Fingerprints: Buzz

Fingerprints is the perfect blend of Jazz and R&B. That's why they are one of the most popular and respected bands in Dallas/Fort Worth.

It Was a Smooth Groove Friday at MCL Grand Theater

A mellow but enthusiastic crowd grooved the night away Friday at the Texas Smooth Groove concert at the MCL Grand Theater in old town Lewisville. The three hour jazz and R&B performance featured multiple talented artists and songwriters who drew repeated standing ovations from the crowd. Favorites from artists such as Al Green and Steely Dan drew an enthusiastic response, as did many of the original songs performed by the artists.
Opening the show was Fingerprints, a Dallas-based band comprised of members who have been making music together for years, having gotten their start at University of North Texas in 1986. Since then, under the musical and business leadership of bassist Frederick Nichelson, the band has developed a strong reputation and following that were in full evidence at Friday’s show. The true standout musically was Claud Hardrick on sax, who displayed amazing lung capacity as well as flexibility on the instrument.
In the second half of the show, Tom Braxton, a natural performance artist, won the crowd over with his musical talents on both the alto and soprano sax, in addition to his humorous stories about his family life in nearby Highland Village. Mark Harper’s guitar performances showed tremendous range and emotion and were another key factor in the strength of show.
The MCL Grand, which opened in January of this year, was a perfect venue, with vivid colored light changes and the strong acoustical features of the performance hall. Art center manager Jim Wear said the center recently booked its 400th performance…which hopefully means we can look forward to many more shows of the caliber of Friday’s Smooth Groove concert.

On behalf of the HIM Division I would like to extend Fingerprints a gracious thank you!!! You guys were awesome, we couldn’t have ask for anything more, your services were absolute perfection from start to finish.



Thank you.. Thank you.. Thank you… I look forward to doing business with you again.

Dec. 2010

Fingerprints delivers first rate entertainment. We appreciate your sound and appeal to wide ranging audiences.

Many thanks to you and Fingerprints for an awesome performance at the open house for Friends of the Family. Your music was just perfect for our celebration and so many people commented to me about how much they enjoyed the band. Hope our paths will cross again before too long. You guys are just terrific! Thanks for everything.

Sincerely,

Ann Tubbs

Oct. 19, 2011

The Band did a wonderful job in Orlando! Guests thought they were fantastic and we would use them again in a heartbeat.

Our fundraising event, A Night in Nappa, was perfected by the awesome sounds of Fingerprints. You put the people in the right mood to eat, drink, tap their toes and spend money! We can't wait for our next event that brings you back!

I don't believe I ever officially praised the excellent performance of your band during the Lake Cities Education Foundation Gala. Fingerprints was excellent and we had countless compliments on their performance. Everyone was pleased and they now come very highly recommended by everyone with our group.

Dream Life by Fingerprints may be one of the smoothest of smooth jazz albums. No matter how many times you pop this CD in the player (for those of you that are old-school that way), it's going to be over before you know it. Why? Is it because the tunes are too brief? Is it because there's a shortage of songs on the album? No, not at all! It's because this group has found the pocket for true easy listening. Moment by moment your blood pressure will drop as the tracks carry you along on a serene musical trip. A quiet evening at home could hardly find a more complimentary soundtrack.

These guys are at their best when they push the envelope of the genre a little by adding in a vocalist. Some might contend that it's not smooth jazz anymore when you've got a singer. Smooth pop, perhaps? “I Am A Man” is more like smooth soul, with its off-beat horn hits and thanks to Tim Jones' highly expressive singing. In any case, the songs with Jones on the microphone make for the most engaging selections on the record, whatever you might choose to call them.

If there is one single criticism to level at the album, it's ironically pretty much the same thing that makes it good smooth jazz. With the exception of the vocal tracks, the music has a tendency to flow by without really drawing in the listener. Though the players are quite accomplished, and the recordings are very well produced, somehow the hooks just don't quite hook. That's a major hazard when making smooth jazz, after all, and many groups have hit the same snag. If it's what you enjoy, though, and smooth is what you're craving, then you will love this album. Throw a log on the fire or light some candles, pour yourself something to warm your belly, lay back and enjoy the ride. There will be no bumps!


