BIOGRAPHY
"It’s Nichols’ wonderful piano and keyboard skills that lend Nimbus Sextet a distinctive sound " - CLASH
Joe Nichols is one of the most innovative voices in the new wave of UK jazz. A highly respected and in-demand keyboardist, pianist, virtuoso harmonica player and composer, he is the bandleader for prominent UK jazz group Nimbus Sextet.
In 2019, Nichols signed Nimbus Sextet to the iconic Acid Jazz Records, propelling his music to international prominence. Nimbus Sextet's two albums on Acid Jazz - Dreams Fulfilled (2020) and Forward Thinker (2022) - and subsequent releases have gained universal acclaim from the likes of Jazz FM, RFI, All About Jazz, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 Music. With performances to sold out audiences at Europe’s top jazz venues & festivals including Ronnie Scott's, New Morning Paris, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and many more, Nichols has fast established himself as a major talent on the European jazz scene.
Joe is celebrated for his intuitive and distinctively episodic approach to songwriting. Each composition evolves to explore the different sides of his musical personality, seamlessly interweaving influences from across the jazz, world and dance music spectrum with outstanding melodies that transcend genre boundaries and appeal to wide audiences well beyond jazz. His piano playing has a deeply percussive feel that is unique, while displaying impeccable technique.
Nichols is also one of the UK's top harmonica players. He is known as a virtuoso soloist on the diatonic harmonica, captivating audiences with his dazzling skill and versatility across many styles. As part of an illustrious wider career, he has performed and recorded with the late British folk/soul legend Linda Lewis, The Lewis Sisters, Eric Clapton's nephew and leading blues guitarist Will Johns, Jamiroquai drummer Nick Van Gelder, Audio Strut and the Gilles Peterson championed folk-funk outfit The Paracosmos. His arranging credits include the Nuovi Fratelli Cosmic Disco Remix of STR4TA’s ‘Rhythm of Your Mind’, which was released on Brownswood Recordings in 2021. A core member of The Paracosmos, his collaboration with Linda Lewis on the band's 2023 single 'Earthling' led to features in The Guardian, The Independent and Gilles Peterson's BBC Radio 6 Music show, situating the group within her legacy and as ones to watch in their own right.
Joe Nichols is set to release his hotly anticipated third album with Nimbus Sextet in 2024, and take his electrifying music to audiences worldwide.
“Joe Nichols sets Nimbus Sextet firmly apart from their UK jazz peers. This is a band capable of diversely off kilter composition and sometimes, something more sublime” - UNCUT
"Leader Joe Nichols’ keyboards are clearly a strength, cutting against the groove and clearing space for more personal expression” - JAZZWISE