Alex Nester

There are many skilled vocalists who have the right ingredients: proper technique, lung power, and perfect pitch. Yet even those admirable attributes sometimes can not replace heart, soul, and a natural ability to deliver the goods in several genres. Two artists who have delivered the goods over the past few years are Cristina Aguilera and Joss Stone, each of whom first won audiences as teenage phenomenons and still maintains that soulful, gutsy fire with every note she sings. Many faithful music fans can now add twenty-four year old Alex Nester to that list. She may have not been the household name during her teenage years like Aguilera and Stone, but whenever Nester performs traditional or contemporary blues, an upbeat soul jam, or a convicting gospel piece, her vocals invite the listener in; holding their attention through all the verses, choruses, and hooks. With a resume that encompasses musical theatre, singing alongside legendary stars, and winning a regional music award at the age of sixteen, the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter now releases her debut recording Rattle The Walls. The disc produced by longtime associate - veteran producer/arranger Robby Robinson (Martha Reeves, Alphonse Mouzon) offers a full menu of urban delights: blues, gospel, R&B, soul, and jazz; all delivered with a compelling voice that has lived the professional highs and tackled the personal lows.
Alex Nester - born Erin Alexandra Nester - grew up with musically inclined parents. Her father - jazz horn player Russell Nester, has backed Alex in the local blues band Gary Manker & The Blues Crew, and honed his craft in various regional jazz and swing bands for several decades. Her mother, acting coach Candace Nester, always encouraged Alex's vocal gifts. Since her first commercial for Yo-Gel at age nine, Alex always found steady employment. She has worked with top forty hit makers The Four Tops, The Fifth Dimension, and Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. As a recording artist, Alex was part of the cross-cultural female pop/rock vocal trio, Knockout, who in 2004 recorded the independent disc Can You Hear Me Now and was also honored by the government of The Republic of China to represent the U.S. as goodwill ambassadors for modern western pop music.

After paying all those dues on a regional basis, Nester reached her musical peak when she received the Outstanding Female Vocalist award at the 2000 esteemed L.A. Music Awards for her original composition, "Unique." Many musicians and critics raved about Nester's astounding vocal talents. Well-respected jazz fusion drummer/percussionist Mouzon dubbed Nester as "one of the greatest singers in the world." Bobby Burns Jr., the current trumpeter for Earth Wind & Fire puts her on par with other soulful voices: "a voice with the soul of Aretha, the song quality of Nancy Wilson, and the fire of Chaka."

Unfortunately, after receiving her L.A.M.A. accolade, the following year brought an unforeseen illness that changed Nester's career goals for a short but very painful period. While recording her debut project with long time musical associate Robinson, Nester was stricken with cancer. Fortunately after a year of chemotherapy and lots of prayers from friends and family, she was declared cancer-free. Thus, Nester continued her recording journey which resulted in Rattle The Walls from independent label Squeelo Records.

Rattle The Walls really rattles with plenty of passion from Nester's gigantic voice. This disc also transports the listeners with a retro, organic sound that will take listeners back to those raw soul and blues music days from record labels like Motown, Stax, Hi, and Malaco. Everything on Rattle The Walls is on-point as Nester easily navigates her way through upbeat jams and poignant ballads. For starters, "Unique" (which won Nester the L.A. Music Award in 2000) has a traditional blues feel with lyrics encouraging people to avoid being controlled by what others think. Another blues burner, "Been Through It All," is a song declaring victory over her bout with cancer and all her other disappointments: "I've been through the test, I had to show what I learned." The soul classic, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know;" covered by many artists like Donny Hathaway, Blood Sweat & Tears, and Elliott Yamin, perfectly showcases Nester's charismatic voice. "Key of Truth" cleverly stirs up tidbits of funky top forty classics: "Takin' It To The Streets" by the Doobie Brothers and "Serpentine Fire" by Earth Wind & Fire. Speaking of classics, Nester joins The Four Tops on the signature Motown hit, "Can't Help Myself." There is more Motown in store with a medley dedicated to some of the best of Stevie Wonder entitled "Sir Stevie." This is by far my favorite moment because Nester matches Wonder's energy level and integrity in her own incomparable way, and somehow manages to successfully piecemeal "Superstition" with "As," "You Haven't Done Nothin', "Livin' For The City," and "Have A Talk With God" into a funky jazz delicious stew.

