Dwight Ritcher & Nicole Nelson
Hitting the smokeless stages of BB Kings Blues Club, nestled in the Broadway district of New York City, the nightlife can be overwhelming. Wine drinkers and smooth whiskey sippers alike sit back and enjoyed the unique sounds of Dwight Ritcher & Nicole Nelson as a gleaming audience applauded them.
Originating from a pure breed of original soul, country, blues, rock, and gospel music, Dwight and Nicole have astonished even the most faithful Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone fans. "People seemed to really like the two of us together - the way that our voices blend and the harmonies was something really unique and powerful. We loved it too," states Nelson.
Dwight Ritcher
Slow, upbeat love songs filled with acoustic and electric guitar make up this charming duo that, "We aspire to be exactly like Sonny and Cher on the weekends," says Ritcher.
Attained in harmony, live tambourine and handclaps capture the attention of listeners as the sultry sounds embrace an unexpected, intimate attraction to rhythm.
Dwight Ritcher
"We've always had a ton of chemistry on stage together," says Ritcher.
"I had always wanted to work with Dwight - I used to go see him and flip out. He had the whole package, and he didn't seem to even be aware of his power. It was great!" states Nelson.
Subtle influences of Patsy Cline and the supreme Etta James and Aretha Franklin, Dwight and Nicole's cover songs are so versatile, their personalities and creativity break through the jazz and soul enriched trends recovering old time favorites into a style of their own.
Nicole Nelson
"We also have really strong personalities and we bring our unique perspectives to our music," explains Nelson. "We both started out playing a lot of blues, and that gives us a lot of depth. We both have a similar feel for music. It might be a little more behind the beat than most," says Ritcher.
Currently independent, Dwight & Nicole continue to intrigue the hearts of new and loyal fans. Their 2006 release CD (self-titled, five-song EP), Dwight & Nicole, has songs " Johnny Gets High," " Round in Love," expressing the profound charisma, striking vocals and intimate guitar playing.
Compared to well-known artist such as Bonnie Raitt and Bob Dylan, their legendary genre has much to speak of.
Nicole Nelson
Foreseeing an impressive future in music, the two continue to produce and be inspired by, "people, hard questions, situations and Bill Murray movies," says Ritcher.
"I'm very inspired by great art. Of course, that is totally relative...but if I can get lost in someone else's world through their art, that connection is what inspires me. I just want to feel something," Nelson explains.
Having toured mostly in the States, mainly the east coast, other exposure included places such as Latvia and the French West Indies. "Of all of those places, I think my favorite show was at the Blue Note here in NYC," says Nelson. "That was a badass show- we had a band with us on that one- T ony Mason on drums, and Tim Luntzel on the bass," explains Ritcher.
But why stop there? The two have an intense line-up for the next couple of months and can be heard all over the Big Apple. To find out more about their show, please go to Dwight and Nicole’s website at http://www.dwightandnicole.com/
Soon they'll be a little Dwight & Nicole in all of us.
Band Members:
Dwight Ritcher, Guitar
Nicole Nelson, Vocals
Andy Plaisted, Drums
Lou Ulrich, Bass
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