Nils – Ready To Play
Ready To Play is the guitarist’s highly anticipated follow-up to his #1 smooth
jazz 2005 debut Pacific Coast Highway from Baja/TSR. Hitting #1 on the Radio &
Records airplay chart, Pacific Coast Highway was the summer sensation staying #1
for seven weeks. The follow-up single, “Summer Nights”, remained in the
Top 5 for six months and became his 2nd #1 hit.
With the success of Pacific Coast Highway, Nils and his band performed at
numerous prominent jazz festivals. According to Nils, “The most important thing
I learned from the success of Pacific Coast Highway was everyone likes a good
groove and you’ve got to make them move. And of course, there’s no substitute
for a good song with a great melody. If I come up with a strong hook and it
starts getting to me, I know I’m on the right track. The most important thing
was to make sure Ready To Play featured my be writing and playing from start to
finish. I love the fact that it incorporated my favorite styles. One of the
main reasons I got into jazz was because I loved playing jazz guitar. My pop
sensibilities are there in the songwriting, and my R&B background is the force
behind all the grooves. All of those elements play a part in making this even a
better album than Pacific Coast Highway.”
Track Listing
~ Ready To Play
~ Just Smile
~ Catnap
~ Midnight Breeze
~ Sunrise On Sunset
~ You Gotta Be
~ Dreamin’
~ My Girl
~ Hi Five
~ Only You
~ Hurry Up & Wait
~ Last Night
The title track single “Ready To Play” is an infectious funk, percussive and
excellent introduction to the album. Other key tracks include the sensual
midtempo number “Just Smile”, the dreamy, electronic “Catnap”, the soul-inflected
funk of “Sunrise On Sunset” and the hard grooving, “Hi Five.”
Special mention must be made to the members of his current touring
band: bassist Alex Al, keyboardist Leon Bisquera, drummer Donnell Spencer, Jr.,
synth player and singer Clydene Jackson and percussionist Oliver Brown. Also on
call sidemen include bassists Roberto Valley, Dwayne “Smitty’ Smith and Reggie
McBride plus keyboradist Larry Dunn. Carmen Twillie, who sang lead vocals on
the classic Circle of Life in the film The Lion King, provides background vocals
on Nils’ jazz/gospel-flavored “My Girl”.
Ready To Play successfully proves that Nils is a talent to be recognized with..
Nils plans to be on the road and will prove to you that he is indeed, Ready To Play!
Ian Cooke
The Urban Music Scene
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