Nick Marechal Engineers A DETOUR Of SoCal

Guitarist and singer-songwriter, Nick Marechal's unique imprint on music is calculated, you might say. His unique background in mathematics and engineering only enhances his stronghold and understanding of the structures of the classics of blues, Americana and even jazz-influenced original songs. To see him live, to experience the tight artistry and soulful lyrics of his original compositions is to feel alive! He leaves just the right amount space to feel as though the songs are being improvised live and yet still are faithful renditions pulled from his recorded tracks.

Marechal is a product of his time - a Californian Renaissance artist tracking his fans one show at a time. He's on the right track and firmly has his eyes set on his musical path. His set includes a mix of originals in the rock, blues and jazz genres, to covers such as The Mamas and The Papas' "California Dreamin", Wesley Tuttle's "Detour", the classic social commentary of "16 Tons" and even The Beatles' "Things We Said Today".

Marechal's Detour 2019 will be live at the following venues:

• January 25 | The Canyon | Agoura Hills, Calif. (Support to Rita Coolidge)
• January 27 | The Rose | Pasadena, Calif. (Support to Rita Coolidge)
• February 2 | The Rose | Pasadena, Calif. (Support to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy)
• February 7 | The Canyon | Agoura Hills, Calif. (support to The Smithereens)
• February 21 | The Rose | Pasadena, Calif. (support to Orleans)
• March 25 | The Canyon | Agoura Hills, Calif. (support to Mark Farner)

In 1968, Marechal was just another kid in the San Fernando Valley learning to play guitar. Elvis was a hero making a comeback. Garage bands were in every neighborhood. FM radio ruled. That period provided inspiration for writing the song "Son of the Blues." In the early 1970s, Marechal received lessons from the late, great jazz and multi-genre impresario, Ted Greene. Marechal's picking style, knowledge of chords and an appreciation for the American songbook are derived from Greene's influence.

Marechal became interested in mathematics and engineering, eventually earning a PhD in mathematics from University of California Los Angeles in 1986. Just a few years later, he became a member of the technical staff at The Aerospace Corporation and retired in 2013 at the rank of distinguished engineer. During that period he authored journal and conference papers in the fields of imaging radar and lasers. Marechal's logo is based on a waveform found in sound and radio which forms his initials "NM."

In the 1990s he performed in a three-piece blues rock band, Power Spectrum. He then began recording with the help of session players Mike Finnigan on the Hammond B3 organ, Leland Sklar on bass and John Robinson on drums. John Ferraro would later replace on drums. The current recording and touring band is comprised of Andrew Ford on Bass, Greg Mathieson on B3, Quinn Johnson on Piano, John Ferraro on drums, and Nick on guitars and vocals. Marechal jokingly refers to the band as an 'all-star band' if not for him!

Grammy-winning engineer and producer Niko Bolas brought Marechal to Capitol Recording Studios and sent him to voice builder Gary Catona to help polish his musical contributions. Still to this day, Marechal and his band record at the famed Capitol Recording Studios, as well as East West in the heart of Hollywood.

Not bad for a guy from the Valley who knows a few theorems and how to bend strings.

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