About
Nicki Richards is one of the New York music scene’s most valuable players and most priceless assets. As a singer-songwriter who produces, arranges, and plays multiple instruments on her top shelf albums, she creates multi-stylistic tapestries that boldly defy category yet are thoroughly cohesive via her distinct personality.
Her catalog contains but three albums under her name only because her professional reputation keeps her in ever high demand at the service of others. Nicki is a first call vocalist for recording sessions, concerts and television dates, a music educator at NYU and The New School, a producer for hire, a private instructor, and a tireless contributor and advocate for using her artistry to illuminate and battle social injustice, the disadvantaged, and the underdogs.
If anyone can speak to the duality of a romantic love life and a musical love life she toiled sleeplessly to build, it is the bewitching and busy Ms. Nicki Richards.
Thus, the title and theme of her fourth and long-awaited album, Love Life. Like all of Nicki’s albums, “Love Life” is a sumptuous smorgasbord of musical styles, each exquisitely accenting the song to which it was precisely dispatched.
Nicki has already shared four singles – several with videos - leading up to the grand release of the album. “Anything” is a soulful inspirational anthem that reassures us we can accomplish all we desire – especially women of color who have had to work thrice as hard to gain their just due. “Tether Me” (featuring the voice of Take 6’s Mark Kibble and percussion master Bashiri Johnson) is an aurally breathtaking prayer achingly asking for someone to come into her hectic life to bring her to a place of blissful, blessed stillness. “You Become More Beautiful,” Nicki’s new work collaboration with Joe Sample, based on Sample’s instrumental “More Beautiful Each Day” (the finale of the jazz keyboard legend’s classic album, Carmel) is another delight, perfect for C-Jazz outlets.
Nicki’s latest single, “New Orleans,” is a multi-layered meditation that Nicki says, “…dives into themes of roots, longing, belonging, complicated relationships, love – or any kind of addiction – and my childhood memories of the dynamic, complicated, beautiful city itself.” Helping to navigate this labyrinth is Nicki’s baby brother Philip Richards, floating in soulful crooning to their blood-harmony sibling duet.
Nicki chose this selection – in single form – to be released exclusively through Fuwimu (Fund with Music) – a new platform for independent songwriters that allows them to connect their songs to charitable organizations. “New Orleans” (www.fuwimu.com/cda9f232) will support The Recording Academy’s “MusiCares” program which assists musicians in financial need as well as music education.
Following beginnings as a child prodigy appearing in commercials from the age of 5 to musical theater, children’s television, and an unforgettable run on the talent show “Star Search,” Nicki Richards was signed to Atlantic Records by industry giant Ahmet Ertegun. Her debut album, Naked (To The World), was a critically acclaimed marvel featuring the sexy title track as well as techno-groove reworkings of Seals & Crofts’ classic rock staple “Summer Breeze” and The Isley Brothers’ vividly sensual “Voyage to Atlantis.”
Nicki spent the following years recording and touring the world with an enviable resume, including Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Lenny Kravitz,Frankie Knuckles, George Benson, LL Cool J, Reverend Al Green and – later - Steely Dan (a personal milestone). Among the highpoints of her concert sizzle reel is with Madonna – singing, dancing and leading a stadium audience of 95,000 in the gospel-fueled closing vamp of her showstopper, “Like a Prayer.” It is nothing for one calendar week in her life to include accompanying an artist on “Saturday Night Live,” teaching classes, writing a new song, and performing in an all-star, one-night benefit extravaganza such as her annual contribution to “Love Rocks NYC.”
Nicki triumphantly returned to recording albums by launching her own Hydrus Music company then releasing the amazing 17-song CD, Nicki, followed four years later by the equally impressive, Tell Me…. These projects introduced the world to Nicki’s own dance anthems “Bring The Love,” “Queen” and “Lay Your Hands On Me,” as well as contemporary Quiet Storm gemstones “Parallel Universe,” “Alpha Centauri,” “I Have Loved You Always,” plus “Tell Me…,” her gorgeous new work collaboration with Herbie Hancock, based on Hancock’s “Tell Me a Bedtime Story.” Nicki also made lasting impressions on several albums by her mentor, Lenny White, including covers of Christopher Cross’ “Sailing,” The Police’s “Tea in the Sahara,” and their co written “Forever” (an homage to Michael Jackson).
“I make music every day just about,” Nicki confesses. “So, I’m backlogged! Many songs start as dreams that I wake up in the middle of the night and jot down as ideas then pieces of songs. Over a period of time, I pull them together.”
Nicki Richards’ latest, Love Life, marks the continuum of this wonder woman’s stellar artistic output. Indeed, the follow-up is already in the pipeline. Strap into her spaceship for her whirlwind musical sojourn.