Fay Victor & Herbie Nichols Sung Quintet - Life Is Funny That Way

Styles: Vocal
Size: 166,7 MB
Time: 72:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Art: Front

1. Life Is Funny That Way ( 6:32)
2. The Bassist ( 6:48)
3. Bright Butterfly ( 2:49)
4. Sinners, All of Us! ( 5:58)
5. The Culprit Is You (10:00)
6. Shuffle Montgomery ( 5:32)
7. Tonight ( 9:30)
8. Lady Sings The Blues ( 6:15)
9. Twelve Bars ( 2:51)
10. Descent Into Madness ( 9:59)
11. Non-Faternization Clause ( 6:11)

The jazz world overlooked pianist and composer Herbie Nichols in his lifetime, but musicians such as Roswell Rudd, Misha Mengelberg, and Ted Nash have tried to keep his music in circulation over the years in various projects. Vocalist Fay Victor has been entranced by his music for a long time, and in 2013, she put together a group, Herbie Nichols SUNG, to perform his tunes. This is that group's first recording together and it is excellent.

In most cases here, Victor has written her own lyrics for Nichols' tunes and given them new titles. Some of the arrangements come off loosely swinging with the musicians jangling over the bumpy surfaces of Nichols' melodies in a way that reflects the influence of dance in his music. An adventurous dance company could work out some pretty energetic routines for these treatments. The band, Michael Attias on saxophone, Anthony Coleman on piano, Ratzo Harris on bass and Tom Rainey on drums, moves in quirky ways that complement the broad, elastic sound of Victor's voice as she goes from loud, broad moans to high-pitched jabbering and back, sounding like a cross between Betty Carter and Ellen Christi.

When the music hits a groove, it really comes alive. The leader's full voice rides the twisting rhythm of "Life Is Funny That Way" into the stratosphere as she scats over Coleman's brittle Thelonious Monk-like chords and Attias' squawking alto sax. Alto and voice have a furious race on "The Bassist" after an extended Tom Rainey solo and "Tonight" is a swaggering dance shuffle with Attias jubilantly serenading on baritone sax. "Shuffle Montgomery" is a clanking soft-shoe feature for voice and baritone with Anthony Coleman playing the kind of eccentric piano groove associated with Nichols fan Misha Mengelberg. The wildest track is "Non-Fraternization Clause" where the entire band jumps, sparks, and swoops before Victor leans into her vocal, going up and down with Attias' alto in dizzying fashion, and Coleman lightly creeps through some angular blues moves.

Some of the pieces here have much darker tones. On "Sinners! All of Us!" Victor's stream-of-consciousness blues scat pulls the band along to a slow march cadence while "The Culprit Is You" is a dramatic, minor key piano-voice duet after the fashion of Jeanne Lee and Ran Blake. "Descent Into Madness" is a sinister weave of piano, voice, and alto that conjures up visions of despair and eerieness. The one tune Victor did not write lyrics for is "Lady Sings The Blues." That is performed with the original lyrics written by the woman who first sang the song, Billie Holiday. The track is treated as an art song with Coleman's piano carefully brooding as Victor's voice opens into a powerful siren wail over bowed bass and tense percussion.

There are several fine Herbie Nichols tributes around, but this one has a unique soul and earthiness created by Fay Victor's otherworldly singing and the adventurous spirit of her band. This is a superb album, one of the most delightful releases of the year so far.By Jerome Wilson
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/life-is-funny-that-way-fay-victor-herbie-nichols-sung-tao-forms

Personnel: Fay Victor - (voice, lyrics, arrangements, bandleader); Michae¨l Attias - (alto & baritone saxophones); Anthony Coleman - (piano); Ratzo Harris - (bass); Tom Rainey - (drums)

Life Is Funny That Way

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Herbie Nichols Project - Strange City

Styles: Bop, Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:53
Size: 124,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:49)  1. Moments Magical
(5:21)  2. Enrapture
(7:29)  3. Delights
(4:43)  4. Blue Shout
(4:38)  5. Strange City
(5:11)  6. Karna Kangi
(3:36)  7. The Happenings
(5:23)  8. Change Of Season
(6:39)  9. Some Wandering Bushmen
(5:00) 10. Shuffle Montgomery

