Nick Maclean

Based in Toronto Nick Maclean is the winner of 6 'Gold' Global Music Awards as well as a Toronto Independent Music Award, and has quickly become one of the most in demand 20-something piano players in that city’s bustling jazz scene. Nick leads two critically acclaimed ensembles, the funkified electric jazz group SNAGGLE and the hard-swinging modern jazz group NICK MACLEAN QUARTET. Both groups have released multi-award winning albums and with them Nick has toured right across Canada as well as internationally, performing for countless audiences as well as running jazz improvisation workshops for students and listeners eager to learn more about the artform. From Miles Davis & Herbie Hancock to Weather Report & Snarky Puppy, Maclean’s musical influences are diverse.

Maclean leads the hard-swinging NYC-style jazz ensemble the NICK MACLEAN QUARTET. Formed in 2016, Maclean’s foursome delivers jazz between the two poles of thoughtful introspection and powerhouse conveyance, taking influences from Herbie Hancock’s primordial 1960’s Blue Note era recordings, while paying tribute to some of the greatest improvisers in jazz history. The group released their debut album RITES OF ASCENSION in November 2017 which was featured as one of the Global Music Award's 'Top 5 Albums of Spring 2018', was nominated for CJSF's 'Julian Award of Excellence' and won a 'Gold' Global Music Award in the 'Jazz' category. The group recently returned from extensive touring across Canada and the United Kingdom.

Maclean also leads the multi award-winning, groove-based, electric jazz project SNAGGLE, a group with a fearlessly muscular yet introspective sound likened to a cross between 'electric-era Miles Davis' and 'Rage Against The Machine'. SNAGGLE's uniquely brash and infectious brand of jazz-funk is a melodically driven sound which incorporates primal groove qualities more commonly associated with pop and rock, swinging their live show from quietly contemplative all the way to explosively fierce - sometimes all within the same tune. Their latest release THE LONG SLOG was awarded a 'Gold' Global Music Award, a Toronto Independent Music Award and a nomination in the international Independent Music Awards for 'Best jazz/funk/fusion Album of the Year'.

Maclean, who's groups have frequently been lauded for the strength of their collective improvisatory vision, also leads a SOLO PIANO project which continues in that unconstrained spirit of spontaneous and courageous personal exploration in order to perform rich and prismatic interpretations of originals, standards, and other contemplations, all delivered in the moment. Started in 2019 Maclean's solo piano work delves into a reflective and soul-searching realm of expression, taking influences from jazz piano legends like Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Brad Mehldau, as well as that of his two divergent ensembles. His debut - double disc - release "CAN YOU HEAR ME?" was released on October 31st, 2021 on Browntasauras Records and features his most personal and intimate recordings to date.

Nick received his Bachelors of Music from Humber College in 2013, having studied with David Restivo, Bernie Senensky and Nancy Walker. He then went on to do a Masters in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto researching synthesizer pedagogy while studying under David Occhipinti, Andrew Downing, Chris Donnelly and David Braid. Braid in particular had an enormous influence on how Maclean approaches playing and composing.

Considered a protege of "Canada's pre-eminent jazz trumpet player" (NYC Village Voice) the highly decorated BROWNMAN ALI (GURU, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Quincy Jones), Nick has studied and performed extensively with the internationally acclaimed jazz-trumpet iconoclast and features him in both of his ensembles. Maclean and Brownman have become collaborative partners across numerous musical endeavours, most recently in Maclean's 2021 solo piano release "CAN YOU HEAR ME?" for which the pair served as a dynamic artist/producer duo. Maclean is signed to Brownman's NYC-based jazz record label BROWNTASAURAS RECORDS, an independent record label widely regarded as a vanguard for Canadian, forward-thinking jazz, and where Maclean works as a label manager out of their Toronto offices. The future is bright for this young visionary as he continues his upward ascent in jazz artforms of all shapes and sizes.

Awards

— 2018 Global Music Award winner: 3 Gold Medals in the 'jazz', 'album', & 'instrumental' categories — 2018 Global Music Awards "Top 5 Albums of Spring 2018" (w NICK MACLEAN QUARTET) — 2018 International Independent Music Award nominee - "Jazz/Funk/Fusion Album of the Year" (w SNAGGLE) — 2018 Jazz Weekly's "Ringer Of The Week" (Feb) (w NICK MACLEAN QUARTET) — 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award for "Best Jazz Instrumental" (w SNAGGLE) — 2016 Global Music Award winner: 3 Gold Medals in the 'band', 'album', and 'creativity' categories (w SNAGGLE) — 2016 "The Long Slog" receives a 4-star rating at AllAboutJazz.com (w SNAGGLE) — 2016 "Snaggle #7" becomes AllAboutJazz.com's 'download of the day' (Nov 2016) (w SNAGGLE) — 2016 "The Long Slog" hits No.1 on the jazz charts in Kamloops, BC, CANADA (Nov 2016)