“John is a dedicated cat who I admire.  His playing and his efforts are the best that he can be at every gig. He brings a stability to the music and to me.  He is dedicated to the music we play and is one smoking soloist!” – Nick Colionne

Who would think that someone from Southern California, enjoying the music scene and great weather would opt for a change and move to the Windy City?  That’s exactly what this month’s On the Side musician did 11 years ago and has never regretted his decision.  If you have not yet seen him play in Nick Colionne’s band or heard any of his three solo CD’s, stay tuned because you’re about to learn more about this terrific keyboardist as SmoothViews features keyboardist, John Erickson.

John grew up in Southern California, primarily near Santa Barbara and also in the Los Angeles area, where he got his start as a musician.  “I always loved music.  My Dad was in the Armed Forces and traveled a bit with a band for a little while as a singer.  My brother plays guitar and bass, so we always had music around.”  At around age seven, John picked up the drums and was doing pretty well until his teacher moved away.  “The teacher I had that I loved, moved away, and the new teacher I got, I didn’t like so much.  I gave up the drums thinking that I had just lost interest in the instrument, but looking back now, I think I just didn’t like that teacher.  I don’t miss playing the drums, but I am glad I started on them because it gave me a good start on rhythm.”  About a year after giving up the drums, John started playing piano.

Coming up, John listened to mostly classic rock, but was really driven toward anything that was on the radio that had keyboards.  Billy Joel was an obvious choice to listen to, as was Jackson Browne and Steve Winwood, who had put out a couple of albums in the 80s that had a lot of keyboards.  “My jazz influences started with Oscar Peterson.  My Dad had bought an album of his that I listened to a lot.  But my first real jazz record that I remember buying was a Lee Ritenour record.  Then I moved on to the Yellowjackets, Spyro Gyra, and Pat Metheny.  In high school I really got into more straight ahead jazz like Bill Evans.  If I had to pick one person for that dream gig, though, it would be Paul Simon!” 

So, how did the California native end up on the Chicago scene?  “I was working as a musician but felt like the San Diego jazz scene was really small, although it really wasn’t that small.  I just wanted a change, and I had a girlfriend and another friend who were both musicians and we were thinking we wanted to be somewhere hipper than San Diego with more music.  We knew a couple of people in Chicago that spoke highly of it; a place with more jazz clubs.  So, we all moved there.  We never lived together, but we moved there together…that was back in 1997.  I don’t regret that move at all.  The San Diego scene was a lot better than we gave it credit for, but it was time for a change.  I wanted to experience something other than Southern California and feel the real winter!”  Well the move to Chicago paid off…but it took some time.  It took John almost a year before getting a gig and it would be three years before he quit his day job, working in a CD store.  As most musicians did, and some still do, John played the typical wedding and bar mitzvah gigs, too. It was when he met guitarist Buddy Fambro, things started to change.  “I met Buddy in another band and he had used me on a few Chicago things, and he recommended me to Nick Colionne.  I was totally unaware of who Nick was and completely unfamiliar with his music.  I guess I was pretty out of touch with the smooth jazz scene.  But on Buddy’s recommendation, Nick just called me and asked me to do a show with him in Florida.  He never even auditioned me!  I also had met Dave [Hiltebrand] before that, so I was glad to know he was in the band.  We did a quick sound check, which I suppose was my audition, and then the show.  That was it.”  After just about three years now, John is an integral part of the Nick Colionne family, a super tight-knit group of musicians that give it their all at every show.

But in addition to being part of the band, John has his own musical endeavors.  He has been the pianist for the LakeView Presbyterian Church since 1998, and he also is a recording artist in his own right, just releasing his third CD.  His own music is a more peaceful, yet playful blend of straight ahead solo piano and jazz trio.  His latest release, A Feeling of Christmas, is a collection of carols and hymns, but produced in a way that makes them more “winter music” and enjoyable all year long.  Most recently, John was part of the house band on the Smooth Music Cruise, backing a ton of musicians who played on the week-long cruise, and wowed the crowd with his talent.

When not on the road or preparing music for his church, John enjoys reading, running, movies, and is spending a little more time developing his love of photography, a hobby that he has become pretty good at.

So, the next time you can catch a Nick Colionne show, which is nearly every week somewhere, be sure to pay special attention to the newest member of that talented family…John Erickson.  For more information on John and his music, swing by www.myspace.com/johnericksonpianist.