Since 1992, the Herbie Nichols Project has been dedicated to performing the music of a gentleman who in his lifetime was sadly neglected but who left behind a body of work just as idiosyncratic and distinctive as that of Thelonious Monk. Following their two previous releases, Dr. Cyclop’s Dream and Love Is Proximity, the group now makes their debut on the Palmetto label with Strange City, a program made up almost exclusively by tunes that Nichols never recorded himself. Arguably, this set contains some of the ensemble’s finest moments on record to date. There’s much to discover here and the variegated program moves from the almost classical sounding “Moments Magical” that opens the disc to the quintessential “Shuffle Montgomery” that acts as a closer. Along the way there are ample opportunities not only to luxuriate in the compositional genius of Nichols, but also to admire the strong ensemble passages and the individual voices that make up the ensemble. Trumpeter Ron Horton is darkly lyrical on the title track, drummer Matt Wilson is intensely musical during his solo spot on “Blue Shout,” and pianist Frank Kimbrough taps the Nichols genius in a splendid trio take on “Karna Kangi.” These are just three highlights among a great program that not only interprets and extends the Nichols legacy but also speaks highly in regards to each group member’s individual muse. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/strange-city-herbie-nichols-palmetto-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php
 

Personnel: Frank Kimbrough (piano), Ben Allison (bass), Ron Horton (trumpet & flugelhorn), Ted Nash (tenor saxophone), Michael Blake (soprano saxophone), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Matt Wilson (drums)

Strange City

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Herbie Nichols - Herbie Nichols Trio

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:22
Size: 99,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:27)  1. The Gig
(5:41)  2. House Party Starting
(4:04)  3. Chit-Chatting
(4:25)  4. The Lady Sings the Blues
(4:01)  5. Terpsichore
(4:56)  6. Spinning Song
(3:29)  7. Query
(4:06)  8. Wildflower
(4:05)  9. Hangover Triangle
(4:03) 10. Mine

One of jazz's most tragically overlooked geniuses, Herbie Nichols was a highly original piano stylist and a composer of tremendous imagination and eclecticism. He wasn't known widely enough to exert much influence in either department, but his music eventually attracted a rabid cult following, though not quite the wide exposure it deserved.  Nichols was born January 3, 1919, in New York and began playing piano at age nine, later studying at C.C.N.Y. After serving in World War II, Nichols played with a number of different groups and was in on the ground floor of the bebop scene. However, to pay the bills he later focused on Dixieland ensembles; his own music a blend of Dixieland, swing, West Indian folk, Monk-like angularity, European classical harmonies via Satie and Bartók, and unorthodox structures was simply too unclassifiable and complex to make much sense to jazz audiences of the time. Mary Lou Williams was the first to record a Nichols composition "Stennell," retitled "pus Z," in 1951; yet aside from the song he wrote for Billie Holiday, "Lady Sings the Blues," none of Nichols' work got enough attention to really catch on. He signed with Blue Note and recorded three brilliant piano trio albums from 1955-1956, adding another one for Bethlehem in late 1957. Nichols languished in obscurity after those sessions, though; sadly, just when he was beginning to find a following among several of the new thing's adventurous, up-and-coming stars, he was stricken with leukemia and died on April 12, 1963. In the years that followed, Nichols became a favorite composer in avant-garde circles, with tributes to his sorely neglected legacy coming from artists like Misha Mengelberg and Roswell Rudd. He also inspired a repertory group, called the Herbie Nichols Project, and most of his recordings were reissued on CD. https://itunes.apple.com/kg/artist/herbie-nichols-trio/id220354924

Personnel:  Piano, – Herbie Nichols;  Bass – Al McKibbon, Teddy Kotick;  Drums – Max Roach

Herbie Nichols Trio

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Vic Dickenson & Joe Thomas & Their All-Star Bands - Mainstream

Styles: Trombone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:23
Size: 88,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:52)  1. Sweethearts On Parade
( 5:58)  2. I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me
( 4:47)  3. Undecided
( 3:39)  4. Crazy Rhythm
( 6:15)  5. The Lamp Is Low
(12:50)  6. Blues For Baby

Mainstream presents swing masters Joe Thomas and Vic Dickenson fronting all-star bands in a time when swing music was elbowing for attention amidst the world of be-bop, cool, and other modern jazz movements. The year was 1958, and English jazz critic Albert J. McCarthy was in New York City writing a book on swing. Surprised to find how difficult a time even the best swing musicians were having in the homeland of jazz, he approached Atlantic Records to sponsor two recording sessions. The first session featured underrated trumpeter Joe Thomas with a band that included Dickie Wells, Buddy Tate, Buster Bailey, and oddly enough, modernist Herbie Nichols on piano. The second session featured the great trombonist Vic Dickenson, Buck Clayton, and Gene Ramey. Both sessions have been re-mastered; the sound quality is excellent. So are the performances. 

