EPk
/// Electronic Press Knowledge ///
Greetings …
Nicholas Krolak here … if you are reading this, it means that you are a music industry insider that is interested in my music in one way or another.
Perhaps you want me to perform at your venue, or music festival …
Perhaps you want to feature my music in a film/TV score ...
Perhaps you are going to write a super insightful article/review about my music …
Whatever your reason, I’m glad you are here. Allow me to show you around !
This first video is from a concert I did recently for a Philly TV station :)
As I said before, my name is Nicholas Krolak.
I am a bassist and composer from Philadelphia, PA. I write what I sometimes refer to as ‘Eco-Jazz’ and I hate writing about myself in the third person.
I mean seriously, why should I pretend that someone else wrote all this for me ??? You know I wrote it, so let’s just be honest with each other from the start … just you and me … but I digress ...
So, where were we? Ah yes … ’Eco-Jazz’ !!!
What is ‘Eco-Jazz’? You might be asking … I’ll get to that in a moment … but first, take a listen to us LIVE at PorchFest 2024 … one of my favorite music festivals EVER !
here’s another one from my last recording session …
So, ‘Eco-Jazz’ …
… to be honest, I’m not super sure what it means. A fan once said to me after a show, ‘you don’t play jazz, you play Eco-Jazz !’. I liked how that sounded, so sometimes I say that now.
However, if pressed to define it, I’d have to say something like: ‘Eco-Jazz is an improvised music that seeks to reconcile the seemingly contradictory energies of the urban and natural worlds’.
Not bad huh ?
Still not clear ?
Watch the video below … it’s from a mini-documentary in which I talk about the intersection of rock-climbing and music … maybe that will help.
there are two competing drives in my life
One is music …
Music, or at least, the music I want to make, needs the city. It needs a high concentration of highly trained and motivated musicians in order to develop and be sustained.
The other drive is nature …
If music wasn’t a factor, I’d live in the middle of no-where. In a cabin in the mountains, seeking adventure in the natural world.
You can see the conflict…I need both to be whole, and I don’t think I’m the only one…
That’s what my music is about.
(Take a look at these press photos … that’s my bass Julia … also, I’m not wearing shoes !)
Now that you’ve had a chance …
to listen to some of my music and a few of my thoughts as to what I’m doing and why I do it … what do you think ?
Still want me to perform at your venue, music festival, art-gallery, school, or house-concert ?
If you are still on the fence … perhaps the kind words of some of my esteemed colleagues will help …
Terell Stafford:
"exciting yet passionate; always telling a story"
Matt Silver WRTI:
“ a different kind of songwriter—perhaps a different kind of jazz musician altogether
… the bass-playing, modern embodiment of Walt Whitman… [using] his music to celebrate and also reconcile the competing and contradictory nature of the two worlds he straddles: the natural and the urban.”
Kyle Whiting WXPN:
“To Nicholas Krolak, jazz isn’t just music to put on in the background during a dinner party, or to be listened to casually at a low-key dive bar. It’s a vehicle for empowering, uplifting social justice. Voice = Power, the Philly jazz bassist’s latest record, examines this concept thoroughly”
Ben Schachter:
"thoughtful, sensitive, and humble" --- "will undoubtedly be a contributor to the music world at large"
David Wong:
"As a composer he has strong ties to the history of jazz while still sounding original and fresh. There is a wonderful sense of freedom along side clear melodies and strong harmonies."
A.D. Amorosi Jazz Philadelphia:
“melding of nature, nurture, jazz, and vibe—the freedom of it all—is exactly the point where Krolak is concerned.”
Not bad huh?
So, if you are still interested in my music and want to get in touch with me. You can reach me at:
nicholas@nicholaskrolak.com
I look forward to hearing from you !
oh yeah … and just for fun … here’s a pretty rad music video :)