The American dream came true for Catalina Popescu in October of 1986 when she and her husband Bob created a supper club devoted to serving an experience of superb eats and the shared magic of live performance. That grand experience began at the door where every night her mother Maria would greet each guest as family and share in their love of music. Housed in Hollywood and decked out in a timeless charm, the club offers a cozy ambience under sparkling stage lights garnished with its signature concoction — Jazz. The first artist to grace the stage was the masterful flutist and saxophonist Buddy Collette, and ever since then, over the past 36 years, the Catalina Jazz Club has hosted the most illustrious legends of all time — from the powerful puffers of Dizzy Gillespie to the electrified fingers of McCoy Tyner, the bubbly belt of Dee Dee Bridgewater and Lynda Carter, the flirtatious saxophone of Joshua Redman, the slick strumming of Kenny Burrell, the insane drum clinic of Steve Gadd, the romance of Steve Tyrell, and the masterclass of Mike Stern. For Catalina, Jazz is our way of life. It breathes pain. It knows love. It dreams hope. It bleeds courage. Whether we’re showcasing Broadway, Soul, R&B, or stand-up comedy, the lesson learned from all the greats who have serenaded our spirits is how to connect to one another. And that’s why the Catalina Jazz Club will always have a table ready for you. The Catalina Jazz Club has been honored by A.S.M.A.C., California Jazz Foundation, Los Angeles Jazz Society, and a City of Los Angeles Certificate of Appreciation on their 25th Anniversary, which was awarded by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the LA City Council which included then City Council member and current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Here is what others are saying about Nils! Dave Koz – I’m a big fan of his, I’ve been playing his music on the radio. Great quality, great musicianship, lots of heart and soul. Jonathan Widran – “ Nils has been an urban jazz hit-maker, with his songs lingering in the top of the charts seemingly forever because they are all so picture perfect, melodic, infectious and grooving. Nils is an exciting player whose recordings achieve the rare feat of capturing the excitement he generates on stage. Phil Perry – ” I especially like Nils’ light-fingered-luster approach to guitar playing. It was a joy to work with him.” Guitar virtuoso Nils has been one of the most successful forces in the Contemporary Jazz genre. With 6 number 1 Hits in the Billboard Smooth Jazz charts, including the Song of the Decade 2001-2010 “Pacific Coast Highway” and the Song of the Year 2011 ” Jump Start”, he stands out amongst his peers. “His CD ‘Jazz Gems – The Best of Nils’ could easily be titled “The Best of Contemporary Jazz” and it is pure joy and exhilaration reliving these masterfully composed and produced hits.” As songwriter and producer he used his “Midas touch ” to provide hits for many artist in this genre, including Lisa Addeo, George Benson, Brian Simpson, Reza Khan, Alvin Pope, Tony Saunders to name a few.  And in 2021 he beat out Boney James as airplay artist of the year with having more plays on the radio than anybody else in the genre.