Big Nick is a playful jazz composition by John Coltrane that blends a Poulenc connection with Coltrane’s own witty, bouncing melody. The tune derives from Poulenc’s Impromptu No. 3, with Coltrane keeping the opening eight notes in the same key before he writes a new, clever refrain. It was recorded with Coltrane’s quartet in April 1962 and first released around July 1964 on The Definitive Jazz Scene Volume 1; Coltrane also recorded a separate version with Duke Ellington in September 1962, released in January 1963. The piece is dedicated to tenor saxophonist Big Nick Nicholas, a Hawkins protégé with an interest in modern classical music; Nicholas later recorded a version in 1985 that mirrors Coltrane’s solo, suggesting a mutual musical dialogue. The tune is noted for its sprightly mood and humor, and has been covered by Tony Williams Lifetime among others.
