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Wolf Nilson

Enjoying myself

About Me

I've been playing the piano ever since I was able to reach the keys and it is part of my earliest childhood memories, how this machine was able to express my feelings with so little effort. You touch it and boom! After having spend years with Mozart and his fellows, becoming a teenager, my desires naturally changed. I remember my Dad telling me “If you learn how to play the guitar, you'll be the guy that all the girls will be after.” Luckily I believed him, and being quiet lousy in the beginning the rock'n'roll mates I had handed me over the bass. I simply fell in love. I felt how close and powerful you work at the emotional essence of the music by playing the bass, without having to be the great show-off at the front in the first place. So I practiced my ass off, played the musical “Cats” when I was 20 and went to study my instrument at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam shortly afterwards. Then love carried my to Berlin in 2002, where I kept doing what I am doing ever since. I never wanted to be a great virtuous genius on my ax, just alway wanted to be pure and joyful in what I am doing, playing my bass and writing my music. I don't believe in prestige, pressure, fame or competition. I am just enjoying myself and the feed back of my audience proofs my right.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it is like talking straight out of your heart. You can be yourself and always in the present moment. It is so pure. I was first exposed to jazz when my Dad used to take me to these sunday morning Dixi-Land events in Hamburg's Fabrik in the 80ies. Although I never played Dixi myself, and denied that influence over years, today I think it's just lovely happy in a way :) I met Jeff Hamilton, Victor Baily, Jimmy Haslip, Tuck & Patty and Avishai Cohen, all of them dropping by the conservatory of Amsterdam and giving great workshops. The best show I ever attended was the Dave Liebman Miles 70ies Flashback Show in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, I think 2001 The first jazz record I bought was Birds of Fire by the Mahavishnu Orchestra My advice to new listeners: Herbie Hancock - and if you want to learn more about Jazz younger history, read the autobiography of Miles Davis - He is the guy who discovered most of the important Jazz musicians and made them famous. I would say that Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea are my mentors if it comes to composing, sound and style. My biggest inspirational bass Idols is NOT Jaco Pastorious BUT Paul Jackson, Eddie Gomez, Ron Carter, Niels-Henniung Orsted Pedderson, Flea, Rodger Waters, Ray Manzarek, Les Claypuul, newly Tal Wilkenfeld