Andrew Nixon, Ed Croft, Joe Goretti: Outside Agitators

In winter 2021, seemingly out of nowhere, pianist and composer Andrew Nixon brought a ray of sunlight to those fortunate enough to happen upon his debut album, the self-produced In Congruence.  His trio, completed by bassist Ed Croft and drummer Joe Goretti, centred their activities on Buffalo.  

Three years down the line, much remains unchanged. An attractive vibe of non-metropolitan cottage industry continues to surround Nixon, his trio and its work. Like its predecessor, Outside Agitators is self-produced, and well so, with resonant sound and strong presence. What has evolved since 2021 is the standard of the trio’s performance and the quality of Nixon’s composing (as on the first album, all the tunes are Nixon originals).  The material is, as before, a well-balanced collection: a Thelonious Monk-like blues, a samba, a bossa nova, a brisk waltz, a couple of ballads, a Bill Evans-ian faux show tune. The music has a deceptive simplicity about it and reveals more of itself with repeated listening.