Happy New Year!
To say I had a busy 2024 is an understatement. I want to say thanks to every person who has attended one of the shows I was a part of, for supporting local music and for (as Suki Blakely would say) “keeping music live!”
I would also like to thank all the musicians I have performed with. You guys are the reason I am able to do what I feel I am meant to do! Two guys in particular are my mainstays and both push me to be a better musician every time we get together.
First is my brother Mickey Munoz. Not only is he a top shelf drummer, he is a top shelf human. Mickey brings out more in me than anyone I perform with. He was the heartbeat of The Hoodoo Brothers and he IS the heartbeat of The Nic Olas Band and The Kaw Tunes as well!
Second is my partner and mentor, saxophonist Harry Muldrow. To say Harry has skills doesn’t do him justice. The man is a walking, talking musical monster. When I was asked to help him reform The Big Harry Band I was humbled, and it has grown into an incredible blues band. We also perform as a duo as Harry & Nic. I would have never thought an acoustic guitar and a saxophone could cover so much ground as we cover. Because of his knowledge and friendship I have become a better musician in the past couple years than I did in all the time before.
But they are not the only ones. My buddy and long time friend from St Louis, Paul Gibson, still amazes me and the simple fact that, without rehearsals, and distance between us again, we pull off incredible shows as The Kaw Tunes. This band is out of all my groups the easiest to work with. We have an incredible song list and it takes almost no effort to pull off and is ALWAYS well received and so much fun!
I made a handful of new acquaintances last year. Kenny Retzlaff who I perform with as The Blue Note Revival. And while we have not had a lot of shows yet, all of them so far have been incredibly fun. His skill as a guitarist is awe inspiring. Next is Steve Montgomery, who plays bass with me and Mickey in The Nic Olas Band. Steve is not only a hell of a nice guy, he is a great bass player who I can count on to always be prepared for whatever I throw at him! Then there is Kurt Morrow and Kelly White who both filled in on short notice to perform with me as The Nic Olas Band. It was incredible. Kurt also is like a mentor to me as I have been dipping my feet into jazz. And he has mad skills in that genre.
So finally, I want to thank all the other cats I play with.
In The Big Harry Blues Band I work with skilled musicians Danl Blackwood, Verlan Penn and Lee Roberson. These cats have so much experience it’s mind boggling! I have sat in on bass with well known Kansas City guitarist “Coyote” Bill Bartelt and his band a couple times and it has been nothing short of mind blowing!
I have more projects in the works for 2025. Both I will be playing bass on. For now, they shall remain anonymous, but I suspect they could grow into something incredible.
My calendar for 2025 is filling up, and I am thankful to all the venues and events that I work with. They also are instrumental in keeping live music still relevant.
I have a feeling this is going to be a big year for me. Time will tell. I hope you’ll come along for the ride!