It’s been said that the “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and this certainly applies to up-and-coming bluesman Nicholas Alexander. As the son of legendary musician Linsey Alexander, he honed his guitar skills at the hands of the original “Hoochie Man.”
The elder Alexander has certainly been a huge presence in his son’s life. Nick is fiercely protective of his father and preserving his legacy. Whether it’s filling in for his dad during the Delmark tribute at the 2023 Chicago Blues Festival or sitting in at one of his gigs at a northside club, Nicholas Alexander has honored his father in many ways.
One of Alexander’s early memories is hearing his dad jam on the song “Mona Lisa was a Man” from his Days are so Long album. This tune impacted the son in a big way as it was one of the first songs that Nicholas learned to play on his guitar. Now, it also stands as the first single to be released from his upcoming album.
During a recent phone interview, Alexander stressed that his dad “has some pretty awesome music and needs to be heard.” Alexander also said that he is proud that the album includes songs from his dad “who has always been my inspiration on this musical journey.”
“Lil Hoochie” Alexander said that he plays his dad’s Les Paul gold top guitar on “Mona Lisa was a Man,” so “it’s kind of a full circle thing.” Making the musical moment even sweeter is the fact that he got the guitar after winning a bet with the elder Alexander.
To get his dad’s music out to the masses, Alexander assembled an all-star band of Chicago musicians including Melvin Carlisle on drums, bass player David Forte, guitarist Brian Lupo, Roosevelt Purifoy Junior on organ, and Dan Souvigny on keys and guitar. His horn section is comprised of Derrick Tate, Ryan Nyther, and Royce Harrington-Turner. Bryant Parke was called upon for background vocals and congo duties. Connor Korte served as Alexander’s producer, and the music was mixed and mastered by Fil Kinetic at Berwyn Recording Studios.
Alexander said that he is grateful that his dad “knows a lot of people, and I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with them” on this album. He also noted that it was planned in a span of two weeks, and it was recorded in just eight hours as the creative process was in overdrive throughout.
Although he was born into the blues and has been involved in the business for a long time, Nicholas Alexander refuses to be pigeonholed. He said that “I’m not trying to stay away from the blues or change the music” but is intent on “bringing something a little bit different” to the blues table. He added that he is a big fan of the energy of sixties and seventies soul music.
Alexander’s love of the golden age of soul will play out when his second single, “Popcorn,” is released on March 8th. Producer Korte said that Alexander’s hot take on this James Brown classic is “fire” and added that he is extremely proud of the young musician’s efforts.
Like “Mona Lisa was a Man,” “Popcorn” will be available on all streaming platforms. Stay tuned for news of the official album release.
