Clovis Nicolas

Clovis Nicolas, a French jazz bassist based in New York City, stays active as a performer whose approach remains rooted in post-bop and modern jazz traditions. Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, he spent his childhood in Provence, France, and later sharpened his abilities at the Conservatory of Music in Marseilles. After finishing his studies there he moved to Paris, where he soon became a sought-after sideman for Brad Mehldau, Stefano Di Battista, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and others while also appearing on albums by Stephane Belmondo and Baptiste Trotignon. The Lavoisier Scholarship awarded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2003 brought him to New York City, where he completed both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Juilliard School under bassists Ron Carter and Ben Wolfe plus composer Kendall Briggs. Once settled in New York he performed regularly with Branford Marsalis, Peter Bernstein, Jane Monheit, Dan Nimmer, and additional leading artists. His first album as leader, Nine Stories, came out on Sunnyside in 2014. In 2018 he issued the follow-up Freedom Suite Ensuite, which included saxophonist Grant Stewart, drummer Kenny Washington, and trumpeters Brandon Lee and Bruce Harris.