Ladies & gentlemen – get ready for something truly special: Scotland’s best jazz musicians meet one of the best and most influential bands from Scotland! The Colin Steele Quartet play the music of The Blue Nile, undisputed masters of Sophisti-Pop. Especially their second album Hats (1989) is regarded as an all-time classic masterpiece – elected by Q magazine at No. 2 of that decade’s Top 100 albums. The beautiful and atmospheric, often synthdriven songs of The Blue Nile get the deluxe jazz treatment in exciting new arrangements. Alltime classics like Easter Parade, Heatwave and Let’s Go Out Tonight shine in bright new shades and colours, and get transformed into something unique by Colin Steele’s very own trumpet style.
The album perfectly captures and even enhances the late-night moods and aural landscapes of The Blue Nile’s music, while also adding some unexpected, and, yes, even slightly funky turns to songs like Body & Soul and Headlights On The Parade. Colin Steele’s smooth and emotive trumpet caresses and lifts these beautiful songs to new heights. Colin Steele: “I am a massive fan of The Blue Nile. I love the melodies of their songs, but I also particularly love the overall atmosphere they create.
Paul Buchanan’s vocals are beautiful and intimate, his singing actually reminds me of Miles Davis’ trumpet playing. Understated and cool, but every nuance filled with beauty and so much emotion”. This album completes a trilogy of songbook albums by the Colin Steele Quartet which started with Diving For Pearls (MA 82, 2017), a dive into the music of The Pearlfishers, and continued with Joni (MA 89, 2020), their take on the songs of Joni Mitchell. Colin Steele from Edinburgh, one of UK’s leading jazz trumpet players, is accompanied by the same top-notch musicians as before: Calum Gourlay on double bass, Alyn Cosker on drums and pianist Dave Milligan who also arranged the album brilliantly.
Like many great jazz albums, The Blue Nile was recorded in just one day – on July 16, 2024. Quite the opposite to the approach of The Blue Nile who only managed to record four albums in over 20 years. The session took place at the same studio where all classic Blue Nile albums were recorded: At Scotland’s famous Castlesound Studios. Masterfully and intimately engineered by Stuart Hamilton.
You actually feel like as you are in the same room as the musicians! The Blue Nile already received the blessing of Paul Buchanan, singer and songwriter of The Blue Nile. The album also features Mid Air - the title track of Paul’s fabulous solo outing (2012). Taylor Swift opened her song Guilty As Sin? (2024) with the lyrics “Drowning in The Blue Nile, he sent me ‘Downtown Lights’.” Now, please listen to Colin’s fantastic jazz version of The Downtown Lights, Taylor! The album will see its live premiere at the Glasgow Jazz Festival on June 20, 2025.
01. Easter Parade
02. Heatwave
03. Family Life
04. Body And Soul
05. Mid Air
06. Headlights On The Parade
07. Because Of Toledo
08. The Downtown Lights
09. Let’s Go Out Tonight
10. Happiness
