American Nick Moss was born in “The Windy City” and plays electric Chicago blues. He is one of a small group of blues guitarists in the U.S. who offer hope for the future of the genre. Nick Moss and his band are considered to be among the most interesting acts the city’s blues scene has to offer at the moment. [pullquote_right]”Nick Moss & the Flip Tops are among the most interesting acts on the Chicago blues scene right now”[/pullquote_right]
Moss loves the blues as it was played during its golden age in the 1950s and 1960s, and he builds on this rich tradition rather than feeling the need to reinvent the genre.
After cutting his teeth in Chicago and playing with Buddy Scott, Jimmy Dawkins, Jimmy Rogers, and The Legendary Blues Band, he has built a successful career with his own band, Nick Moss & the Flip Tops. He was originally a bassist, but during his time with The Legendary Blues Band, frontman Willie “Big Eyes” Smith suggested that he switch to guitar.
Nick Moss has released nine albums to date, all on his own record label, Blue Bella Records. After seven critically acclaimed traditional blues albums, on his last two records, “Privileged” (2010) and “Here I Am” (2011), he has taken a step away from the classic Chicago style and moved closer to blues rock.
There’s a “Renaissance Man” revival in the music industry these days, and Nick Moss has capitalized on it. Unprecedented upheaval in the entertainment industry has opened the door to new opportunities for artists with the vision and courage to seize them. The release of Nick’s eighth album, Privileged, is proof that he has both.
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[fancy_link link=”http://www.nickmoss.com/PDFs/BRevue_AprMay_Moss.pdf” target=”blank”]Nick Moss feature story in Blues Revue[/fancy_link][/pullquote_right]After seven critically acclaimed traditional blues albums, Nick has broadened his focus on *Privileged* in order to incorporate song forms and influences beyond the scope of those heard on his previous albums. Not every artist is willing to challenge themselves to grow, explore, and expand. For Nick, that has become second nature.
Most artists spend years honing their skills in order to pitch themselves to different labels, hoping someone will believe enough in their potential to take a chance on them. Nick didn’t waste time waiting for someone else to believe in him. He had the passion, confidence, and drive to start his own label, Blue Bella Records, in order to pursue his dream and artistic vision.
Before Nick carved out his own path, he spent time learning the ropes of a musician’s life by playing with some of the greatest blues musicians of all time.
Nick’s musical education really took off when he was asked to play bass with the great Chicago guitarist Jimmy Dawkins. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Legendary Blues Band, which featured Muddy Waters Blues Band alumnus Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on drums. “That was one of my favorite bands,” he recalls. “I still love Willie. He’s like a second father to me.” The next period of deep-blues education for Nick, who had switched from bass to a six-string, was with the band of Chicago blues legend Jimmy Rogers for three years in the mid-’90s. From Rogers, he learned all about the distinctive ensemble sound of authentic Chicago blues, coming to understand the importance of listening closely to and reacting to his fellow musicians on stage. “Listen to early Muddy Waters stuff with Jimmy and Otis Spann and Little Walter,” says Nick of the original model. “It almost sounds as if they’re playing on top of each other, but they’re staying out of each other’s way. It almost sounds like they’re all soloing at the same time.”
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[fancy_link link=”http://www.nickmoss.com/PDFs/Moss_2010Quotes.pdf” target=”blank”]Press quotes, Privileged (2010)[/fancy_link]
[/pullquote_right] Having completed his advanced studies in blues by the late ’90s, Moss launched his band, The Flip Tops, and Blue Bella Records. Their first album, First Offense, was followed by Got a New Plan in 2001 and, two years later, a third album, Count Your Blessings. The latter two received W. C. Handy Award nominations, and Count Your Blessings featured outstanding contributions from Nick’s friends Sam Myers, Anson Funderburgh, Willie Smith, Curtis Salgado, and Lynwood Slim. June 2005 saw the release of his fourth album, Sadie Mae, named after his beautiful baby daughter. Sadie Mae was nominated for the 2006 Blues Music Awards in the categories “Album of the Year” and “Traditional Blues Album of the Year.”
Those first four studio albums and relentless touring helped Moss build a devoted following. That following was so enthusiastic about the music they were hearing in clubs across the country night after night that they not only encouraged Nick to release a live album, they helped make arrangements for it. Live at Chan’s, released in 2006, was nominated for “Album of the Year” and “Traditional Blues Album of the Year,” and Moss was nominated for “Guitarist of the Year” at the 2007 BMAs. What made the album so successful? Nick made sure that the night they recorded was just like any other night when he and his band took the stage. “I wanted to make sure that the CD reflected the spontaneity of our live performances. I’ve been blessed with an extremely talented band; each one of us is a multi-instrumentalist and has no problem switching it up during our shows! We’ve received nothing but compliments from our audiences after they see how the guys and I take turns on different instruments, just as we did on this particular night.”
Moss followed up his first live release with a double album, *Play It ’Til Tomorrow*. By adding a second disc, the band was able to deliver another dose of live, loud, and raucous electric blues, as well as showcase their ability to strip their sound down to its bare, acoustic essentials. Play It ’Til Tomorrow once again featured Oshawny on keyboards (he switched to bass on four tracks and second guitar on another) and Hundt on harmonica and vocals (he also played bass, rhythm guitar, and mandolin on the disc). Special guests Eddie Taylor, Jr. and Barrelhouse Chuck made their presence felt as well. This impressive double release went on to be named among the “Decade’s Best Blues: 25 Great Albums That Defined the Past 10 Years” in Blues Revue Magazine in 2010. The acclaim Live at Chan’s garnered convinced everyone that a sequel was definitely in order—and the sooner, the better. Thus we have Nick and the band’s new CD: Live At Chan’s: Combo Platter No. 2, featuring special guest Lurrie Bell. The album once again captures what this exceptionally hard-hitting, endlessly versatile group does best: live and lively Chicago blues, deeply rooted in postwar tradition with a heady infusion of contemporary energy.
No matter how far he travels, whether geographically or stylistically, Chicago and his roots there are never far from his mind. It’s where he began his musical journey; each new direction is simply a stop along the way.
[fancy_link link=”http://www.nickmoss.com/” target=”blank”]Nick Moss’s official website [/fancy_link]
[fancy_link link=”http://www.facebook.com/nickmossmusic” target=”blank”]Nick Moss on Facebook[/fancy_link]
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