Assisting Nester on Rattle The Walls are a host of musicians mostly based out of the Los Angeles area, many who have worked with Nester during her younger years, including Nester's father Russell and producer Robinson. These longtime musical connections are another reason why this exhilarating disc is worthwhile listening.

Both fans and musicians will certainly continue to champion this young singer/songwriter to aim for the greater heights in the music industry. With Rattle The Walls, Nester already has joined the ranks of Aguilera and Stone as young female voices that realize the essence of soul music - impressive song interpreters who never cheat their audiences with their performances. Overall, no matter what Nester accomplishes in the entertainment industry, she has all the qualities and charisma in developing her own star; perhaps maybe on the Hollywood Walk of Fame someday. Highly Recommended.
- By Peggy Oliver

Even though Teena Marie still rules the charts, as being what we consider respectfully the lady of “Blue Eyed Soul”, and she has made her mark in the R&B world....There are countless other that are trying to get to that coveted spot. Alex Nester poses a severe threat to the entire genre that is trying to make it to the top. Alex’s newest effort “Rattle The Walls” does exactly that with this gospel, rock, r&b, funk cd. Alex has all the bases covered, especially with the a-list musicians she has incorporated: From Alphonse Mouzon, Eric Marienthal, Brandon Fields, & Zoro, to the last track featuring the Motown Legends -The Four Tops.
Singing professionally since the age of nine, her resume already includes 12 albums, countless jingles, and over 25 theatrical productions, as well as working with top musicians.

The album starts off with a Gospel styled song call “Unique” and continues throughout with different styles of music. Track 8, “Sir Stevie” is a funk infused production dedicated to the legend himself -Stevie Wonder.

The last track of the amazing cd is the Motown Classic “Can’t Help Myself”, featuring the Four Tops, and it’s a beautiful version....

.....The voice of a true singer is here on the project and has the power of Aretha Franklin, the compassion of Anita baker, and the fire....and I mean.... fire of Chaka Khan, all rolled into one awesome package!
- By Marv D

Once again, we at JazzandSoul HQ are extremely proud to present another huge revelation in music with twenty four year old, Los angeles based songstress Alex Nester and her debut record, Rattle the Walls. Nester, who has lived her share of life, even at this young age (as she was diagnosed with cancer in 2001) managed to release a collection of songs (15 in total), that excel on every level and in every style she touches. Therefore, Rattle the Walls is an extremely successful project that covers genres from gospel to R&B, from pop to blues and back.

Alex' extra surplus however comes in the form of a multi octave voice which she perfectly adjusts to the tempo, timbre, atmosphere and tone of the songs. The bluesy gospel - ish opener Unique, in fact represents both an ending and a beginning. In 2000, Alex was awarded The Outstanding Female Vocalist Award at the LA Music Awards with this particular track, right before she received the terrible news of her ilness. Now after her victorious bout, Unique returns ... inviting the listener into Nester's world of sounds as the (new) start of something beautiful indeed.

As mentioned, it's quite remarkable in which matter, Alex Nester morphs her songs of diversity as if each style hides no surprises. She shines in her blues with tracks as Unique and Been through it All, she sparkles when she delivers soulful sounds in Impossible or Smile. Her ballads are heavenly and float on Alex's incredible vocal range, lifting the quality standard into sky high dimensions and when she covers a jam, she doesn't avoid risks and does it like the best. Just listen to the classic soul groove I love you more than you'll ever Know and the sublime Stevie Wonder hotch potch Sir Stevie.

I remember back in the days, when a certain Mrs. Joss Stone put her nose to the window for the first time and received rave reviews on the 'uniqueness' of her sound. Well, count this little lady in the same league.
With proper promotion, Alex Nester will become a worldwide superstar.

Her full album debut, Rattle the Walls is a must have.
- Jazz and Soul

Girls grow up fast in the music business, and Alex Nester was no exception. Still only 25, the Los Angeles singer-songwriter has had more gigs than most performers could hope for in a lifetime. She began her professional career at the age of nine by singing the jingle for a product that combined yogurt and gelatin into a concoction called Yo-Gel: “Two cool tastes that you are going to love!” Ok, so that lyric was not written by Bob Crewe. But the bouncy recording of the jingle was produced by a musical whiz named Robby Robinson. Keep that name in mind because he’ll return to the Alex Nester story.

