Nick Zala

Nick Zala (born 21 January 1959), (Nick Zala-Webb since 2011), is a pedal steel and guitar player from Barnet, Hertfordshire, England.

Early life

Born Nicholas Michael Anthony Zala, Zala-Webb was exposed to music from a very young age. His grandparents were both skilled pianists - one a sight reader, and the other a jazz musician who played entirely by ear. He took up the cello at the age of seven but gave it up only two years later in favour of the more portable guitar. By the age of 15, he had received jazz guitar tuition from Ike Isaacs and some useful advice in a one-to-one with Joe Pass.

Career

After 30 years as a professional guitar-player and teacher, Zala-Webb took up the pedal steel guitar. His first band, The Loose Salute, contacted him eight weeks after he had bought his pedal steel. A positive review of his first gig with The Loose Salute appeared in the The Guardian, boosting his career. Between 2003 and 2007, he recorded on eleven albums, toured in Europe and the United States, appeared on television and radio, and made it into the top ten of the UK Albums Chart, with pop band McFly's platinum-selling album Motion In The Ocean.

Numerous albums have subsequently followed, both in the retail and production music areas, and likewise many sessions, both on guitar, pedal steel and other instruments, including banjo, mandolin, ukulele and harmonica.

After his 2011 marriage he has taken the surname Zala-Webb, and his latest title Jazz Guitar described by him as "a homage to Ike (Isaacs), and Joe (Pass), and a fresh look at the genre".

In 2012 Zala-Webb played guitar and pedal steel in "Acetones" with Alan Darby (guitar - We Will Rock You, Eric Clapton, Sting, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler), Jim Watson (keyboards - Katie Melua), and Jonathan Noyce (bass - JethroTull, Gary Moore, Rick Wakeman, and We Will Rock You).

Discography

References

  1. Long Way Home review, Home of Rock.
  2. Long Way Home review, All About Jazz.
  3. Songs from the Blue House - People

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, July 17, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.