissons
The Quartet Jazz Standards Podcast is a UK Music Apps production.

Geoff Gascoyne chats to big-name (and upcoming) jazz soloists as they pick and play their favourite jazz standards and talk about their jazz lives. 

A mix of candid discussion, technical insights and spontaneous improvisation, this weekly podcast is a must-listen for everyone that loves jazz. 

Geoff is a renowned jazz bass player and prolific composer and producer with credits on over 100 albums and a book of contacts to die for! He is also executive producer of the best-selling Quartet jazz standards play-along app series for iOS. 

• No. of episodes: 20
• Latest episode: 2025-07-17
• Education Music Self-Improvement Music Interviews

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