In 1968 Nick Marechal was just another kid in the San Fernando Valley learning to play guitar. Elvis was a hero making a come back. Garage bands were in every neighborhood. FM radio ruled. That period provided inspiration for writing the song “Son of the Blues.” In the early 1070s Nick received lessons from the late great Ted Greene. Nick’s picking style, knowledge of chords, and an appreciation for the American songbook came from Greene. Right after high school Nick played in bar bands. While attending community college he became interested in mathematics and engineering, as well as music. Nick eventually earned a PhD in mathematics from UCLA in 1986. In 1988 Nick became a member of the technical staff at The Aerospace Corporation and retired in 2013 at the rank of distinguished engineer. During that period he authored journal and conference papers in the fields of imaging radar and lasers. In the 1990s he performed in a three piece blues rock band Power Spectrum. Later Nick began recording with the help of session players Mike Finnigan (Hamond B3), Leland Sklar (bass) and John Robinson (drums), and later John Ferraro (drums). “It would be an all star band, if I was not in it,” Nick likes to say. In the last few years Nick was introduced to engineer and producer Niko Bolas by a good friend Fred Walecki. Niko brought Nick to Capitol Recording Studios and sent Nick to voice builder Gary Catona. That was a lucky break for a guy from the Valley who knows a few theorems and how to bend strings.