Nick Movshon

Nick Movshon
Birth nameNicholas Anthony Movshon
Born (1982-03-17) March 17, 1982 (age 42)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
GenresR&B, soul, pop, alternative rock
OccupationsMusician, record producer
Instruments
  • Bass
  • drums
  • guitar
  • percussion
  • vocals
Years active1999–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly ofAntibalas

Nicholas Anthony Movshon (born March 17, 1982) is an American bass guitarist, drummer and songwriter, best known for his considerable contributions to the New York funk and soul revival. A frequent contributor to the recorded output of Brooklyn-based labels Daptone Records and Truth & Soul, he has spent the past two decades playing with Charles Bradley, Lee Fields, and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and as a member of groups including Antibalas, Menahan Street Band, and El Michels Affair. He is also a founding member of The Arcs and has toured with The Black Keys.

A prolific session musician, he often works with producers Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse; "Valerie," "Back to Black"), Dan Auerbach (Lana Del Rey, Yola), and Leon Michels (Aloe Blacc; "I Need a Dollar"). He can be heard playing on tracks like Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven".[1]

History

Movshon began his career as a teenager playing in the band The Mighty Imperials with longtime collaborators Leon Michels, Homer Steinweiss, and Thomas Brenneck.[2] The band released music on Desco Records, a predecessor of seminal soul labels Daptone and Soul Fire, and soon was working as songwriters and sessions musicians for the latter. He joined Brooklyn Afrobeat ensemble Antibalas in the early 2000s and was soon a member of Michels' El Michels Affair and Brenneck's Menahan Street Band. Among other soul and funk bands affiliated with Truth & Soul Records and Daptone Records, Movshon is also a longtime member of Lee Field & The Expressions and has played with Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings.

While sitting in with The Dap-Kings in the 2000s, Movshon got to know Mark Ronson who was producing Amy Winehouse's record Back to Black with the group. He played bass on much of the record and would go on play on many other Mark Ronson productions since, often forming a rhythm section with Steinweiss.[2] In 2010, Movshon and Michels toured with The Black Keys. A few years later, they joined Dan Auerbach along with Steinweiss and Richard Swift to form The Arcs; The Arcs released their album Yours, Dreamily, in 2015. Over the past two decades, Movshon has also played with artists like Brooklyn art-rockers TV on the Radio and hip-hop group The Wu Tang Clan.

In 2014, Movshon built the Long Island City recording studio The Diamond Mine with Brenneck, Michels, and Steinweiss.[3]

The bass he is mostly known for using is a vintage Gibson Ripper.

Movshon lives in New York City.

Discography

With The Mighty Imperials

  • Thunder Chicken (2001)

With Antibalas

  • Who is This America? (2004)
  • Government Magic EP (2005)
  • Security (2007)

With El Michels Affair

  • Sounding Out The City (2005)
  • Walk On By (A Tribute To Isaac Hayes) EP (2009)
  • Enter The 37th Chamber (2010)
  • Loose Change EP (2014)
  • Return To The 37th Chamber (2016)
  • Adult Themes (2020)
  • Yeti Season (2021)

With Menahan Street Band

With Bronx River Parkway

  • San Sebastian 152 (with Candela All Stars) (2008)

With Lee Field & The Expressions

  • My World (2009)
  • Faithful Man (2012)
  • Emma Jean (2014)
  • Special Night (2016)
  • It Rains Love (2019)
  • Big Crown Vaults Vol. 1 (2020)

With Mark Ronson & the Business Intl.

With Charles Bradley (as part of the Menahan Street Band)

With The Fabulous Three

  • The Best Of The Fabulous Three (2014)

With The Arcs

With The Olympians

  • The Olympians (2016)

Other credits

Selected credits. Bass guitar credit unless otherwise noted.

References

  1. ^ Unorthodox Jukebox (CD liner). Bruno Mars. Atlantic Records. 533064-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ a b Madora, Ryan (2017-10-20). "Bass Players To Know: Nick Movshon". No Treble. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  3. ^ "The Diamond Mine Recording Studio" (PDF). The Diamond Mine. Retrieved March 7, 2021.