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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZNICHOLS, Herbie(b 3 Jan. '19 NYC; d there 12 April '63) Pianist, composer. He studied classical piano as a child, turned to jazz with fresh compositions and a unique harmonic sense. He served in the US Army '41--3, later played at Minton's, was an associate of Thelonious Monk (wrote the first published piece about Monk '44), but was treated even worse by the musical climate than Monk: in those days many musicians had to make a living playing dixieland for tourists, and Nichols never escaped, commercially unsuccessful with his own music, then dying of leukaemia. Six recording sessions are his entire legacy: quartet sides made for Savoy '52 incl. two vocals by bassist Chocolate Williams, with Shadow Wilson on drums and a guitarist, probably New Orleans veteran Danny Barker (b 13 Jan. '09; d 13 March '94), were reissued '86 on Savoy UK, with almost equally elusive tracks by Monk on the other side. Twenty-two trio tracks on Blue Note '55 originally issued as two 10]im[ and one 12]im[ LP, later in two-disc compilation The Third World, with drummers Art Blakey or Max Roach, bassists Al McKibbon or Teddy Kotick on various tracks. Five-disc limited edition Complete Blue Note Recordings on Mosaic '87 with many unissued tracks was the compilation of the year, a set to be issued on Blue Note (finally) '97. A Bethlehem LP '57 incl. George Duvivier and Dannie Richmond; there were said to be more (lost) tracks from the sessions. A. B. Spellman's Four Lives '66 incl. good biographical essay; the Nichols tune 'Serenade' became 'Lady Sings The Blues' '56, with words supposedly by Holiday herself; she recorded the tune once in concert and once in the studio, making it Nichols's best- known melody. See Roswell Rudd, who is keeping the tunes alive. |