Nigel Olsson speaks from the heart. In fact, there seems to be nothing he does that doesn’t revolve around his heart. As he plays and sings on stage with Elton John, he uses his entire body to complement the artist’s temperment and the song’s moods. From the raucus tone of “Crocodile Rock” to the bounce of “Tiny Dancer” and the groove of “Benny And The Jets, “you are made aware that he is feeling the music. On “Levon, ” it’s the spaces he leaves in the beginning that paint the musical picture, just as his signature fills create the color for the canvas. As he plays the cymbals with only slight bass drum punctuations on the long beginning of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, “there is an emotional con- tent evident in his playing. After speaking with Nigel, it comes as no surprise that his favorite Elton […]

February 1985 Issue