Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jimmy Bennington Trio: Another Friend: The Music of Herbie Nichols

302

Jimmy Bennington Trio: Another Friend: The Music of Herbie Nichols

By

Sign in to view read count
Jimmy Bennington Trio: Another Friend: The Music of Herbie Nichols
The music of pianist and composer Herbie Nichols (1919-1963) has experienced something a renaissance in recent years. This is, in no small part, due to the tireless work of trombonist Roswell Rudd, who has recorded his compositions and published the book Herbie Nichols: The Unpublished Works (2000), containing 27 of Nichols' compositions.

Thus, thanks to the work of Rudd, drummer Jimmy Bennington and his trio have been able to record a tribute album to Nichols: Another Friend: The Music of Herbie Nichols, consisting almost entirely of forgotten compositions by this neglected master. This also means that one won't find any of the tunes that Nichols recorded on the Blue Note and Bethlehem labels between May 1955 and November 1957, with the sole exception of "House Party Starting," which can be heard on the box set The Complete Studio Master Takes (Lonehill, 2005).

With the exception of "House Party Starting" there's no way to know how Nichols would have tackled the material himself. What's remains, of course, is an interpretation. Nevertheless, comparing the two versions of "House Party Starting" shows how the trio is both faithful towards Nichols while, at the same time, taking the music into new, dark corners.

While both Bennington and bassist Michael Bisio do a solid job, the spotlight naturally falls on pianist David Haney, who superbly interprets Nichols' idiosyncratic style. Haney brings out the Monkish knottiness of Nichols' playing while also paying wide attention to the pianist's patented use of poetic space. It's a very modern Nichols heard in Haney's version, but also, paradoxically, an old-fashioned stylist where titles like "Old 52nd St. Rag" and "Twelve Bars" speak very clearly of where the music came from.

The peculiar mixture of something very old and dusty and still freshly modern is repeated not only in the playing but also in the recording. The whole album was taped as a radio-session and, while there are no crackles and pops to disturb the listening experience, it's not a hi-fi recording; instead the album has the patina of an old 78.

Nostalgic yet modern, outdated and still way of ahead of his time. The paradox of Nichols' artistry continues to live and this fine homage is a fitting introduction to his singular musical world.

Track Listing

Old 52nd St. Rag; Another Friend; Ina; Prancin' Pretty Woman; Twelve Bars; House Party Starting.

Personnel

Jimmy Bennington: drums; Michael Bisio: bass; David Haney: piano.

Album information

Title: Another Friend: The Music of Herbie Nichols | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: ThatSwan! Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.