Keith Nichols is considered to be one of the foremost authorities on Classic Jazz and Ragtime, specialising in all older jazz piano styles, including Scott Joplin, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Duke Ellington.
Born in 1945, Keith took his first
music lessons at five, both on piano and accordion, becoming Great Britain
Junior Champion on that instrument in 1960. After graduating from
the Guildhall School of Music, he turned professional, and toured for seven
years with the jazz comedy band "Levity Lancers" in which he played
piano, trombone and tuba. From the early seventies, he has given
regular Ragtime concerts at London's South Bank, both as soloist and with small
groups. He first visited the U.S.A. in 1978, as a member of Richard
Sudhalter's New Paul Whiteman Orchestra, appearing in Philadelphia and New
York's Carnegie Hall.
In 1977, he formed the Midnite Follies Orchestra with arranger Alan Cohen and
has written many arrangements and transcriptions in the 20's and 30's style,
notably for the New York Jazz Repertory Company, the Smithsonian Institute
Masterworks series and the Pasadena Roof Orchestra.
In 1990, he was invited by musical director Bob Wilber to play the piano part of
Hoagy Carmichael on the soundtrack of the feature film "Bix" recorded
in Rome.
Keith Nichols continues to perform and record prolifically, as well as lecturing
on Jazz History at the Royal Academy and Trinity Colleges.
Latest tours include France, USA, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Egypt.
In 2004, Keith received the BBC Jazz Heritage Award.
In 2006, at The Sage, Newcastle, Keith directed a re-creation of the 1924 Paul
Whiteman "Experiment in Modern Music" concert, which included a
performance of "Rhapsody in Blue" with the original instrumentation.
This is Keith Nichols second visit to the Ayr Jazz Festival.
Keith joins Norman Field for Jazz Dining on Friday at The Old Racecourse Hotel - with his Hot Four on Saturday evening (Elms Court) and with the Swing Kings on Sunday afternoon (Station Hotel).