Nicholas Krolak is a jazz bassist and composer on the Philadelphia scene. Born in 1984, he grew up in Woodbridge, NJ just across the river from New York City. Although he was always interested in music and an avid listener, he didn’t pursue music until late in high school. This early experience was mostly playing in punk rock and ska bands, until a friend persuaded him to try upright bass in his rockabilly band.

He did not experience jazz until his second year of college. While attending Raritan Valley Community College, and playing in the jazz ensemble, he fell in love with jazz and the special connection between it and the upright bass. He quickly refocused his life around jazz, and rapidly built up the skills needed to pursue the next steps.

Krolak next attended and graduated from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA to study with Paul Rostock. While there, he began playing full time in the small but potent Lehigh Valley scene. He was also exposed to and played with some of the future greats such as Ravi Coltrane, David Sanchez, and Delfayo Marsalis.

After graduating, Nicholas moved to Philadelphia, but left almost immediately to tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. This was a formative experience, where he learned not only what it takes to build a career, but also how to live on the road. Soon after leaving the Miller Orchestra and returning to Philadelphia, he was on the road again with neo-soul singer Jessi Teich, alt folk band My Son Bison, and the English jazz saxophonist Art Themen. This was a very productive period for Nicholas, but kept him away from the Philly Jazz scene that he wanted to explore.

Now back in Philadelphia, Nicholas has dedicated himself to the jazz scene, and learning as much as possible from the masters of the city. He has recently backed local legends such as Larry McKenna, Tony Miceli, and John Swana as well as leading his own groups. This past year he received his Masters Degree in Jazz Studies from Temple University while studying with David Wong.

Although most of his work is as a straight ahead jazz sideman, Nicholas has been composing works influenced by a variety of sources such as free jazz, punk rock, ambient, and serial music. He is currently writing in this style for his project ‘South Cloud’, a collective of musicians and visual artists that seek to represent dreams and meditative states through music and visual art.

He now leads his own group, playing his compositions and releasing two albums in the process. While pursuing bandleading he also began a podcast called Voice = Power, in which he interviews Jazz visionaries and explores their processes and experiences. He has also been featured as a 2019 TEDx presenter, in which he premiered a collaborative work with vocalist V. Shayne Frederick.

Nicholas’ first release, Voice = Power, under Outside in Music’s label Next Level, is to be released May 22nd, 2020.

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