Joe Thomas is still grotesquely underrated, and if anyone needs evidence of his mastery this is the recording to bring home that Thomas was among the best of his instrument. Over the years he played and recorded with Fletcher Henderson, Teddy Wilson, and Art Tatum to mention a few. His clear, assured sound and technical skill makes it obvious why McCarthy felt compelled to document this neglected musician. Two-thirds of the disc features Thomas and his band. The other third features Vic Dickenson who has faired better in the annals of jazz history. He is known for his bluesy-toned trombone of exquisite phrasing. Lauded by the famous French jazz critic Andre Hodeir as one of the best of all early jazz musicians, Dickenson doesn’t disappoint on this disc. Although his solo time is limited in the ensemble focus of the arrangements, his solo on "The Lamp Is Low" is particularly memorable. Actually, with either Dickie Wells or Vic Dickenson playing trombone and either Joe Thomas or Buck Clayton playing lead trumpet this is a brass player’s disc if there ever was one. In short, if you’re interested in a satisfying, swing recording featuring a line-up of outstanding soloists, good rhythm sections, and a selection of solid arrangements, then Mainstream is definitely worth checking out. Recommended. ~ Mike Neely https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mainstream-vic-dickenson-koch-international-jazz-review-by-mike-neely.php

Personnel: Joe Thomas, trumpet; Johnny Letman, 2nd trumpet; Dickie Wells, trombone; Buddy Tate, tenor sax; Buster Bailey, clarinet; Herbie Nichols, piano; Everett Barksdale, guitar; Bill Pemberton, bass; and Jimmy Crawford, drums. Vic Dickenson, trombone; Buck Clayton, trumpet; Hal Singer, tenor sax; Herbie Hall, clarinet; Al Williams, piano; Danny Barker, guitar; Gene Ramey, bass; and Marquis Foster, drums.

Mainstream

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Herbie Nichols Trio - Love, Gloom, Cash, Love

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:53
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:55)  1. Too Close For Comfort
(4:00)  2. Every Cloud
(3:43)  3. Argumentative
(4:24)  4. Love, Gloom, Cash, Love
(3:51)  5. Portrait Of Ucha
(4:43)  6. Beyond Recall
(4:42)  7. All The Way
(4:32)  8. 45 Degree Angle
(2:51)  9. Infatuation Eyes
(4:08) 10. S'Crazy Pad

Recorded a year after his last landmark Blue Note dates, this album finds Nichols performing in the familiar trio setting again -- this time with Mingus drummer Dannie Richmond and bassist George Duvivier. These performances may be less animated than Nichols' earlier sides as a leader, but that's not to suggest the pianist's writing or playing had become pedestrian or predictable. The absence of the powerhouse drummers Art Blakey and Max Roach makes these ten tunes easier to appreciate upon first listen. Richmond's characteristic bombast and humor are kept in check here. With the drummer maintaining straight, subdued rhythms, Nichols' complex melodies and solos shine that much brighter especially on such standout originals as the album's title track, "Beyond Recall," and "S'Crazy Pad." Rhino reissued Love, Gloom, Cash, Love in 2001. ~ Brian Beatty http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-gloom-cash-love-mw0000626699

Herbie Nichols Trio: Herbie Nichols (piano); George Duvivier (acoustic bass); Dannie Richmond (drums).

Love, Gloom, Cash, Love

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Herbie Nichols - The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 3 of 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 70:05

Size: 160.4 MB

Styles: Bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1997

Art: Front

[3:30] 1. Nick At T's

[3:41] 2. Furthermore (Alt Take)

[3:57] 3. Terpsichore

[4:13] 4. 'orse At Safari

[4:46] 5. Applejackin' (Alt Take)

[4:27] 6. Applejackin'

[4:02] 7. Wildflower

[3:59] 8. Mine (Alt Take)

[4:01] 9. Mine

[3:43] 10. Trio

[3:56] 11. Trio (Alt Take)

[5:44] 12. The Spinning Song (Alt Take)

[4:52] 13. The Spinning Song

[4:08] 14. Riff Primitif

[4:08] 15. Riff Primitif (Alt Take)

[3:26] 16. Query (Alt Take)

[3:24] 17. Query

The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 3)

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Herbie Nichols - The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 2 of 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:09

Size: 162.9 MB

Styles: Bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1997

Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Shuffle Montgomery (Alt Take)

[4:13] 2. It Didn't Happen

[3:43] 3. Crisp Day

[4:09] 4. Shuffle Montgomery

[4:22] 5. The Gig

[4:29] 6. Applejackin' (Alt Take)

