Solomon Hicks

“King” Solomon Hicks is a guitarist, blues, jazz singer, and composer. His style of music ranges from jazz, blues, classical, gospel, R&B, funk, Afro-Cuban, and classic rock. Hicks has been a blues guitarist since he was 13.^[1] He plays a Benedetto GA35 guitar. Benedetto jazz guitars are hand crafted by Robert Benedetto an American luthier of archtop jazz guitars. He teaches beginning and advanced guitar along with music theory.^{[2][3][4][5][2][6][7][8][9][10]}

He is endorsed by Benedetto guitars.^{[11][12][7][13][14]} His first recording was when he was 14 with the Cotton Club All-Star Band at the age of 14. The CD is called Embryonic. He tours nationally and internationally. He has toured in Spain, Denmark, Germany, Mexico, Japan, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, and the United States.^{[15][16][17][18][19]}

Early life

Hicks received his first guitar lessons at the age six. His mother Holly Hicks was his first tutor. She schooled him in the history of African-American music.^[20] He first started out learning soul music, blues, and then on to Jimi Hendrix style funk. He was playing music before he learned to read music. He attended the Harlem School of Arts, and Jazzmobile's training program. His parents took the young Hicks to jam sessions where he got to sit in. This parents took him to such clubs in Harlem as the Lenox Lounge, and St. Nick's Pub in Harlem. At an early age Hicks sat in on jam sessions with musicians such as Patience Higgins, Charles Earland, and Jimmy McGriff.

At the age of 13 he starting playing with the Cotton Club in New York City's 17-piece band as a lead guitarist. He still performs at the Cotton Club, and as been performing there for nine years.

At Harlem's School of the Arts and at Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts he studied Jazz, Classical and Afro-Cuban guitar. He attended Jazzmobile workshops where he studied Bebop with Barry Harris. Solomon says that his first mentor was Melvin Sparks.

At an early age Solomon starting performing at the New Amsterdam Musical Association in Harlem (NAMA), and at the Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Career

In 2010 Hicks performed during the New York Knicks game. He has performed at the United Nations in New York City. In 2009 he performed for the U.S. Open, and has performances for the United Nations.

He has performed for former Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, as well as performing for former Governor of New York David Paterson, and former Congressman Charlie Rangel.

Hicks has performed at the KISS Kruise V, the Joe Bonamassa Blues Cruise in 2017, the FESTIVAL DE BLUES DE BÉJAR-Blues CAZORLA-San Javier in Spain, in France at the Jazz Marciac, and the Cotton Club in Tokyo. He has performed at music festivals in Spain, Germany, France, Japan, Denmark, Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, and United States of America music festivals.^[21]

He has performed with artists including Tony Bennett, Jon Hendricks, Antoinette Montague, Jay Hoggard, Alvester Garnett, Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Bruce Springsteen, Neal Evans Soulive, The Destroyers George Thorogood, The Marcus King Band, Jimmy Vivino, Danny Mixon, Sam Moore, William Bell (singer), Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton, John Németh, Roger Earl (Foghat), Ne-Yo, Davy Knowles, Kim Simmonds -Savoy Brown, Gregg Allman, Eric Gales, Russell Malone, Stanley Banks, the B.B. King Blues Band (with Junior Mack), Kermit Ruffins, Lonnie Youngblood, Southside Johnny, Elvin Bishop, Belden Bullock, T. K. Blue, Danny Mixon, and Winard Harper.

Hicks teaches music, and has taught music at the Children's Aid Society in New York City.

He performs regularly in New York City at the Iridium, Ashford and Simpson's Sugar Bar, The Red Rooster, Terra Blues, Ginny’s, and Minton's Playhouse. He performs regularly in New Jersey at Shanghai Jazz.

His band performs regularly at the Cotton Club on Blues Fridays and Swing Dance Mondays with his band the King Solomon Hicks Blues Quintet.^[2]

Hicks is a member of the Harlem Arts Alliance member. He performs and is a supporter of New York City's Jazzmobile, and is a member of The Blues Foundation headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.

Hicks opened for Ringo Starr and Jeff Beck at the Holland International Blues Festival in June 2018 in Blues Village Grolloo, the Netherlands.^[22][23]

In 2018 he toured with Beth Hart, performing in Las Vegas, Nevada, the New Orleans, Louisiana.^[24][25][26]

Albums

• His first CD recorded on the Cotton Club label, "Embryonic," when he was 14.
• 2015 – Carrying On The Torch Of The Blues
• Spring 2018 album on Mascot Label Group

Awards

• 2008 – Jazz Excellence Award and scholarship Friendly 50 Club organization
• AUDELCO 'Rising Star Honoree 2009-2010^[27]
• 2012 – J. Walter Thompson’s Differenter Committee chosen as their nine “Innovators of Change”. He was one of the subjects for the film documentary as one of New York's accomplished and creative African-American citizens.^[3]
• 2017 – Hot House Magazine award winner for 'Rising Star Male'^[28]

References