Biography

NELSON KOLE is a musician of great diversity. Nelson will tell you, “I’ve always found it difficult to describe what I do succinctly. In the course of a month or sometimes even a week I may be composing, writing arrangements or orchestrations, creating or recording a track in my studio, conducting for or accompanying a singer or playing keyboard in a session or for a live show. So there’s no simple way to describe what I do. Suffice it to say I’m a pianist who composes, arranges, orchestrates, and conducts. I live, eat and breathe music!"

Nelson’s professional career began on the Las Vegas strip where he accompanied headliners from Frank Sinatra to Dionne Warwick. He soon became musical director/arranger for Don Rickles, Ben Vereen, Ann Jillian, Lorna Luft and Clint Holmes. While in Las Vegas, Nelson’s jazz group Nelson Kole ‘n Kompany became a local favorite and their signature song "Tattoo" became a heavily requested song on jazz radio. 

 Moving to Los Angeles brought new and exciting opportunities. Nelson became composer/arranger on Martin Short’s TV series “Prime Time Glick” as well as Nickelodeon’s “Weinerville”. He collaborated with Billy Crystal writing “out take” songs for Crystal’s character, the One-Eyed Monster, in the Disney/Pixar animated feature, “Monsters, Inc.” “Someday”, a song that Nelson entered into American Idol’s first Songwriting competition, was chosen from a field of over 25,000 entries as a top twenty finalist and has since been recorded by Danny Rodriguez the singing policeman of 9/11 fame. Nelson also composed for Comedy Central’s “Talk Show With Spike Feresten" and NBC’s “Superstars Of Dance”.  

Currently, Nelson heads his own production company, Marinade Enterprises, which has produced music for over 7 dozen live shows for clients ranging from Princess Cruises to Dr Pepper to Apple Computers. 

Nelson has composed four musicals to date: “Dennis the Musical”, an adaptation of the popular Dennis the Menace comic strip character; “Pirates,” for Princess Cruises featuring an all-original score, a first for the cruise line industry; “Comfortable Shoes”, based on the life of Clint Holmes, which was nominated for Chicago’s prestigious Jeff Award for “Best New Work”; and "A Cappella Love" written with collaborator Mark Milner.

 As a featured piano soloist, Nelson has performed Leroy Anderson’s Piano Concerto In C with The Pacific Symphony, The Santa Barbra Symphony, The Florida Orchestra and The Brentwood Symphony. 

Nelson’s solo CDs "Tattoo" can be purchased at CD Baby and iTunes.   

Nelson resides in Woodland Hills, California where he continues to do what he does best…play ping pong and make music.