A Perfect Sonic Storm
By Lisa Morgan
The curtain opened on the Riviera’s Grand Ballroom stage as it had done several times that day at the Second Annual Coachella Valley Music Awards. The stunning stage setting complete with smoke and lights created a show in themselves, but they suddenly became a non-factor as Bobby Nichols and the Inner Planetary Monks began to play. There was a sudden silence in the audience combined with a sense of awe in the air, most notably from the many professional musicians in attendance. As I listened, something inside my head and soul opened up to an amazing listening experience. The collaboration of the musicians led by Bobby Nichols flooded the ballroom with music that moved like the ocean yet with even less predictability. It was music that out swayed the boundaries of genre and standard musical time while maintaining an incredible cohesiveness. Some might describe the music as acid-jazz musical exploration. Whatever label you adhere to it, it appeased parts of my musical palette that I didn’t even know existed. Bobby had been nominated as one of the Coachella Valley’s best guitar players. He did not win the title this day, but the respect he and his band-mates earned on that stage is rarely awarded and can never be taken away. Non-traditional experiences and exposures as a child in love with the guitar combined with years of study and intense devotion have evolved into a perfect storm and the creation of The Inner Planetary Monks. It is here, that Bobby Nichols has found the freedom to channel the music he was born to make.
He was 9 years old, an American boy in Chili, when he picked up his first guitar. His older brother had started taking lessons. Bobby’s brother didn’t last more than a few months, while Bobby never put it down again. The eclectic style in which Nichols plays can be traced back to a somewhat transient upbringing. The Nichols family moved from America to Brazil when Bobby was 2. Attending Brazilian schools instead of the American schools, Nichols became fluent in Portuguese. “I have no doubt that my upbringing in Brazil and later in Chili had an effect on me musically. Between Brazil and Chili, I also lived in New York City. Dad was an entrepreneur of sorts, and was high up in the teamsters union. By the time I hit Florida, when I was a senior in high school, my family had moved around North and South America 11 times. It was pretty intense stuff, and I was playing a lot through most of it. I had a nylon string guitar, and my hands were constantly on the fret board.” He started jamming with other musicians by the age of 14.
“I’ve always been inspired by improvisational musicians,” Nichols shared. “I like things that sound organic. When I was 21 years old, I went to a free music seminar. It was a 2 month long seminar taught by avant-garde, top notch jazz guys in the New York and European jazz scene. There were only 20 of us in this old monastery. That experience really molded me. Every one of these teachers had a different take on music, but collectively, it was taught that you should play what’s in your heart. The theory was, ‘Every day’s a new day’. You feel differently today than you did yesterday, so you’re going to play a little differently. After a lifetime of playing that way, I’m definitely not the guy who does the cover stuff note for note, but rather my interpretation of it. I’ve only taught myself a handful of licks in my lifetime. In Inner Planetary Monks (IPM), the groove is the great communicator. My guitar is the voice. I’m open to adding vocals, but I’m not going to go looking for it. Music is a language, and I’ve developed mine to the point where people like the way I speak.”
IPM is the culmination of Bobby’s musical life. “I’m finally giving myself permission to be who I am. I’m pretty critical of my playing and only in the last two years have come to actually like it.” Combine that statement with the incredible players whose paths have intersected with Nichols’ and you have an entirely new spectrum and depth of music few musicians are persistent enough to discover.
“Nat Scott, who originally hails from Texas, is an accomplished drummer with a wide palate of musical tastes, and is the heartbeat of the Monks,” declared Nichols. “His musicality and chops have brought him around the world with an A-list in the jazz/funk/groove world. His experience and willingness to open up and explore the music makes him special. This is one bad boy who’s also a classical pianist.”
Of his bassist, Bobby states, “Bob Gross is the pulse of the band. Bob’s playing experience in the jam band world with players from Ratdog, Bruce Hornsby, Peter Anderson, and his own involvement with Jemimah Puddleduck allow him to help take the band’s music to deep territory. IPM is a chance for Gross to dig into his deepest roots as a player.”
Bobby Nichols has made his presence known since coming to the desert in ’82 playing in the band “Cota”. Noticed by music writer Bruce Fessier of the Desert Sun from the start, making Bruce’s top 10 list of desert guitarists then, to being nominated this year in the CVMAs over a decade later, there is no question regarding Nichols’ abilities. But with the Inner Planetary Monks, the stage is set for Bobby Nichols to leave an indelible footprint of his very own on our desert’s rich musical sound-scape.
You have an opportunity to experience the music at Joshua Tree’s Strawberry Moon Event; an evening under the stars where Nichols and IPM will be joined by Steve Rushingwind, Kerosh Showghi, Paula Revera, Sequoia Smith and Steve Brown. The event will be held at the Joshua Tree Lake Campground. Tickets are $10 at door, Friday, June 13th, starting at 7:45 pm. Joshua Tree Lake, RV and Campground is located at 2601 Sunfair/Coyote Valley Rd., Joshua Tree
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