Maggie Nicols

• DOUBLE CD DIGIPACK SET

A renowned improvisor of over half a century on the circuit, Nicols brings an extensive legacy of work spanning recordings with Julie Tippets, Phil Minton and Robert Wyatt (in Keith Tippett’s 50-piece Centipede), to many years as an ardent feminist, and work for TV and stage, to her definitive first solo recordings.

‘Are You Ready?’ is a perfectly open-ended, rhetorical question of an album that binds the strands of her music into a persistently surprising and immersive listen. At 100 minutes long (the vinyl edition is shorter) - practically feature-length - it’s also unusually for a solo vocalist recording, recalling on some levels the dramatic depths of Scott Walker’s latter recordings, or the impressionist modal jazz piano backdrops to Emahoy Tsegué-Mariam Guèbru, and the freely associated folk styles of Ghédalia Tazartès.

Taking the opportunity of recording at a shuttered Cafe Oto during lockdown, Nicols really got down to what makes her tick on this record, forging an ideal - if a long time-coming - introduction to her most personalised, enchanting soundworld.

Recorded at Cafe OTO on July 15th, 16th and 17th 2021

TRACKS:

• CD ONE: “Songs”
• 01. Slow Within The Urgency
• 02. Donnie and Zouïna
• 03. Are You Ready / Sans Papiers
• 04. You Darknes
• 05. Steady Eddie and The Firefly
• 06. Like The Lotus
• 07. Music Is The Healing Force of The Universe

• CD TWO: “Whatever Arises”
• 01. Part 1 - 5:59
• 02. Part 2 - 1:58
• 03. Part 3 - 3:18
• 04. Part 4 - 3:43
• 05. Part 5 - 6:55
• 06. Part 6 - 4:40
• 07.Part 7 - 3:16
• 08. Prelude - 9:36