Page 14 - BiTS_05_MAY_2023

Another form of education that I got was in the blues clubs at night. I would often go out with
my father to jam sessions, which happened about every night of the week in Kansas City. It would
be afternoon jams we would participate in and also late-night jams at a blues club Gracie’s
barbecue, which started at 2 AM and ended at 6 AM on Friday and Saturdays, I was playing about
three or four nights a week. These are great memories!

LL: What was it like to be in a family band?

NS: Being a part of a family band is quite an interesting experience. You are performing music
with people that you’ve known literally your whole life, and our connections to our influences
was to each our own, but there are many influences we all grew up with, and through that, formed
how we created blues music together. It felt to me like the way that our parents played music
together was a start on how we would play music together. We often covered songs in the
beginning that our parents used to play. Traveling the world with your brother and sister- it was
very endearing and a neat experience.

LL: What have your siblings gone on to do musically?

NS: My sister, Danielle Nicole has her own band, and she is doing excellent! I’m really proud of
her and her successes, I really enjoy the musical direction she has gone, and I also am proud of
her Blues Music Awards for best Bassist among many other accolades. She was also nominated
for a Grammy, which is super
amazing! She has played with some Danielle Nicole
of the real Greats in music today. I
wish her all the best!

My brother had moved on to play
with great guitarists Sean Chambers
and Albert Castiglia. He toured the US
a lot with both of these acts and
played for some amazing local
supergroup bands over the past few
years as well. Sadly, we lost him last
January 10, a little over a year ago.

LL: What are some of the music
awards you’ve garnered?

NS: When I moved to Philadelphia in
the winter of 1997, my friends and I
formed a band called K floor, and we
had a great time touring the US as
well, we were well known in the
Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
We won a nationally backed battle of
the bands and got a lot of great
exposure from that. I also won best
guitarist in 2001 for the Philadelphia
venue Abilene’s on South Street.

In 2008, my brother and sister and I
won the International Blues
Challenge, and I received the award