Nigel Price needs no introduction as one of the leading guitarists in the UK, although it must be said that he is probably looking over his shoulder and keeping a close eye on his co-conspirator on this recording, Alban Claret.
With a reputation as one of the most hardworking and busiest musicians in the business one thing that can always be guaranteed with Nigel is inventive and swinging jazz, and with Alban, he has found a fellow guitarist with whom he can communicate with a high level of intuition and freedom.
Unusual to find a quartet with a two-guitar front line, but with Entente Cordiale we are presented with just that, in an excellent album that takes us on a journey that features some of the great jazz composers of the 20th Century (Sam Jones, Horace Silver, Woody Shaw, Frank Foster, Charles Mingus, Emily Remler, Bill Evans, Jerome Kern & Johnny Mercer, Kurt Weill & Ira Gershwin, Clare Fischer).
Some of the compositions are old friends while others may be less familiar, but all are handled with an authenticity and originality that ensures that the integrity of the composer is uppermost while the quartet is able to breathe life into the music in way that allows for some fiery and lyrical solos from both guitarists, superbly and sympathetically accompanied by bassist Mikele Montolli and Matt Fishwick on drums.
