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.