Herbie Nichols

In what appears to be the first Herbie Nichols compilation of its kind, Lone Hill Jazz presents each and every master take recorded by the Herbie Nichols Trio for both the Blue Note and Bethlehem labels between May 1955 and November 1957. Here Nichols acted in collaboration with bassists Al McKibbon, Teddy Kotick, and George Duvivier, and drummers Art Blakey, Max Roach, and Dannie Richmond; such percussive support was important because one very special aspect of Nichols' music is the manner in which the drummer often carries portions of the melodic line. All previous issues and reissues have maintained a separation along the lines of the original record labels, with most attention being focused upon the amazing Blue Note sessions while the Bethlehem material hovered around like a lesser-known sequel. With all the pieces of the puzzle assembled into one entity, a bigger picture emerges of this brilliant African-American composer and pianist struggling to get his music recorded during the Eisenhower Era, when the entertainment industry was mainly concerned with Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, and Patti Page. Herbie Nichols' original compositions are unique poetic manifestations comparable in many ways to the inventions of Thelonious Sphere Monk. The great surprise here is the appearance of three rare quartet tracks -- including a fine and noble piece of blues -- recorded in March 1952 with guitarist Danny Barker, bassist Chocolate Williams, and drummer Shadow Wilson. These bonus tracks form a stunning coda for this unprecedented portrait of the one, the only Herbie Nichols. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide