NRG (New Rhythm Groove)

N R G (New Rhythm Groove) is the natural evolution in the Blues/R&B Genre, aggressively combining a seductive, funky feel with the soulful nuances of The Blues. Under the direction of producer, arranger, and multi-Keyboardist Lance Ong, together with co-writer & Vocalist Nicole Hart, the original compositions & re-arrangement of Classic Blues & R&B material can only be described as: “N R Gized”! Bringing the funky feel to the fore is virtuosic Bassist, Vonnie Hudson, whose mesmerizing grooves lock tight with hard-hitting Percussionist & Drummer, Joe Piteo, along with the fluid guitar work of top NYC Blues Guitarist, Rich Cohen. The mission of this consortium is to bring intense, provocative, & completely satisfying music to our audience.

NICOLE HART (Vocals) Nicole's timeless, intoxicating voice is beautifully soul-sweet, powerful silky, then gritty classic, yet absolutely contemporary. She has sung with Billy Joel & is featured on-camera in his "All About Soul" video from the River of Dreams CD. She has recorded or performed with many other artists, including Harry Belafonte, Michael Bolton, The Shirelles, & Michael Monroe, as well as having recorded for movies & television, including Jonathan Demi’s, “Something Wild”, & is renowned for her electrifying stage presence.

LANCE ONG (Multi-keyboards & Musical Director) Lance has a long career in the recording industry, working with such artists as The Pointer Sisters, Grand Funk Railroad, David Sanborn, an album by Andre Crouch which won a Grammy Award, Eryka Badu, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Johnny Halliday, Sylvie Vartan (French), Trini Lopez, & numerous others. His compositions have been featured in movies & television, and he is absolutely one of the most gifted and exciting soloists on the scene today.

RICH COHEN (Guitars) Eclectic and versatile, Rich steps to the plate with his multi-dimensional playing ranging from ripping blues solos, to sensitive jazz nuances, to funk & raw rock n roll. Performance and recording credits include: Rickie Lee Jones, Buddy Miles, Lucky Peterson, Billy Branch, Magic Slim, Don Was, Phoebe Snow, Gavin DeGraw, Was (Not Was), Randy Jacobs & The Boneshakers, Ted Hawkins, Bill Simms, and numerous others.

JOE PITEO - (Drums) Hard-driving rhythms, tight grooves, thrilling solos, Joe Piteo delivers all this and more. His playing is alternately spare, wittily complex, & always exciting. Locking tight with Bassist Vonnie Hudson, Joe’s playing makes an exceptionally firm foundation for NRG. Joe has played with recording artist, Gil Parris in fact, Gil occasionally makes guest appearances with NRG.

VONNIE HUDSON (Bass) Vonnie is one of the great talents to come out of New York. Whether laying down his mesmerizing groove, or enrapturing our audiences with his exceptional soloing, Vonnie’s playing undeniably personifies the 4 “T’s” of great musicianship: touch, taste, tone & timbre, & rounds out the NRG rhythm section for a totally satisfying, funky finesse.

To view the official NRG website, visit www.NRGband.net. See you at the show!

We absolutely play live, all throughout the NYC Metropolitan Tri-State area. We are currently considering a tour of Europe & Japan, as well as the West Coast. Here are some of the performance venues we have played:

Heinekin USA Summer Concert Series

Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul BBQ, NYC

Central Park Summerstage

South Street Seaport, NYC

Spiritstock Festival

Harley Davidson 30th Anniversary

J.P. Morgan Park Summer Concert Series

Blues 2000 Festival

Riverhead Blues Festival

Cornelia Street Soul of the Blues Festival, NYC

Croton-on-Hudson Music Fest

Bayou Music Festival

Danbury Summer Concert Series

Cornwall Riverfest

Botany Blues Festival

Peekskill Summer Concert Series

Vail-Leavitt Music Hall

Boulton Theatre

Yorktown Heights Grange Fair

Fresh Meadows Concert Series

Cedar Lane Alive Festival

Park Avenue Summer Concert Series, NYC

The Turning Point, Piermont, NY

The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ

Joyous Lake, Woodstock, NY

Mexicali Blues, Teaneck, NJ

Triumph Brewing Company, Princeton, NJ

The Boxcar, Southport, CT

The Bayou, Mt. Vernon, NY

Pete’s Saloon, Elmsford, NY

Tribeca Blues, NYC

Bar 9, NYC

Downtime, NYC

Nardi’s, Long Beach Island

Unionvile Vineyards, Ringoes

Susan Tedeschi, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Kahn, Bonnie Raitt, Cold Blood