[3:57] 7. Hangover Triangle

[4:21] 8. Lady Sings The Blues

[3:59] 9. Chit-Chatting

[5:36] 10. House Party Starting

[4:09] 11. The Gig

[3:39] 12. Furthermore (Alt Take #1)

[3:36] 13. Furthermore

[4:50] 14. 117th Street (Alt Take)

[4:45] 15. 117th Street

[6:02] 16. Sunday Stroll

The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 2)

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Herbie Nichols - The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 1 of 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:11

Size: 156.1 MB

Styles: Bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1997

Art: Front

[4:09] 1. The Third World

[4:56] 2. The Third World

[5:09] 3. Step Tempest

[4:24] 4. Dance Line

[4:20] 5. Blue Chopsticks

[4:04] 6. Double Exposure (Alt Take)

[3:22] 7. Double Exposure

[4:39] 8. Cro-Magnon Nights

[4:48] 9. Cro-Magnon Nights (Alt Take)

[5:10] 10. It Didn't Happen (Alt Take)

[4:30] 11. Amoeba's Dance

[5:23] 12. Brass Rings (Alt Take)

[4:00] 13. Brass Rings

[4:30] 14. 2300 Skiddoo (Alt Take)

[4:41] 15. 2300 Skiddoo

A reissue of the 48 Herbie Nichols recordings formerly out on the limited-edition five-LP Mosaic box set, this three-CD package from 1997 has the pianist/composer's greatest work. Nichols was largely neglected during his lifetime; only in the late '90s did the highly original musician start receiving some of the recognition he deserved. Although his originals were often quite orchestral in nature, Nichols only had the opportunity to record in a trio format; the five sessions on this box (30 songs plus 18 alternate takes) feature either Al McKibbon or Teddy Kotick on bass and Art Blakey or Max Roach on drums. The music (all originals except George Gershwin's "Mine") is virtually unclassifiable, and although largely straight-ahead, sounds unlike anything produced by Herbie Nichols' contemporaries. Essential music. ~Scott Yanow

The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 1)

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Herbie Nichols - The Art of Herbie Nichols

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 1992

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 65:05

Size: 149,6 MB

Art: Front

(4:12)  1. The Third World

(5:13)  2. Step Tempest

(4:23)  3. Blue Chopsticks

(4:43)  4. Cro-Magnon Nights

(4:44)  5. 2300 Skiddoo

(4:12)  6. Shuffle Montgomery

(4:23)  7. The Gig

(4:00)  8. Hangover Triangle

(4:24)  9. Lady Sings the Blues

(5:38) 10. House Party Starting

(6:04) 11. Sunday Stroll

(3:59) 12. Terpsichore

(4:11) 13. Riff Primitif

(4:53) 14. The Spinning Song

Herbie Nichols spent most of his career toiling away in dixieland bands, rarely allowed the privilege of performing his own unique compositions, except on a 1953 10" for Savoy and a 1957 session for Bethlehem. In between, though, in 1955-1956, he got to do five sessions for Alfred Lion's Blue Note label, producing some of the greatest piano trios in the history of jazz from which The Art Of Herbie Nichols is assembled. Nichols' tunes are rich in rhythmic variety and percussive breaks, and the performances he elicits from drum legends Art Blakey and Max Roach are among their greatest, rivalling their work with Thelonious Monk the pianist Nichols is most often compared to. But where Monk's playing has a bluesy, guitar-like texture and attack, Nichols has a more loping pianistic gait, and a harmonic pallete that can suggest Bartok, Jelly Roll Morton and Art Tatum in a single chorus.

Nichols's tunes range from slow bluesy strolls like "Spinning Song" and "Lady Sings The Blues" (written for Billie Holiday, his most famous tune), to galloping harmonic romps like "The Gig." Nichols' playing is completely original and devoid of pianistic cliches, and while his use of chords often suggests polytonal ambivalence, his harmonic juxtapositions and resolutions are triumphantly tuneful. The manner in which he continually extends his melodic lines and precipitates polyhryhmic exchanges with his drummers keeps tensions at a constant boiling point, and makes for some of most swinging music in the history of jazz. In many ways, his work anticipates the explorations of modernists like Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, Andrew Hill and Gerri Allen, and once you've heard his playing, it's hard to imagine how his joyous original slipped between the cracks, barely making a blip on the radar screen of history before passing away from leukemia in the early '60s at the age of 42. http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=4766790&style=music&fulldesc=T

Personnel: Herbie Nichols (piano), Al McKibbon, Teddy Kotick (bass), Art Blakey, Max Roach (drums).

The Art of Herbie Nichols

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