TBC introduces… Nick Costley-White

Can you tell us a bit about yourself - where did you grow up, and how did you first get into jazz? 

I grew up in South London and started making music from a young age as the child of a piano teacher and classical singer! I did a lot of singing in choirs and played the cello, but it wasn't until my rebellious teenage years that I took up the guitar, playing Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix.

I got into jazz while attending a Guildhall Summer School - getting to hear and study with some of the greats like Jean Toussaint and Brian Abrahams was hugely formative. 

What sort of stuff did you grow up listening to?

I was a child of the 90s, so I listened to a lot of grunge, metal, and rock 'n' roll, which eventually got me interested in playing blues music. It was just a few stepping stones to get from there to jazz.

My mum (having also attended the Guildhall Summer Schools as a pianist) had been recommended three jazz piano albums: Bill Evans' Portrait in Jazz, Oscar Peterson's Night Train, and Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage. These are still three of my favourite albums, particularly Maiden Voyage, which has been a huge influence on my playing and writing style. 

Who are your main influences now? 

Miles Davis' music is really important to me, and I keep diving deeper into those recordings - I think it's as good as it gets! As far as more contemporary jazz, I love Steve Lehman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ivo Neame, and ENEMY. 

Can you give us a heads up on an album or artist you love that we might not have come across and should check out?

I listened a lot to an album called Noche De La Rhumba by a Cuban group called Clave y Guagaunco whilst writing this album. It's entirely percussion and vocals, and has some incredible rhythms and melodies that were a big influence on my writing.

I like to take influence from music which is entirely out of the contemporary jazz sphere, so that when I bring it together with my own knowledge in that style, it produces something new. 

You have played in a whole range of projects - who have you most enjoyed playing with?

Outside of my own groups, I play regularly with saxophonist Alec Harper's quartet. We have a weekly gig in London where we play alongside Ferg Ireland and Will Cleasby, diving deep into the repertoire of the great jazz composers such as Cedar Walton, Joe Henderson, and Roy Hargrove, to name a few. We're hoping to take this band on the road next year!

How does playing as a member of someone else’s band compare to the buzz of playing your own music as the leader of your quartet?

I love working as a sideman, but there's something very fulfilling about taking the risk to bring four people together to play all of my own music. A lot of the time I really don't know if it will sound any good until we play it! And when it comes together and we play a really great gig, it's immensely satisfying.

We can always bank on a Gershwin, Cole Porter, or Jerome Kern tune being fantastic and fun to play, but I like the risk and high stakes of trying to do something entirely new and personal. With these bandmates collaborating on the music, it makes it all the more exciting, as the songs often go in directions I could not have imagined. 

You will be playing with a stellar lineup - can you tell us who’s in the band, and how long you have been playing together?

I was really excited to put this lineup together for a one-off gig in London about three years ago. We then didn't get a chance to play together again until we went into the studio last year to record this album, and now I have the great opportunity to really deepen these musical relationships by touring that music this year.

For that initial gig, I thought about who would be my dream team quartet, and I was amazed when they were all available and up for the gig! Julian Siegel on sax is a real inspiration of mine, both with his quartet and the band Partisans, which he co-led with my old guitar teacher Phil Robson.

Since I started playing on the UK jazz scene, James Maddren has been the most sought-after drummer, always playing with the most cutting-edge groups and first call for any international soloists. It's amazing to have him in my band alongside Conor Chaplin on bass, whom I've been working with for over ten years now. Conor is a remarkable player and one of the quickest musical minds out there!

What can we expect from your show at The Bear?

As well as material from Poncha, we'll be performing some as yet unreleased music which we recorded last year, as well as some new compositions I wrote especially for these gigs. 

Nick joins us with his quartet on Saturday 21 June 2025