It's Pronounced ``Freeze``
Yeah, it may look like “freece” or “freesee,” but my name really is pronounced “freeze”. It was originally “Fresa,” as my mom’s family was from the Naples, Italy area and my dad’s from Sicily. But they changed it without asking me, since it was about 40 years before I was born!
Anyway, I am a bassist-mandolinist-acoustic guitarist-vocalist based in South Jersey. I’ve been playing bass since I was 18, guitar a few years less than that, and mandolin only for the past 10 years or so. I am also a singer/songwriter, having released two original music projects, one called “Solace” and the other an EP called “Eclectric Dreams”. This site contains my schedule, some photos, and a list of equipment. Visit my ReverbNation page at www.reverbnation.com/nickfrese. for additional information and original tunes.
A Little Music History
When I first starting playing the bass, it was with Alba-Freeze, a band formed with my cousin, Dom Albanese of Secret Service Band fame. It should be noted that he and I started that band as a four-piece, but I was very long gone when it turned into the biggest act at the Jersey Shore after my friend Craig Phillips joined with the cuz. Alba-Freeze was the very first band to walk on stage at The Broadway Theatre in Pitman, NJ when they started doing live shows again after a very long time. We opened for the lovely Donna Fargo, who treated us like we belonged there, which we probably didn’t.
After that, it was a shore gig in Avalon, NJ with Another Star (Dom on drums, Joanie and Michael DiDominco were the other members). After I left Secret Service, I played on The Black Whale out of Beach Haven, NJ with cousin Paulie Presto, Jr., and we went on to form Heart & Soul in the mid-80s, a band that still gets together and records (and eats; lots of eating!) today.
Then I was a long-time member of the now defunct Black Tie Orchestra (with Paulie at the helm), a top Jersey wedding and special occasion act. I also played in a rocking band called Love Alive for 9+ years, and have been known to associate with various musical felons such as Deb Chamberlin, Paul Street, Gesenia Erolin, Bob Leonetti, Jim Oakley, Jim Cohen, Dave Hartl, Tim Reeder, Dave Lenat, and Bill Hornibrook, among other criminals. I am the bassist for Ronstadt Revue, the BEST Linda Ronstadt Tribute in the world, in my humble (albeit knowledgeable) opinion. Some of my favorite musicians include The Refugees, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Rick Springfield, Heart, and of course, Linda Ronstadt, among many, many others.
Additionally, I used to play a little baseball in and around the South Jersey area for the Washington Township Senators, but those days are sadly over due to a shoulder replacement, and due to the fact that I am as old as dirt. But it was my favorite place to be while I was doing it, and we won a LOT of championships.
THE TUNES
Here is a listing of some of the tunes I perform during my acoustic gigs. The list is ever changing, ever evolving — I am easily bored! As you will see, I can be a bit eclectic. But I simply play songs that I like to sing. Hope you will like them as much as I do.
Tom Petty
- Learning to Fly
- Free Falling
- Wildflowers
- Last Dance With Mary Jane
- Yer So Bad
- You Don’t Know How It Feels
- You Wreck Me
Motown
- Sugar Pie
- Just My Imagination
- My Girl
- You Really Got a Hold on Me (G)
- Reach Out
- What Becomes of Broken Hearted
- Baby I Need Your Loving
- Something About You
Eagles
- Take It Easy
- Tequila Sunrise
Beatles
- Let It Be
- Things We Said Today
- Hide Your Love Away
- Blackbird
- Across the Universe
- All I’ve Got to Do
- Anytime At All
- I Will
- I’ll Be Back
- I’m Looking Through You
- Mother Nature’s Son
- Nowhere Man
- P.S. I Love You
- We Can Work It Out
James Taylor
- Carolina In My Mind
- Country Road
- Sweet Baby James
- You Can Close Your Eyes
Other 70s Stuff
- Rocket Man
- Angie
- All I Want to Be Is By Your Side
- America
- Candida
- Cecelia
- Cherry Cherry