Yo-Gel was only the beginning. Over the next 16 years, just to give a few highlights, Nester sang at Disneyland with the girl group Knockout and starred in such musicals as The Wiz and Once Upon a Mattress. She appeared on stage with Florence LaRue, an original member of the Fifth Dimension, and sang backup on a Frankie Valli album (Romancing the ’60s). Not even a year-long battle with cancer, which struck when she was 16, could scuttle her career. As a matter of fact, in an industry where shooting stars usually fizzle and fall, Nester is only now soaring into the solo spotlight with her debut album: the stunningly soulful and jazzy Rattle the Walls. And oh yeah, it was produced by that guy again, Robby Robinson, who happens to be Frankie Valli’s musical director and a long-time member of the Four Seasons.

Motown fans will love the ingenious medley of Stevie Wonder songs, called “Sir Stevie,” and the rousing guest appearance of the Four Tops on a remake of “I Can’t Help Myself.” But, given the venue of this post, I’ll focus on the Jersey Boy connections, which run deep. The list of the backing musicians is a Who’s Who of former Four Seasons, including bassist Rex Robinson, guitarists Fino Roverato and Matt Baldoni, drummer Zoro and percussionist Richie Gajate Garcia, along with the Robby Robinson on keyboards. And three of the current Four Seasons — Brandon Brigham, Brian Brigham and Todd Fournier — sing backup on an exciting reprise of the Seasons’ 1967 classic “Beggin’.”

That’s pretty much it for the oldies, though. Eleven of the songs are a pleasingly diverse batch of originals written by Nester and usually co-written by Robinson, her all-purpose producer. I’ll leave it to professional music critics to dissect these new tunes and place them in the current music scene. Better yet, check them out for yourself, since Rattle the Walls is available from cdbaby.com, Amazon.com and the iTunes store.

One thing is undeniable: Nester has a great voice that she wields with both power and subtlety. My personal favorite on the album is a heart-grabber that she wrote all by herself: “The Music in My Life.” I don’t know of any better way to say “I love you” than singing “you are the music in my life.” I predict that Nester’s next 25 years will be as full of music as her first 25. - Charles Alexander

By Amy Bentley

Simi Valley’s own Alex Nester could be the next “American Idol.”
This 25-year-old soul singer, songwriter, pianist and music teacher is one of the 181 contestants selected from auditions across the country to go to Hollywood for the next level of competition.

That starts this week; “American Idol” from Hollywood begins airing at 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox.

Nester, who traveled to Denver to compete on “Idol,” was among 26 contestants who passed the first round of auditions there.

She has told friends the show forbids her from giving media interviews or discussing her participation and status with anyone. But her friends in Simi Valley are rooting for her after her brief appearance on the show Tuesday and Wednesday nights, where she was shown holding her “golden ticket” to Hollywood.

Late Tuesday night, Nester posted this message on her Facebook page: “Hollywood here I come!!!”

Her audition interview on the show is posted on her Facebook page and on her Web site, http://www.alexnestermusic.com.

Nester has come a long way since she started singing in a school play in third grade and since she beat cancer as a teenager.

‘A role model to everyone’
Bursting with pride for the young woman who has inspired and positively affected so many in her community, dozens of friends and supporters gathered Tuesday evening at the Simi Valley home of Nester’s mother to watch the show, hoping to see Nester’s audition.

As it turned out, it wasn’t among those televised on Tuesday’s or Wednesday’s shows, but an elated Nester was shown in brief background shots holding her golden ticket.

Nester’s friends are thrilled she is pursuing her shot at musical stardom.

“She is not just a brilliant singer; she’s a role model to everyone,” said Lynnzee Fraye, 16, a student at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley who has taken voice lessons from Nester for three years and attended the “Idol” party.

“She’s my role model in everything,” said Lynnzee, lead singer for the local teen rock band Right of Light. “She’s one of the nicest people I know (and) the things she can do with her voice, it’s crazy.”

Lynnzee said Nester has taught the band members how to sing in their range and harmonize better.

