Guitarist, composer, and bandleader Dan Nicholas is the founder and director of Roots In Motion, an organization devoted to creating opportunities for live jazz and other kinds of music.
Nicholas spent his formative years in New York City, studying with piano legend Barry Harris while immersing himself in the city’s formidable jazz scene. He moved to the Netherlands in the early 2000s and performed in all manor of venues and festivals throughout Europe. Nicholas returned to the USA in 2020, and he currently divides his time between New York City and Maine. In a diverse career he has worked with the likes of Jeremy Pelt, Ed Cherry, Joy Brown, Gary Smulyan, Mike LeDonne, and Grant Stewart, among many others.
Roots In Motion has been active since 2010. During this period Dan Nicholas was based in the Netherlands, where he was very active producing concerts as well as performing. The organization grew out of a desire to take advantage of the great number of major American and International artists traveling in Europe. In 2023 Roots In Motion began an ongoing collaboration with Colby College, presenting concerts at the Greene Block and Studios in downtown Waterville Maine. This collaboration is part of a long-term goal of Roots In Motion to bring musicians from NYC and elsewhere to perform in the area. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to cultivate a network of affiliated venues in the Northeast USA, enabling tours for traveling artists with concerts in multiple locations.
Alongside concerts Roots in Motion has always been proactive with educational initiatives, organizing workshops, lectures, and lessons with visiting artists, all of which offer an important contribution to art and culture, while creating work opportunities for traveling artists.
Some of the artists presented by Roots In Motion in concert include:
Dr. Barry Harris
Peter Bernstein/Larry Goldings/Bill Stewart Trio
Johnny O’Neal
Ed Cherry
Benito Gonzalez
Jeremy Pelt
Virginia MacDonald
Vincent Herring
Miki Yamanaka
And many more…
Some of the diverse artists featured in Roots In Motion workshops include:
Dr Barry Harris
Jason Marsalis
Ari Hoenig
Peter Bernstein
Leon Parker
Bill Stewart
And many more…
Roots In Motion was founded on an unwavering belief in the importance of live music, and the continued relevance of Jazz and other roots musics. The mission of Roots in Motion is to cultivate opportunities for live performances in stimulating environments for musicians and audiences alike.