R&B Blues Positioned right at the forefront of Boston’s latest tidal wave of talent, 26 year old Nicole Nelson proves herself to be every bit as ground breaking as her many influences. She is deeply rooted in the blues, R&B, rock, and classic soul. Possessing a natural voice that caresses like honey and burns like a blaze, swooping from the most delicate whisper to an explosion of soulful passion. Nicole stands upon the shoulders of the all-time greats while forging her own way toward music history.Born in Brooklyn, NY into a very artistic family, Nelson was raised by an Irish & Norwegian American Father, and a Trinidadian born mother. Having grown up in the midst of one of the world’s richest cultural melting pots, Nelson, from a very early age, found herself to be deeply in love with the music, fine art, literature and poetry, which always surrounded her. This is an intoxicating combination on her debut CD for which a five song EP has just been released. She and guitarist Brad Faucher co-write nearly all of the songs on the CD and have proven themselves to be skilled at weaving the threads of the classics into a tapestry of style that is unmistakably fresh and new. Often compared to the likes of Gladys Knight, Eva Cassidy, Donny Hathaway & Jill Scott, it seems that Nicole’s style is well interpreted by both young and old, black and white and everyone in between. As familiar as your favorite song while being like nothing you’ve ever heard before. The mark of an artist that is sure to be around for a while.Nicole first took the stage in 1981 at the age of 3 at a church recital where she received her first of many standing ovations to come. Lured by the bright lights again in 1999, Nelson was in Boston auditioning for the Broadway musical "Rent" when she met Faucher at a blues jam. He was immediately taken by her voice, and began to introduce her to Boston's rich roots music scene. Nicole became a regular at many of the area’s open mike jams, and was being called upon to sit in with New England’s top performers such as Sweet Willie D, Rick Russell, Duke Robillard and Toni-Lynn Washington. Word of the young woman’s extraordinary talent spread like wildfire and soon the Nicole Nelson Band was formed.In the past year alone, the band has appeared on the covers of the Boston Herald, the Boston Phoenix, the Boston Metro, and Boston Blues Magazine, and has been featured in the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Improper Bostonian, the Berkshire Eagle, and many more. They have performed live on the air to rave reviews on 89.7 FM, WGBH's "Blues After Hours" with Mai Cramer, and 92.9FM, WBOS's "Blues on Sunday" with Holly Harris. Critically acclaimed from the start, they have received nominations for The 2002 Boston Music Award's "Outstanding New Blues Act", and the 2002 & 2004 Boston Phoenix/FNX Music Poll for "Best Blues/R&B Act", and were the 2001 winners of Boston's annual Battle of the Blues Bands at Harpers Ferry, by the largest margin in its 17-year history.The Nicole Nelson Band has recently performed at the prestigious Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and opened for Maya Angelou at Boston's Symphony Hall. Word of their upcoming CD has created an industry buzz that is getting louder by the minute. Such a bright blend of talent and dedication is rare indeed, and Nicole Nelson’s star is just

The PhoenixTed Drozdowski"Soulful" and "enriching" describe the singing of Nicole Nelson. So do "expressive" and flat-out "beautiful." At 25, she already has a voice for the ages, as the many fans who’ve made her one of New England’s most popular blues and traditional R&B artists know. Nelson arrived on the scene a little more than three years ago and broke through by winning Harpers Ferry’s Battle of the Blues Bands. Working with guitarist and co-songwriter Brad Faucher, she’s climbed through the pub circuit to headline major New England clubs like Johnny D’s, where she’ll celebrate the release of her first studio disc (following 2002’s self-released Nicole Nelson Band Live) on November 15."When Nicole played ‘Steppin’ Out’ last year, she’d lost her voice and had maybe a fifth of what she usually has," Faucher recounts. "That left her with a sort of Mavis Staples growl." Even without her soft, round tones and vibrant high end, Nelson and her crew knocked ’em out, so impressing Boston-based promoter Fred Taylor that he asked her to headline Scullers and play his Tanglewood Blues Festival this year. At Tanglewood in August, Nelson killed again. She sold 200 CDs after her set, something that’s almost unheard of for an unsigned artist.On her forthcoming self-released EP, which is called Nicole Nelson, she sounds like a natural. "The Other Side of the Tracks" has the command of classic Memphis soul woman Ann Peebles; "Just Let Me Go" echoes the Philly sound of the ’70s with its elegant vocal phrasing, its horn-and-percussion arrangements, and Faucher’s layers of acoustic and effected guitar. And when she swings, she swings hard, sidestepping cliché’d 12-bar structures and shuffles to create her own sound.But singing like a versatile R&B diva was a leap for Nelson, who met Faucher after she came to Boston to audition for the Broadway musical Rent. "Blues is a great way for me to make music that’s real — not corny, shallow pop stuff, which my avenues were pointing toward before I met Brad," she explains. "Ashanti and people like that are nowhere near where I want to be as an artist. My ultimate female vocalists are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Whitney Houston — the people I wanted to sound like when I was a little girl. I used to think of blues the way that Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday sang it. Then I heard Big Mabel sing, and she’s just wailin’ — ‘Baby, baby, baby!’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ ""When we began working together, Nicole would sing this nasty blues tune, and it was the most beautiful sound I’d heard," Faucher says. "I said, ‘Well, it sounds perfect, but I don’t know how down in the alley it is.’ "Getting down in the alley may be what gets Nelson and Faucher to the top. Although they’ve been offered a deal by one of the country’s top blues labels, they’ve steered their own course, and that’s allowed them to define their sound and approach. As they prepare for "Steppin’ Out" and the Johnny D’s EP-release gig, they’re also recording a full-length album. If luck tumbles toward Nelson’s talent, her next breakout may be national.