- Crazy Love
- Desperado
- Dixie Chicken
- Father and Son
- Garden Party
- Good Riddance
- Groovin’
- Harvest Moon
- Have You Ever Seen The Rain
- Heart of Gold
- I Believe When I Fall In Love
- I Can See Clearly Now
- Jet Airliner
- I Hear You Knocking
- If I Should Fall Behind
- If You Don’t Love Me
- In The Summertime
- Jersey Girl
- Keep Me In Your Heart
- Keep Rockin’ Me
- Knock Three Times
- Knockin’ On Heavens Door
- Landslide
- Leaving On A Jet Plane
- Long May You Run
- Tiny Dancer
- Me & Julio Down By Schoolyard
- Many Rivers to Cross
- Walk Away Renee
- Mexico
- Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
- Willin’
- My Maria
- Oh Girl
- Old Man
- Overkill
- Poor Poor Pitiful Me
- Reflections of My Life
- River
- Rocky Mountain High
- Roll Over Beethoven
- Solitary Man
- Something Fine
- Space Oddity
- Three Little Birds
- Sunshine
- Take Me Home Country Roads
- Vast Indifference of Heaven
- The Wind
- Wishing You Were Here
- Words
- Working Class Hero
- Your Song
- Pleasant Valley Sunday
- Another Saturday Night
- Cupid
- Wonderful World
- Shama Lama Ding Dong
- I Can’t Let Go
- Bluebird
- Hey Hey What Can I Do
- Let Your Love Flow
- The Cat’s in the Cradle
- Bluebird
Non-70s
- Papa Dukie & The Mud People
- Perfect
- Speed Trap Town
- Something More Than Free
- My Cleveland Heart
- Me and Magdelana
- Lose Some Time
- Volcano
- Where I Used to Have a Heart
- In Your Eyes
- God Only Knows
- Missing You
- Overkill
- Hold On Loosely
- Message in a Bottle
Nick Frese (Original Songs)
- Going With The Flow
- Indian Summer
- Let It Rain
- Long Time Gone
- Until We Meet Again
My Gear
Every musician loves his/her gear. If they tell you they don’t, they are lying! Here are the instruments I own:
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- Gamma Custom Bass Guitars (2)
I have one gorgeous mint green bass with a “J” style aged neck and a “P” style body, and it plays like BUTTER. I also have a “J” style in a beautiful brown sunburst patter with black tuners and hardware. A beaut! Click here to buy one from Joey! - Andrew White Freja 2D2 NAT Dao Wood Acoustic Guitar
A lovely instrument with beautiful pearl inlays on the neck, this thing plays like butter. Buy one here. - Hofner Club Bass Guitar
A great sounding, very light hollow-body bass similar to the McCartney Beatlebass, but different enough to be distinctive. Has that same great Hofner “whump,” though! Got this from Jason at Sweetwater, the best “big-box” retailer on the web. - Michael Kelly “F” Style Mandolin
While it isn’t in the class of the very high-end mandolins, I think this Michael Kelly has a pretty nice tone, perhaps thanks to the “O” hole in the center, which is kinda rare on mandolins. I believe the model has been discontinued. - Fender Precision (Mexican)
My back-up Fender P bass is now semi-retired, but it remains a great sounding instrument for something so danged cheap — I got it used for $75! Special kudos to cousin Kyle Brown for the custom paint job and “hippie” vibe.
- Gamma Custom Bass Guitars (2)
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- Epiphone Les Paul Junior Special Electric Guitar
Speaking of cheap, got this for $60.00 just for recording purposes! But it sure does play nice, with low action and a nice tone. Maybe someday I’ll upgrade, but for as little as I use it, why bother? A nice looking guitar for the money. - Seagull Parlor Guitar
Bought this sunburst guitar used from a lovely gentleman (a pianist) in South Philly who just wasn’t using it very much. It’s a very sweet guitar build for picking. I think it may be discontinued. - Seagull Merlin. This unique instrument is basically a dulcimer. Easiest thing EVER to play. You really can’t hit a bad note on the thing. Very relaxing and fun to play. Get one!
- Epiphone Les Paul Junior Special Electric Guitar
CONTACT
I am always happy to hear from friends, fans, foes, whatever. If you have something to say, please say it in the form at right and hit the Submit button.
Thanks!