Nicholas Cole - Blue Magic (2025)

While passionately seeking the creative breakthrough that fueled the old school R&B vision behind his upcoming fourth Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm album Blue Magic, multi-talented keyboardist, composer and producer Nicholas Cole kept up his wildly prolific ways collaborating with fellow genre greats, hitting #1 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart with Marcus Anderson, and labelmate Ryan La Valette and the Top Ten with Anderson and Brian Culbertson.

Nicholas set the stage for Blue Magic with the collection’s first lead single “Brown Sugar,” an elegant urban jazz ballad for the ages that marks his fourth #1 as a solo artist, following “Feelings” (featuring Julian Vaughn), “Soulmate” featuring Chieli Minucci (from Nicholas’ 2019 album The Weekend) and “Snap” (featuring Vincent Ingala) from his 2012 Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm debut album Endless Possibilities.

Overall, since his breakthrough as a teenaged smooth jazz sensation in the early 2010s, he has also scored six #1s and numerous Top Tens with fellow genre greats including the aforementioned artists as well as Special EFX and the late guitarist (also a labelmate) Nick Colionne. Prior to Blue Magic’s release later in 2025, the keyboardist will drop the title track “Blue Magic” in May. A soaring transcendent funk/soul symphony that will kick off the album after a dreamy atmospheric two minute “Intro,” the track is one of two on the album featuring the Philly Soul era styled string arrangements of Maurice “Piranahead” Herd, conducting the Soulchestra out of Detroit.

While keeping his trademark funkiness, sparkling melodies and hipster “today” vibes in the game with others, following the pandemic, Nicholas – never one to fall into the trap of repeating himself, regardless of past success – was looking for a fresh stylistic approach that could catapult his artistry to the next level. Though a child of the 90s and 2000s, thanks to his dad bringing him up on the Sound of Philadelphia and 70’s Motown West sounds, he’s always considered his roots to be classic R&B and funk. Awash with the polished production, transcendent arrangements, lush string sections, sizzling horn arrangements and easy grooving cool, Nicholas found his new groove in the answer to a single question: How would the Gamble & Huffs and their brilliant contemporaries create music with 2020s technology?

Named in part for the Philly Soul band of that golden era best known for their #1 R&B hit “Sideshow,” Nicholas says, “My album brings together old school vibes from that great era of Black Music with modern elements to take listeners on a journey from retro soul to future soul, an homage to soul music in totality. . “I haven’t felt this way in a long time and I felt I was reaching really deep to create these tunes. Blue is also my favorite color, and to me the album feels like a sky that’s as blue as can be, that feeling you get when the sun is out, life is good and everything feels like magic.”