Key Tracks – I Am A Man, Anything for You, For You I Will

Donny Harvey – MuzikReviews.com Staff
January 10, 2011
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For Questions Or Comments About This Review Send An Email To info@muzikreviews.com

Here’s a six piece band that you might not know yet. It veers between smooth and contemporary mainstream, sort of like The Crusaders and
Spyro Gyra with an extra kick. The music centers around the writing of bassist Frederick Nichelson and keyboardist/programmers Richard Smith
or Larry Davis, with lightly grooving tunes like “Acoustic Soul” and “What Were You Thinking” laying the groundwork for Shelley Carrol’s tenor or
Todd Parsnow’s guitar to lay down some slick work. What works best, however are the pair of hard bop tunes from way back when; Herbie Hancock’s
“Tell Me A Bedtime Story” features some luscious flute work by Carrol, while Tadd Dameron’s chestnut “Lady Bird” is updated and polished like a Caddy
with fins. Great updating of classics, and some fresh new stuff as well.

Fingerprints - DREAM LIFE: Those in our

readership who grew up during the same

years I did will easily remember names

like "Spyro Gyra" and "The Crusaders"...

while it's easy to just "drop names",

this massive (& massively talented) band

brings fond memories of those styles...

on the other hand, they do it with a

definite 21st Century outlook, so it's

not "just another cover band". The third

track in, "Acoustic Soul" is among the

best "hip jazz" tunes I've heard in 2010.

There's no doubt that you'll be hearing

much (MUCH) more from this band in the

coming months & years... just scope out

the totally svelte keys on "Lonesome

Rhodes" to be convinced of my conviction

in that regard! Of the even dozen tunes,

it was the super funky "Anything for You"

that made them soar to the top of the

charts - absolutely my favorite track...

full of life & the rhythm of soul that

moves hearts to do great things. "Dream

Life" is a clear winner, & gets my MOST

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, as well as the

"PICK" of this issue for "funkiest band

around". "EQ" (energy quotient) rating

is right up near the top at 4.99. Get

more information at

www.fingerprintsband.com Rotcod Zzaj

Check it out at

http://zzaj.freehostia.com/zzaj106.htm

In all the new releases I've heard this year, Fingerprints is the best. DNA is one of the best CDs of 2002 and should have more airplay across the USA.

Fingerprints was outstanding at our 12 Tastes of Christmas Gala. I would recommend this band for any occasion that needs live entertainment.

...a great blend of smooth jazz. If you need evidence of Fingerprints being a very good band, just check out DNA.

...DNA holds it down with the big boys. This is smooth jazz at its best. The smooth jazz mafia better watch out. There is competition a-plenty here!

NoSoloSmoothJazz.com (July 8, 2010):

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Fingerprints musical training is a band that moves in the musical genre of Blues, Soul, R & B and Contemporary Jazz and have some musical similarities
with groups of Spyro Gyra level or Pieces Of A Dream. Have a long experience in the field of music and have released four recording projects which have
won praise from critics and audiences. For the day is scheduled August 10 launch of the new album from the band as lead generic title "Dream Life." In this
way and for the fifth time we will have the opportunity to hear the band comprising bassist Frederick Nichelson, Claud Hardrick saxophonist, percussionist
and vocalist Tim Jones, Kennan Wylie drummer, keyboardist and guitarist Grant Jordache Robert Lacroix . For this new musical project, Fingerprints has
musical collaborators without its presence, the album would sound differently. We emphasize the musical participation of saxophonist and flutist Shelley Carroll,
the guitarist Todd Parsnow; of keyboardists Larry Davis, Richard Smith and Bernard Wright, the saxophonist John Gordon and drummer Bryon Jamil. We can
not fail to note that "Dream Life" comes to be a continuation of his successful album called generically "DNA" and garnered many positive reviews. "Dream Life"
consists of a total of 12 compositions among the noteworthy "Acoustic Soul "," Max Master "," Lady Bird "or" I Am A Man ", among many others. The album
opens with the theme "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", a classic song composed by Herbie Hancock and included in the album titled "Fat Albert Rotunda" published in
the year 1969 by Warner Bros. Records label. For this classic version of Herbie Hancock, Fingerprints will have the presence of the Shelley Carrol flutist and
keyboardist Rodney Engelbosch. The item entitled "Dream Life" is the tribute that the band pays Frederick Nichelson musicians and two missing. We are referring
to bassist Wayman Tisdale and saxophonist George Howard. For this topic has the special participation of the legendary New York keyboardist Bernard Wright.
Another good versions Fingerprints done on her new album is the generically titled "Lady Bird", classic jazz standard composed by Tadley Ewing Peake, known
artistically as Tadd Dameron. The disc also includes the song "I Am A Man", a composition that is incorporated as a soundtrack for the documentary of the same
name. This documentary - I Am A Man - won numerous awards and the recording made by Fingerprints are attended by Tim Jones vocal and flawless saxophone
John Gordon. The whole album is produced and arranged by Frederick A. Nichelson to Nichelson Entertainment. The executive producer is working with
Frederick Nichelson, pianist Deanie Parker. The tracks "Dream Life", "Acoustic Soul", "I Am A Man", "For You I Will" and "Anything For You" are recorded by
Toby Duncan Drive Phoenix Audio, in the city of Dallas, Texas. The items "Max Master", "What Were You Thinking", "Lady Bird", "Lonesome Rhodes" and "Only You"
were recorded at Reel Time Audio in Denton Texas City. The song composed by Herbie Hancock, entitled "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" is recorded by James Johnson
on Vault Noise Studios in Dallas. All tracks are mixed by Eric Delegard and are mastered by Roy Machado in Dallas Audio Post. Pacific Coast Jazz record label published
the latest work of this excellent band South.

