Nigel Clark, the stunning Jazz guitarist from the misty highlands of Scotland performs live in this full-length concert DVD. Clark’s acoustic, nylon-stringed guitar constructs a distinctive amalgamation of Gypsy, Jazz, and Latin music, resulting in a sound, deeply planted in traditional Jazz roots, that bridges the gap between Straight Ahead Acoustic and Contemporary Jazz in a way that both gratifies and surprises the audiences of both genres.
Delighting audiences around the globe with his fiery yet fluid guitar sound, the Scottish native has cemented his stellar musical reputation working with the biggest names in Jazz and pop; from Madonna, U2, and Carol Kidd to Ron Carter and Tito Puente. Blended with the silky sound of the nylon strings and spiced with tinges of Flamenco, Brazilian, Indian and other World Music, Clark creates a new hybrid in the jazz melting-pot. The result is a truly contemporary conception.
Now, live from Glasgow, Arkadia DVD is proud to presents the distinct sound of Nigel Clark’s Jazz Guitar, with Ewen Vernal on bass and Mike Bradley on Drums, in this exclusive concert performance on DVD (Complete with the extended live CD version), intertwined with commentary, interviews and stories from Clark himself. Nigel’s career has seen the stadium heights of pop stardom and the rewards of intimate Jazz venues. For this live performance on DVD, entitled “Nigel Clark in Concert: Live from Scotland”, Nigel has chosen the latter, preferring the quiet candle flame of this intimate performance over the roar of Bic lighters. The reasons are purely artistic, and hearing is believing.
DVD Song Selections:
- East of the Sun
- Grand Hotel Europa
- Once I Loved
- Impressions
- Revelations
- In Another Moment
- Sakura Samba
CD Song Selections:
- Impressions
- Grand Hotel Europa
- Once I Loved
- East of the Sun
- In Another Moment
- Revelations
- Sakura Samba
- How Deep is the Ocean
- Samba Pa Ti
All Songs Performed By:
Nigel Clark: Guitar
Ewen Vernal: Bass
Mike Bradley: Drums
DVD Bonus Features:
- Bonus Music Tracks
- Bonus Concert Performance
- Nigel Clark Biography
- Scenes of Scotland Video Clip
- Instant Access Songs and Solos
- Digital Dolby Stereo Audio
- Digitally Mastered Audio and Video
- DVD Recommendations
About Nigel Clark:
Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1957, Nigel was drawn to the guitar in the early 70s, along with the rest of his generation. Influenced by the rock music of the day, Nigel was also exposed to the gypsy genius Django Reinhardt, who made a big impression. His natural talent was honed on many tours through the highlands, the UK, France, Holland, Germany and others, playing fusion, Celtic Rock and with Gaelic singers.
In 1987, Nigel joined the jazz/pop band Hue and Cry, opening for such arena rock artists U2, Madonna and Simply Red. The band also employed some of the biggest names in jazz on their recordings–Ron Carter, John Scofield, Tito Puente, Michael and Randy Brecker, to name a few. Treading the line between pop and jazz, the band occupied an artistic triumph that is rarely reached: crossing over. Nigel’s visibility in the pop world led to high profile collaborations with Maire Brennan (the singer with Clannad and older sister of Enya), singer-songwriter Carol Laula, and started a lasting musical connection with legendary Scottish vocalist Carol Kidd.
In the 90’s, Nigel performed with Carla Bley and Steve Swallow at the Glasgow International Jazz Festival, appeared with Jan Akkerman and Spanish guitarist Ximo Tebar at the North Sea Jazz Festival, and in Cannes, performed with Akkerman and Norwegian Terje Rypdal, and with a big band that featured 11 guitarists! The decade also marked adoption of the nylon string guitar as his primary instrument. The Spanish guitar engaged Nigel’s imagination, and set forth a multitude of artistic possibilities for the instrument, which ranged from the Brazilian style to the gypsy tinged sounds that were laid early in Nigel’s mind through the influence of Django Reinhardt.
The 11 guitar spectacle in Cannes was witnessed by Arkadia CEO Bob Karcy, who was immediately struck by Nigel’s deft playing. Karcy remembers “Nigel’s fluid, improvised lines and note selections were so natural? I was very impressed, and he stood out from all the other guitarists.” Over the next several years, the two kept in contact, ultimately leading to an exclusive recording contract with Arkadia Records.
So far, Nigel has recorded two highly acclaimed albums for Arkadia Records. The first was “Grand Hotel Europa”, followed by “Nigel Clark in Concert: Live from Scotland”, which is available as a set with both a DVD and CD.