The Berkshire EagleSeth RogovoyAretha, move over, Nicole is hereTwenty-four-year-old vocal phenom Nicole Nelson was clearly the audience favorite at the anglewood Jazz Festival’s mini-blues festival on Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend. Performing a 45-minute set of originals and R&B and soul standards with her six-piece band, Nelson was a knockout, bringing to the stage the fiery energy of Tina Turner, the soul/gospel chops of Aretha Franklin, and the jazzy instincts of Etta James. The Boston-based singer claims Roberta Flack as her greatest influence, and Nelson has been cleaning up lately at the Boston Music Awards and in the Boston Phoenix’s readers poll. Clearly a singer to catch on her way up, Nelson performs at Club Helsinki (413-528-3394) in Great Barrington on Saturday night at 9.

Boston Blues MagazineJ PlaceBoston's riveting rhythm and blues star, Nicole Nelson, belts out a jumpin' blues, then softly sings a serenade with such a seductive voice that her audience becomes spellbound. Her singing is mesmerizing as she slowly builds up her song. Each phrase is caressed with a god-given strength that grabs a hold, and won't let go! On the rise to becoming one of New England's finest musical talents, together with a solid band of seasoned musicians, Nicole will soon be competing in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, after winning by the the largest margin ever, the 2001 "17th Annual Battle of the Boston Blues Bands" in July. The Nicole Nelson band was a last minute entry, suggested to Harper's Ferry owner, Charlie Abel, by Mary Mena.  New to Boston, Nicole recently started her professional pursuit of being a singer when she traveled to Tremont Street to audition for the musical, "Rent," back in 1999 at age 21. Though she was acting on a whim, and was unprepared, she got a call back for the lead role!  A close friend of Nicole's encouraged her to check out the Boston Blues scene while in town. She brought her to a Haverhill blues club to check out a blues show where a friend was playing. Too shy to perform initially, Nicole met Brad Faucher, guitarist and bandleader of Sweet Willie D and the Continental Walk, and he persistently called her up during the following week, persuading the modest singer to come back and sit in at the open jam.  Nicole became fascinated by Brad's blues world, turning on to the magic of the blues tapes that he made for her. Soon she had a regular weekly gig which was her rite of passage into the club scene. As she tells it, there were about 6 patrons at the bar - three in a fight, one throwing up, another passed out, and maybe one person actually listening to her show. Realizing that she could only move forward from such an illustrious start, Nicole committed herself to her music. It was inevitable that her lifelong desire be realized and fulfilled in singing the blues.  Growing up in a musical household, Nicole sang at church, family, and local gatherings, as well as doing some theatre work in high school and college. Her mom was into a lot of the early seventies soul, such as Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Smokey Robinson, and other classic R&B singers of the time. Her dad was into jazz in a big way - the bebop style, as well as the blue jazz of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, crossing over to the jazzy rhythm and blues of Ruth Brown, and bad-ass blues of Etta James, the extraordinary vocals of Aretha Franklin, and, of course, the marvelous music of New Orleans reigning soul queen - Irma Thomas.  Now, at age 23, Nicole has reached a turning point. With the help of her "partner in crime," Brad Faucher, Nicole has been able to hone her skills as a musician, performer, and promoter, propelling The Nicole Nelson Band into the limelight as one of New England's hottest R&B acts headed for international stardom. Since winning the blues competition in July, opportunities have started knocking steadily on Nicole's door. She has been approached by some big guns in "the industry", including one of the key figures responsible for making a star out of Whitney Houston! Nicole held out on his offer to make major connections for her as a pop star performer. Her feeling was that such a career move was not a part of her big picture.  Nicole and Brad have been doing some song writing together, and are recording an album at Milt Reder's Rear Window Studio. Some of the material includes songs from Ruth Brown, Muddy Waters and two originals - "Part of Me," a groovy soul song with a Motown vibe, and "Hold On," which has a funky feel and a slinky bass line ala James Jamerson. Nicole is also recording a pared down, gospel flavored number with just piano and vocal. HBO's syndicated TV show, "Sex In The City," has asked Nicole to sing an R&B track for a future episode. In addition to these recordings, the band has begun to compile live recordings for a future live CD.  Nicole's web site at www.nicolenelsonband.com is always kept updated, so fans can keep up with her blossoming career. As for the future, the possibilities are endless. Twenty years from now, Nicole muses that she looks forward to performing with a core group of fellow musicians who are "on the same page." A tight, communal group of friends who are committed to making the music they love for appreciative audiences around the world. "Being comfortable in your own skin, and being proud of what you're doing, comes across more than pure talent." - Nicole Nelson!