Nick Soler to Perform at Twin Cities Jazz Fest June 22

By Keith Johnson 

Nick Soler will be performing at the Twin Cities Jazz Fest on Saturday, June 22 at the Java Express inside the Union Depot at 4:30 p.m.

Nick, a seasoned piano player and singer who lives with blindness, started playing and taking lessons when he was 4 years old and turned it into a profession by the time he was a teenager, playing gigs at nightclubs, coffee houses, and churches. Nick has since played at many reputable clubs including the Dakota and the Artists’ Quarter.

“Little kids tend to quit playing after a certain point, but I never stopped,” says Nick. Over the years, Nick has performed in several different bands, and has booked many regular gigs.

When Nick is not performing at private events or nightclubs, he is dazzling his audiences with popular music including jazz standards and blues numbers throughout the Sholom Home campus every other week. His nostalgic sensibilities are a great match for this discerning audience. Everyone seems to know his name when he enters the building, and his infectiously soulful sounds bring warmth and texture to the environment, which he “really enjoys.”

Nick also plays piano and vocalizes for the unsuspecting passers-by, who often find themselves taking a break from “saving big money at Menards” to listen intently to the quality of Nick’s performance delivery. Nick will often solicit a response from his audience members with a friendly “hello” and can carry on his dialogue simultaneously with his performance. Nick describes the experience as “relaxing.”

“I always liked jazz because my parents played it,” he says.

In his free time, Nick enjoys listening to jazz music, but also listens to a lot of modern and classic rock on the radio. He also likes to listen to local artists including Tom Hunter and Billy Holloman, who he says have served as inspirations for his own playing. When he is not listening to music or playing it, Nick loves to listen to the radio. He says he is very fascinated with broadcast radio, and even hosts his own podcast.

You can find out more about Nick by visiting his website at www.nicksoler.com.

The 2019 Twin Cities Jazz Fest is free to the public. To get more information on the festival, or to view a full schedule of events, head to https://www.twincitiesjazzfestival.com.