Hubert Nuss is known as a consummate artist, having recorded over 50 albums with the likes of Till Brönner, Charlie Mariano, and Chris Walden. Standards is the fifth album under his own name, all trio CDs with bassist John Goldsbyand drummer John Riley. The three first met in Cologne. Nuss remembers that Riley »told me after a jam session, ’let’s do something together.’« They’ve been »doing something together« since 1997. Audio Magazine called the trio’s first PIROUET CD Feed The Birds »An invitation to a dream-like voyage into a Utopian world«; All About Jazz depicted their PIROUET CD The Book of Colours as »…explorations of nuance, subtlety, and refined, delicate beauty undertaken by the pianist and his trio-mates«, and C. Michael Bailey called it »great and moody stuff«. Nuss reflects about his music, »I’m looking for depth and beauty.« On this, his third PIROUET CD, Nuss has found what he was looking for.
Hubert Nuss has stayed with the same musicians »…because they can play! Goldsby’s name reflects his playing—pure gold. He’s got the sound, the ears, the time, and he knows harmony! He makes gold out of everything I play. The same with John Riley.« Goldsby’s playing credits include John Hicks, Michael Brecker, and John Lewis, while Riley has played and recorded with such diverse jazz greats as Woody Herman and Kenny Werner, and has won Grammys with Bob Mintzer as well as the legendary Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. All three players have spent time with Cologne’s prestigious WDR Big Band.
Nuss points out that when he records, his objective is not to sell a product, promote a tour, or document a specific period. That being said, »I really love records. I try to make a record like a picture, a painting, a book or a story I can go back to.« Influenced by Messiaen and Tournemire as well as Bach, Beethoven, Bruckner, Ellington and Coltrane, Nuss seeks to »…to incorporate these visionary, almost mystic colors in my jazz playing.«
