John's latest music

The Future Of The Past

John Nilsen & SWIMFISH

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The Future of the Past reminisces poetically as it reaches into the history of the past, and speaks of the present and future. Twelve new John Nilsen songs tell tales of local childhood streets and neighborhood haunts, Read more

The Future of the Past reminisces poetically as it reaches into the history of the past, and speaks of the present and future. Twelve new John Nilsen songs tell tales of local childhood streets and neighborhood haunts, current life, and places where dreams of world travel and outer space are born. The fifth John Nilsen & SWIMFISH recording, The Future of the Past, is leaps and bounds into the future as their most advanced recording and their greatest achievement.
“The songwriting hangs together well and the tracks flow, carving out a groove as naturally as a river carves a canyon. You deserve to be heard!”

— Dan Peek (founding member of rock band, AMERICA)

Two Stories

John Nilsen & SWIMFISH

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Two Stories is a classic SWIMFISH folk-rock album. The songs are written about the lives of two people that live under the same roof. One is a pianist and prolific recording artist who lives downstairs, but is often gone Read more

Two Stories is a classic SWIMFISH folk-rock album. The songs are written about the lives of two people that live under the same roof. One is a pianist and prolific recording artist who lives downstairs, but is often gone touring. The other is a guitarist who lives upstairs, performs regionally and comes home every night. That theme is revisited in many of the lyrics throughout Two Stories. This is “all SWIMFISH” with a guest appearance by John Nastos on sax. Recorded in Portland, Or., Two Stories was up for album of the year with the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

Foreign Films

John Nilsen & SwimFish

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A piano album of 18 tracks, written by John Nilsen, sequenced to appear and sound as a soundtrack to a motion picture. A string quartet was brought in from the Oregon Symphony and appears on six songs. Bob Stark did some Read more

A piano album of 18 tracks, written by John Nilsen, sequenced to appear and sound as a soundtrack to a motion picture. A string quartet was brought in from the Oregon Symphony and appears on six songs. Bob Stark did some lovely string arrangements and co-produced as usual with John. This is a lovely, mature, and often romantic album that will create a backdrop to whatever you're doing. Recorded in Portland, Oregon

Local Ocean

John Nilsen

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Local Ocean has a pop edge occasionally and arguably the hardest edge at times of any SWIMFISH album, but also includes some beautifully assembled soft pieces. Bob Logue joined SWIMFISH for Local Ocean and since then the band line up of John Nilsen, Don Woodward, Dave Captein, Bob Logue and Mike Snyder hasn't changed. Recorded in Portland, Oregon

“Anybody that can sell over a million albums is a big deal. ”

— Terry Currier, Mgr., Music Millennium, Portland, Oregon

Wild Rose

John Nilsen & Swimfish

CD

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This folk/rock album features SWIMFISH, but also includes guest artist performances by Decemberists drummer, John Moen, Pink Martini bassist, Phil Baker, Tim Ellis/guitar, Lex Browning/violin, Bryan Daste/pedal steel guitar, Bob Logue/vocals and Dave Captein on bass. Captein joined SWIMFISH after Wild Rose was completed. Recorded in Portland, Or.
“I enjoy listening to Plastic Art. Really nice piano work, man. You rock! ”

— Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers & Rolling Stone pianist)