Nick Veltri

Based on Nick Veltri's return appearance on In the Flamingo Lounge with Rockabilly Greg (recorded June 23, 2026 and broadcast July 18, 2026).

Nick Veltri: Serving the Song

For more than fifty years, bass player Nick Veltri has stood as one of the most respected, disciplined groove-makers in Western New York. Inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 1994, Veltri's reputation isn't built on flash or grandstanding, but on a deep, unshakeable devotion to a single musical truth: the song is king.

The Spark of the Groove

Nick's obsession with the instrument started early. As a nine-year-old kid walking to sax lessons at Art Kubera's music store, his eyes would lock onto the shiny new Fender basses hanging on the wall.

The definitive "aha" moment came at the Erie County Fair when he saw a local group called The El Tempos performing in their sharp red blazers. Hearing the way the bass drove the crowd to dance, Nick knew exactly where his future lay. He never picked up a standard guitar; he was meant to play the bass.

While his father bought him an off-brand electric rig around 1963, Nick also pursued formal training on the upright bass under the legendary Ted Mayer of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Mayer's strict focus on bowing, precise finger position, and classical discipline laid a flawless technical foundation that Nick carried with him throughout his entire career.

The Road, the Legends, and the "P-Bass" Tone

Returning home from a military stint in the Marines (1969–1971), Nick jumped headfirst into the fertile Buffalo circuit. By 1973, he joined the nationally touring '50s showband Big Wheelie & the Hubcaps, kicking off an era of recording, traveling, and headlining major hometown venues like the historic Melody Fair.

Over the decades, Nick became the go-to session and live player for the region's elite, backing keyboard icon Stan Szelest in Stan & the Ravens, anchoring Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders, and performing with Barbara St. Clair & the Shadows.

"I prefer a precision bass—the split pickup—and heavy-gauge flatwound strings. La Bella flatwounds... to me, that gets the sound that I have in my mind." — Nick Veltri

Nick's signature tone relies heavily on a three-bass rotation of reissue Fenders:

· A '58 Reissue Precision Bass: Beloved for its easy playability and classic, round sound.

· A '54 Reissue Precision Bass: A primitive, punchy take on the earliest Fender designs.

· A '62 Reissue Precision Bass: Bringing that classic '60s R&B soul warmth.

His approach is strictly fingers—no picks—keeping him firmly locked into the pocket alongside legendary local drummers and horn sections.

In the Studio and On Display

Nick's musical fingerprint is etched onto nearly 100 recording projects—ranging from regional radio jingles (like "Milk for Health") to albums by Terry Buchwald, Doug Yeomans, Bob Faulk, and Pete Howard, as well as Lance Diamond's beloved Christmas record.

He was also famous for a unique, heavily gigged 1959 Fender Precision bass featuring a rosewood fingerboard. Over decades of service, the instrument's failing finish became a canvas, completely covered in signatures of legendary musicians Nick crossed paths with. Featured in 20th Century Guitar magazine in the early 2000s, the historic bass was later displayed at the Buffalo Museum of Science and the Hard Rock Cafe before finding a home with a collector in the Netherlands.

Keeping the Heritage Alive

Beyond his legendary stage presence, Veltri has dedicated decades of his life to preservation. Following his 1994 Hall of Fame induction, he stepped into leadership roles, serving as the President of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame starting in 2000, and helping organize historical exhibitions to honor the players who built the "Buffalo Sound."

Whether he's co-writing tracks like "Put Out the Fire" on the Bandstand label, recording live original projects with writers like John Regis, or steering the rhythm section for his beloved bi-annual R&B Soul Revue alongside Sam Guarino, Nick Veltri remains the ultimate professional. To Nick, playing the bass has never been about self-promotion—it's about locking down the pocket and serving the music.