Instrumental band from New York City, playing soul jazz, surf rock, funk, blues and more.

Merritt Jacob - guitar
Dave Archer - keyboards
Dan Asher - bass
Jason Isaac - drums

SONGWRITER  -  Catalog of 22 copyrighted, formatted, all original songs, all styles. Lead-Sheets, lyric sheets, CD Demo disks and N.A.S. song evaluations are available. 6 Songs have won National & International songwriting awards, Semi-Finalist to Honorable Mention. Several songs published. C.S.A. Song Screening/Evaluation Committee, Executive member. I produced several Songwriter Showcase Concerts for C.S.A.   Lyricist, Composer, Producer. Director.

MUSICIAN/GUITARIST  -  Acoustic/Electric Ovation Celebrity series and Fender Strat & Tele Electric 6-String guitars main instruments,  Sterling  4-String SUB series electric bass guitar second instrument. Back-up chords on Korg N5ex electric piano. All styles; Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues and Country. Lead, rhythm and bass guitar. Live performances and recording experience.  20 years experience teaching guitar and bass guitar. I authored beginners and intermediate guitar method books.

SINGER  -  Tenor to Baritone Range, All Styles; Pop, Rock, Country, Jazz, Blues. Lead singer and back-up singer. Live performances and recording experience. Shure microphones, Fender 250 Watt,  sound system speakers. with Yamaha 300 Watt EMX212S control panel. Also sang lead and background vocals on other artists’ recordings.

WRITER  - 4 Movie Scripts; 2 Comedies, 1 Sci-Fi, 1 Ghost. All original, copyrighted, WGAw Registered, properly formatted and on computer disk. One page synopsis on each, including some referral letters. Wrote 4 Paper Back Novellas; 2 Comedies, Short Story Collection and 1 Sci-Fi. 17 Short Stories, all original, copyrighted. Several poems published. For past seven years attended screenwriting seminars, writers groups and collaborated with other writers. I authored several technical manuals. Two scripts Semi Finalists in “Fade-In” Competitions.

ACTOR   -  Male, Caucasian, 55–65, Eyes – Hazel, Hair – Gray, medium length, Weight – 150, Height – 5’8”, Waist – 32, Inseam – 29-30, Jacket – 40 R, Shirt – 16 Medium, Shoes – 8, Hat – 6 7/8, Can wear glasses and/or earring. Principal, supporting or day player. Resume and 8”X 10” b/w head-shots available on request. Produced and directed 2 Industrial/ Training videos. 35 years stage experience as an entertainer.

From 1964 to 1998, I performed and played guitar, bass guitar and sang lead and background vocals with various Rock, Jazz, Country, Pop, Blues, Wedding, Dance and show bands in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Florida, Bermuda, Massachusetts and California.

From 1980 to 2012, I also performed solo, just voice and guitar, in concerts, lounges, coffee houses, clubs, casinos, yacht clubs, country clubs, restaurants and televised and video performances, playing Rock, Pop, Country, Blues, Jazz and standards.

Two of my instrumental Jazz compositions; "Honeymoon Suite" and "Lennys' Tune" were featured in the American Film Institutes' 2003 AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival and pre-event television commercials for ten days.

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
“Nicolai displayed a wide range of styles…quiet ballads mix with solid rave-ups and only a quick guitar change breaks the action. His original songs are brisk and tight, with a feel for that AM radio sound that breeds success.” – Jim Zebora, Meriden Record-Journal, Ct.

“Ron Nicolai is an outstanding singer, guitarist and entertainer, who has a carefully crafted performance which appeals to all age groups. I find him extremely likeable and that he possesses a great audience rapport.” – Ivan Hubbard, Watstein/Hubbard Entertainment Agency.

“Ron Nicolai is an exciting, professional, solo performer, guitarist and singer of contemporary music, from the fifties to the eighties. His performances range through a variety of styles including Rock, Jazz, Blues and Pop, with humor, sing-alongs and audience participation.   ” - Ivan Hubbard, Watstein/Hubbard Entertainment Agency.

Big Volcano's sound is an amalgamation of tropical guitar tones, diverse rhythms including upbeat circus-punk, surf, balkan disco, and cumbia-inspired grooves, sparkled with a very unique sax and violin section. Their presentation is a cabaret-tinged celebration that inspires bodies to shake. After a solid few years packed with party playing including events at House of Yes, Bushwick Open Studios Block Party, Gowanus Ballroom, Otto's Shrunken Head, the Flat, Make Music New York, Fat Baby, Radio Bushwick, and more..., Big V released a string of singles and continues to hone their sound in the studio and on stage.

percussion and bamboo flutes of all kind. 
Influenced by the music from Africa, the Middle-East and Sufism. Here is a collection of my work with great composers and  some of my own compositions.

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