“She gives me something to strive for. I’ve grown so much with her,” Lynnzee said. “She deserves to be huge. She has so much talent.”

Kevin Pugh of Simi Valley, Right of Light’s 16-year-old bass player, agreed. “She’s absolutely amazing,” said the Santa Susana High student. “She’s had so much experience. She’s helping a lot with my backup vocals in Right to Light, to develop my range more.”

Humbled in life
Lynnzee’s mother, D’Anne Fraye, said Nester is humble and down-to-earth, perhaps due in part to the winning battle she waged with cancer when in high school.

“She is the kind of kid I want my daughter to idolize. She’s a good, all-American, straight-up kid. She has a lot of heart,” said D’Anne Fraye.

By the time she was 16, Nester was an experienced singer who had been featured on eight CDs, sung commercials and had earned honors at the Los Angeles Music Awards.

However, a cancer diagnosis when Nester was 16 sidelined her promising career as she endured chemotherapy to beat lymphoma. (She remains cancer-free today.)

Despite having cancer and being unable to sing for a while, Nester maintained her 4.0 grade-point average at Santa Susana High and sang at her graduation ceremony.

According to Fraye, Nester flew to Denver to audition for “Idol” instead of auditioning in Los Angeles to increase her odds due to the huge number of hopefuls seeking auditions in L.A.

More than 9,000 people turned out to audition in Denver, according to the “American Idol” Web site. Nester wore a standout hairstyle: long, dark blond braids.

For the past year, Nester has been singing at various venues and teaching vocals and keyboards at Rock Nation, a music school with a branch in Thousand Oaks.

According to her bio on Rock Nation’s Web site, Nester has been singing professionally since she was 9 and has worked with established musicians including the Four Tops, the Fifth Dimension, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

“She has a good following. A lot of the female vocalists just love her; she connects with them really well,” said Amanda Brehm, manager of Rock Nation’s Thousand Oaks school.

Brehm said Nester’s students have missed her while she has been gone taping for “American Idol.”

“She is really good; she can go very far,” Brehm said.

A year ago, Nester released her debut CD of 15 songs, called “Rattle the Walls.” The music is a blend of gospel, jazz, soul, funk and R&B and was well-received on Web sites about independent musicians.

A review on indieupdate.com stated: “From the first note Alex Nester lets loose, the listener will be mesmerized. Can a young woman (only 24) really bring such emotion, such passion to rhythm and blues or soul music? The answer from all quarters is an unqualified ‘yes!’” - Ventura County Star

By Amy Bentley

The “American Idol” saga continued last week for Simi Valley’s Alex Nester, who made the cut Tuesday and Wednesday nights during the first two rounds of auditions for Hollywood Week.

On Tuesday, Nester performed alone onstage before the judges and was among 97 who advanced to the next round, group performances.

On Wednesday, she performed in a group and made it through.

She is one of 71 still in the competition.

The winnowing process down to 24 contestants — when the show will go live and become interactive with viewers — will continue this week, with shows on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

So far, Nester is becoming the queen of the nanosecond photo bite on the hit Fox reality series. On all four shows in which she has “appeared” — advancing to the next level in three of them — she is virtually unseen, flashing by so quickly you can’t see her unless you can hit pause.

“Disappointed once again with ‘American Idol,’” wrote a fan on Nester’s Facebook fan site. “We still haven’t heard Alex sing. Keep on being Alex; it seems to be working.”

“Yep she made it!” wrote another fan. “So exciting someone we know has actually gotten this far! I have seen clips of her on every show; it’s just a split second and I only know it’s her because of her braids, but the clip is always showing she made it thru to the next round.”

Nester, who along with other active contestants is not allowed to talk to the media about her status on the show, did not update her post in the day after the Wednesday show.

But she did respond to her Facebook friends, thanking them for their support and acknowledging that perhaps she has avoided the spotlight simply because there has been no drama surrounding her, as there was most of those highlighted on the show.

“Yeah there really wasn’t any,” she wrote. “I had a good group =)”

Nester, a 25-year-old soul singer, pianist, songwriter and voice coach, does know drama; a singer since she was 9, she survived lymphoma at 16 and went on to work with legendary musicians and groups including the Four Tops, the Fifth Dimension, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

A year ago, she released her debut CD of 15 songs; called “Rattle the Walls,” it’s a blend of gospel, jazz, soul, funk and R&B. She has not been signed by a major recording label, however.

