Erik Nielsen

With his first solo release, A Sense of Hope, Rochester saxophonist Erik Nielsen has melded musical genres drawn from his love of soul, gospel, blues, R&B, and jazz into a kaleidoscope of smooth rhythms, lush phrases, and thought-provoking melodies.Erik’s love of music started at the tender early age of three, when he and his five-year old sister recorded the vocals to ”Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” onto a mono cassette tape recorder. While their rendition never made it beyond the family dinner table, the experience wet Erik’s musical appetite.By the time he was 10, Erik had begun playing the sax in the elementary school band when an aunt supplied him with a saxophone that had been sitting around gathering dust. It was at this time that Erik began to understand that there was more to music than just playing notes.“To be honest, I never enjoyed playing the sax, or music for that matter, until I was a junior in high school, when my friends and myself would go in early, and jam before concert band rehearsals,” says Erik. “I knew I enjoyed playing music, but never made the connection between playing the sax and creating music with my sax.”It was after hearing David Sanborn’s “Summer” in college jazz ensemble that Erik says, “I realized how powerful and influential the sax could be in contemporary music.”One of the significant things I learned throughout my years of development was the importance of phrasing, no matter the genre of music. Without phrasing and emotion, it just becomes notes on paper. Music is about feeling and expression of emotion, and I try to convey that emotion in my playing.” “It is my desire that this record touches the lives of those who listen to it, and through the music, lives are transformed forever.”MySpace Music Backgrounds by Iron Spider