Now in his eighties, Canadian jazz clarinet icon Phil Nimmons says: « I don’t do nostalgia. » The acclaimed clarinet jazz soloist, bandleader (Nimmons ‘n Nine), composer and educator now prefers to share the challenge of live improvisation with an audience. Nevertheless, the Festival of the Sound’s artistic director James Campbell did persuade Phil Nimmons to celebrate seven decades of work as both performer and composer a few weeks after his 85th birthday. With an all-star cast of jazz and classical musicians, Phil recorded eight of his compositions, and finished off with a brilliant improvisation with his younger co-pilot, the brilliant Toronto pianist David Braid.

« Making this CD was clarinet heaven! » says Jim Campbell. « Phil gives off a generosity of spirit that easily transcends all forms of music and applies as much to Mozart as to the in-the-moment improvisations he so much enjoys. »

1. Think Nice Thoughts

2. Islands

3. Friendly Encounter

4. PS42JS

5. Liëse

6. Images Entre Nous

7. Who Walks

8. Duologue

9. Prelude of Sound