For the past year, she has been singing at various venues and teaching vocals and keyboards at Rock Nation, a music school with a branch in Thousand Oaks.

Now, if she can just get some airtime, she stands poised for a vast audience.

The news agency Reuters reported that some 27.7 million Americans tuned in Tuesday for the debut of new “Idol” judge Ellen DeGeneres, up 12 percent from the previous week and the second biggest audience since the season premiere in January.

“Everybody is so excited for her,” Simi Valley resident D’Anne Fraye said in a phone interview; her daughter, Lynnzee, takes singing lessons from Nester and the Fraye family is keeping tabs on Nester’s progress. “We wish she would just be shown.” - Ventura County Star

By Amy Bentley

Simi Valley singer Alex Nester’s “American Idol” saga ended when she was cut from the latest round of auditions on Tuesday night, but her “Idol” experience might not be over just yet.

“If I’m nowhere in my career in six months when auditions roll around for the next season, it’s likely I will audition again,” Nester told The Star on Wednesday, after she was no longer restricted against giving media interviews since she is no longer an active contestant for season nine.

Nester was eliminated from the hit Fox reality series Tuesday night, without getting her shot to sing on the show before the massive TV audience. Nester posted her new status on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to let her friends and supporters know she did not make it to the top 24 semifinalists.

In all, Nester said, the experience was incredible and she’s glad she participated.

“I have no regrets and nothing bad to say about anybody on that show. Every single person who works on that show works tirelessly and works their tails off. It was a positive experience. It has helped me. I just wish it helped me more,” said Nester, a 25-year-old soul singer, pianist, songwriter and voice coach in Ventura County.

She said her biggest disappointment was not getting to sing on the show before the TV viewers. She believed she had a strong story to tell, considering she survived lymphoma at 16 and is pursuing her dream to become a professional singer and performer.

“There were a lot of incredible people that you never even heard,” she said of the contestants. Not getting her chance to sing on TV, she said, “hurts more than getting kicked off.”

“I think they want somebody that is a little more moldable. After all, it’s a reality show. I knew that going in.”

With just a few flashes on the screen each week, Nester said she feels like she was never even there.

In a video interview she posted Tuesday night on YouTube, Nester thanked her supporters and friends and offered congratulations to the semifinalists. She said she will post online the songs she performed for “Idol” that were not shown on TV.

Looking to the future, Nester plans to continue teaching vocals and keyboards at Rock Nation, a music school with a branch in Thousand Oaks, and playing music with her band at as many local venues as possible. She will also continue to promote her CD of 15 songs that she released a year ago called “Rattle the Walls,” a blend of gospel, jazz, soul, funk and R&B. She’s sent out and sold about 1,000 copies.

“I’ve pretty much made back what I spent on them,” she said.

She pledged to keep trying to get her big break in the music business. Using the Internet and social media Web sites, she’s reaching a large audience of people online. She said she had to lie low for a while during the “Idol” process and she can’t wait to get out and play music once again.

As for expanding the stable of clubs and venues where she might perform, she said, “I’m hoping ‘Idol’ will get me in a couple of places.”

On the Net:

Nester’s interview on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5_GUKrlruc. - Ventura County Star

By Suzanne Marcus Fletcher

Some say, the intensity of experience that occurs at age sixteen remains forever etched in our collective conscious. Perhaps it's due to the series of "firsts" we encounter at this age. Whether it's the hyper-emotions of our first relationship, the adrenaline-rush of our first cars, or the sweaty anticipation of futures wide-open, we seldom entertain a life-threatening illness just when our journey begins to flourish.

For Alex Nester, a high-school student with a cascade of blonde curls for whom a passion for singing had already yielded eight albums, sixteen was high adventure. Yet on what seemed like an ordinary day last winter, Nester suffered from nausea and complained of "tightness" in her mid-chest, which she attributed to a pulled-muscle from a hip-hop dance at school. A trip to the E.R. proved her wrong, when a doctor reported the results of an ultra-sound revealing Nester had tumors that would later be determined cancerous.

