Wednesday, October 10, 2007
(12:14 PM) | Brad:
Midweek Jazz: The Herbie Nichols Edition
At long last, I have in my greedy little hands the three-disc boxset of Herbie Nichols' magnificent Complete Blue Note Recordings. It was all I was hoping for, and more. They've been on repeat since Sunday, and I've yet to come to grips with most of it.Nichols is, without a doubt, in the pantheon of jazz pianists -- and the one that most people have never heard. What's more, and this is absolutely what is crucial, he is unlike ANY of his peers and contemporaries. None of the jagged edges that you find in Monk; not as explosive as Powell can be; nor as intellectual as Evans. Nichols lays out a welcome mat, pulls out a chair, and serves you dinner and dessert. He is the master of ceremonies & centerpiece to my next "I want to get high" night. He makes you feel as though you met him years ago, and can talk or be quiet with him as long as you like. And the stories he tells, you re-tell to friends as your own.
It's unfortunate he didn't live to see fame, and even now is mired mostly in just a cult following -- which I'm trying to perpetuate here. The compositions are absolutely original; the interplay between the drums [Blakey & Roach switch off duties] and the piano is nearly unparalleled. It is, for me, an admitted 1950's-era jazz fan, perfection.
Enjoy!
"The Third World"
"It Didn't Happen"
"Furthermore"
"Nick at T's"