SPANISH VERSION:

La formación musical Fingerprints es una banda que se mueve dentro del género musical del Blues, el Soul, el R&B y el Jazz Contemporáneo y que tienen cierta
similitud musical con grupos del nivel de Spyro Gyra o Pieces Of A Dream. Tienen ya una larga experiencia en el terreno musical y han publicado cuatro trabajos
discográficos que han merecido el elogio de crítica y público. Para el día 10 de Agosto está previsto el lanzamiento de la nueva producción discográfica de la banda
que llevará como titulo genérico “Dream Life”. De esta forma y por quinta vez vamos a tener la oportunidad de escuchar a la banda compuesta por el bajista
Frederick Nichelson, el saxofonista Claud Hardrick, el percusionista y vocalista Tim Jones, el batería Kennan Wylie, el teclista Jordache Grant y el guitarrista
Robert Lacroix. Para este nuevo proyecto musical, Fingerprints tiene colaboradores musicales que sin su presencia, el disco sonaría de forma distinta. Destacamos
la participacion musical de la saxofonista y flautista Shelley Carrol; del guitarrista Todd Parsnow; de los teclistas Larry Davis, Richard Smith y Bernard Wright; del
saxofonista John Gordon y del batería Jamil Bryon. No podemos dejar de señalar, que “Dream Life” viene a ser continuación de su exitoso álbum titulado
genéricamente “DNA” y que tantas buenas críticas cosechó. “Dream Life” se compone de un total de 12 composiciones entre las que cabe destacar “Acoustic Soul”,
“Max Master”, “Lady Bird” o “I Am A Man”, entre muchas otras. El álbum se abre con el tema titulado “Tell Me A Bedtime Story”, clásico tema compuesto por Herbie
Hancock e incluido en el álbum titulado “Fat Albert Rotunda” publicado en el año 1.969 por el sello discográfico Warner Bros Records. Para esta clásica versión del
tema de Herbie Hancock, Fingerprints va a contar con la presencia de la flautista Shelley Carrol y el teclista Rodney Engelbosch. El tema titulado “Dream Life” es el
tributo que la banda de Frederick Nichelson rinde a dos músicos ya desaparecidos. Nos estamos refiriendo al bajista Wayman Tisdale y al saxofonista George Howard.
Para este tema se cuenta con la participación especial del legendario teclista neoyorquino Bernard Wright. Otra de las buenas versiones que Fingerprints realizan en su
nuevo disco es la titulada genéricamente “Lady Bird”, standard clásico de Jazz compuesto por Tadley Ewing Peake, conocido artísticamente como Tadd Dameron.
El disco también incluye el tema “I Am A Man”, composición que se incorpora como banda sonora para el documental del mismo nombre. Dicho documental -
I Am A Man- obtuvo numerosos reconocimientos y en la grabación realizada por Fingerprints se contó con la presencia vocal de Tim Jones y el impecable saxo
de John Gordon. La totalidad del álbum está producida y arreglada por Frederick A. Nichelson para Nichelson Entertainment. En la producción ejecutiva colabora junto
a Frederick Nichelson, el pianista Deanie Parker. Los temas “Dream Life”, “Acoustic Soul”, “I Am A Man”, “For You I Will” y “Anything For You”, están grabados por
Toby Duncan en Phoenix Drive Audio, en la ciudad de Dallas, Texas. Los temas “Max Master”, “What Were You Thinking”, “Lady Bird”, “Lonesome Rhodes” y “Only You”,
fueron grabados en Reel Time Audio, en la texana ciudad de Denton. El tema compuesto por Herbie Hancock y titulado “Tell Me A Bedtime Story” es grabado por James
Johnson en los Noise Vault Studios de Dallas. Todos los temas son mezclados por Eric Delegard y son masterizados por Roy Machado en Dallas Audio Post. Pacific
Coast Jazz es el sello discográfico de publicar el último trabajo de esta excelente banda sureña.