Nelson was born in New York to Colombian parents. He grew up listening and learning from his parents’ record collection, which included Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. These recordings were a constant in Nelson’s life and helped him develop a love for music from an early age. Nelson is well-versed with many music styles, including Jazz, Latin and Rock. After learning from George Bien, a highly sought-after teacher in Queens, Nelson began playing guitar at High School. After a short stint at Berklee College of Music he returned to New York to join the music scene, playing in many clubs with different bands. Before returning to school, he worked for several years at Nile Rogers’ distribution label. He received a Bachelor in Music in Jazz Studies at City College, where he studied composition with Mike Holober and guitar with Pete McCann. Nelson studied music at Mannes College of Music, where he was a guitarist with Vic Juris. Nelson has performed with Adela Dalto and other artists, such as John Benitez (Alfredo De La Fe), John Benitez, Luis Bonilla. Nicky Marrero. Samuel Torres. Hector Martignon. Since 2005, Nelson has been a member of the 92nd street Y School for Music guitar faculty and a Teaching Artist for their 92nd Street Y Outreach programs. Nelson has been teaching at Crestwood Music Education Center, Eastchester, N.Y. since 2007.