"I started to cry and pray," said Nester, who didn't then realize the critical timing of the discovery. After a series of dizzying tests failed to provide her physicians' conclusive answers, Nester was headed for major surgery.

"They were going to take me to UCLA," said Nester, "But ten minutes before I got in the ambulance, Dr. Khalil came in and said: 'Hang up the phone. We figured out what it is; you have lymphoma, not carcinoma.'"

Dr. Hany R. Khalil, a noted cancer specialist connected to the Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, and a 21-year veteran of oncology medicine, is perhaps equally known for his calming bedside manner and the compelling emotional support his office-staff provides cancer patients. Yet at the moment of diagnosis, most are not contemplating "bedside manner" or frankly ready to go to the "therapy place." To be sure, many are still tackling that irrepressible fork in the road called: ACCEPTANCE OR DENIAL.

Candy Nester, Alex' mother, sits in a kind of stunned repose when recalling her reaction: "My first thought was: Is she going to live? I just kept looking at the doctor; I wanted him to say something else -- it was surreal."

Few would argue that getting the correct diagnosis is foremost in treating a life-threatening disease, yet finding a specialist who supports the emotional needs of patients enduring the often challenging treatment phase of cancer is another matter.

"The important thing is to be honest," said Khalil, "Number two, is to be understanding of the patient. I don't believe in making anyone wait for anything. You need to treat cancer patients in a special way. That's what differentiates cancer specialists. We all have the same information -- the difference is TLC."

After a stint in the hospital, Nester began chemotherapy. "I was scared before my first session -- I did not want to go in there," said Nester, whose honeyed, child-like voice belies a keen self-assurance.

"But Denise and Cindy [at the oncology office] were always there -- they would give me hugs and say 'this is going to get better.'" Denise Seth-Hunter and Cindy Richards are part of Khalil's fervent support staff who pepper their dialogue with unabashed phrases like: "Everyone who comes in is like family," or "You share their story, they share yours." According to those interviewed, however, these are not mere words, but a philosophy in action, by a staff keenly aware that patients passing through their doors are indeed struggling for their lives.

Nester commented that at the beginning of treatment particularly, "I was tired and lived in my room for God knows how long." To combat her exhaustion and keep her spirits up, she added, "The best part was that my friends got to come with me to chemo. My boyfriend visited me everyday." Much ink has been spent on the importance of the mind/body connection for those coping with and surviving cancer. But ultimately, how important is it to address the emotions of cancer patients? For many oncologists, tackling depression head-on and helping patients to maintain a positive outlook are considered essential elements in treating the disease.

"The more positive one's mental attitude, the better the immune system appears to be in helping fight it," said The Cancer Cure Foundation. "Negative thoughts and emotions can be extremely toxic to the body's anti-cancer defense system. 'Will to live' is very important -- along with hope."

Hope indeed.

"A lot of oncology offices don't get attached to their patients. They're systematic and cold," said Nester. "If somebody who doesn't care is working on you and trying to save your life -- you don't feel hopeful. When they are genuinely concerned and care about your well-being -- that gives you the extra boost."

As to dealing with life and death every day, Richards offered, "It's great when you can say [to a patient]: 'We've done this many cycles of chemo and your tumor has shrunk. People do get better."

Yet Nester was cautious not to create a falsely-cheerful picture of treatment, detailing her mood-swings, depression and the dreaded day she had to cut her distinctive curls.

"I kept my hair," Nester confides, as though her locks were a treasured link to better days.

As to imminent plans to return to singing, Nester brightened, "I plan to do a show with my group, regardless of how much hair I actually have -- with no wig! My hair symbolizes what I've been through." (Nester records and sings with a group called, "Knockout.")

Perhaps not surprisingly, Nester offered that the first song she wrote with her producer after undergoing treatment is called: "I've Been Through It All."

Like an embattled soldier, Nester turns and says, "I am not saying it's easy, but I am also not saying it's impossible. There are times when just getting up to face a new day is extremely difficult -- but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what happens, there is always hope."

Alex Nester, now 17, tested "cancer-free" on all scans upon completion of chemotherapy treatment on June 18, 2001.

She is now in the process of recording her first solo album. - Westlake Magazine