Tom 1960 Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) I saw this posted yesterday on YouTube by Jason Moran a radio interview on WBAI from 1962 featuring Herbie Nichols. I posted here in case no one else has heard this before. Edited January 4, 2021 by Tom 1960 Quote
Tom 1960 Posted January 4, 2021 Author Report Posted January 4, 2021 I posted this on Facebook earlier this morning and got a similar reaction. That's why I decided to share this with you guys. Quote
Tom 1960 Posted January 4, 2021 Author Report Posted January 4, 2021 Found this under the video display. Herbie Nichols is interviewed on the radio show, The Scope of Jazz by Mait Eady. I purchased Nichols' handwritten scores for The Gig and 52nd St. Rag. Within the envelope was a CD with this rare interview. These were given to a friend of Nichols, Joe Muranyi, who is mentioned in the interview. This is a rare chance to hear Nichols talk about his early life studying music, Harlem house parties, hearing big bands at The Apollo, George Gershwin and jazz criticism. It is a phenomenal interview, and the only time we can hear the speaking voice of one of the most original pianists and compsers. The photos of Nichols are by Francis Wolff from the Mosaic Records collection. https://www.mosaicrecordsimages.com/p... The music featured is primarily from the Blue Note Records catalog. Thank you and enjoy - JASON MORAN Quote
ghost of miles Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) Hey, yes, it's authentic--I listened live yesterday when Jason premiered it on YouTube, and it's amazing! Glad to see that it's still available for all to enjoy... well worth it for any devotees of Nichols (and I know there are more than a few on the board here). Near the end there are some notated sheets of Herbie's shown for a tune called "52nd St. Rag," with which I'm unfamiliar... has anybody recorded it? Edited January 4, 2021 by ghost of miles Quote
Daniel A Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 Totally amazing! Thanks for posting! Quote
Joe Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 1 hour ago, ghost of miles said: Hey, yes, it's authentic--I listened live yesterday when Jason premiered it on YouTube, and it's amazing! Glad to see that it's still available for all to enjoy... well worth it for any devotees of Nichols (and I know there are more than a few on the board here). Near the end there are some notated sheets of Herbie's shown for a tune called "52nd St. Rag," with which I'm unfamiliar... has anybody recorded it? Thanks for confirming. Not that I really doubted it was real... it's just that it's so out of the blue. But what a treasure. Quote
bertrand Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) Old 52nd Street Rag was one of the pieces that Herbie gave to Roswell Rudd. Rudd also included it in his book. He recorded it in his two volume Unheard Herbie Nichols set. I believe it is the only recording. Will check layer. I missed the backstory - it is Jason Moran who bought the lead sheets and whoever he bought them from gave him this CD? Interesting. I remember Fred Cohen at Jazz Record Center mentioning some lead sheets, and possibly he told me they were in the possession of Joe Muranyi. Maybe Jason bought these from Fred. I knew the interview existed but I was not sure who had it. I am still not 100% clear. It is funny how much mystery still surrounds Herbie after 58 years. Edit: The Tom Lord discography shows two other versions of Old 52nd Street Rag: Pianist David Haney solo in 2011 (CIMP) and Howard Alden/Marty Krystall/Buell Neidlinger on K2B2. Lord says 2017 for the latter but that can't be right, my CD says 2013. Rudd's version (CIMP) is from 1996. Edited January 5, 2021 by bertrand Quote
AllenLowe Posted January 5, 2021 Report Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) gotta listen when I have a chance. Ros was fascinating when talking about Nichols, and explained very patiently to me one day that Herbie's career problems had nothing to do with industry problems or evil businessman but because Nichols basically talked himself out of the business. "He was just everywhere else, anything but the music" Ros said to me, "and would not get down to business with club owners, and so they wouldn't deal with him." It's a pity, but it's just the way he was. Edited January 5, 2021 by AllenLowe Quote
Big Beat Steve Posted January 5, 2021 Report Posted January 5, 2021 Jason Moran did the jazz collector world a huge service by making this publicly available on Youtube. Hats off and thanks. Others at other times would have sat on discoveries like this like the proverbial setting hen until they had milked every drop of information for commercial-minded publications. Quote
Balladeer Posted January 5, 2021 Report Posted January 5, 2021 Thanks a lot - big Herbie Nichols fan over here in Germany! Quote
Joe Posted January 5, 2021 Report Posted January 5, 2021 Hearing Herbie's voice is proving to be a very emotional experience for me. Quote
andybleaden Posted January 6, 2021 Report Posted January 6, 2021 Without wishing to be sounding over the top this is just 100% of what I needed to hear. Beautiful From an old Herbie Nichols fan with an old Mosaic box set to go and find again and put on Quote
romualdo Posted January 9, 2021 Report Posted January 9, 2021 what a treasure - just love Herbie - his Mosaic was one of my early acquisitions tremendous hearing him discuss his compositions then listen to them being played Quote
Ken Dryden Posted January 11, 2021 Report Posted January 11, 2021 (edited) On 1/4/2021 at 6:44 PM, bertrand said: Old 52nd Street Rag was one of the pieces that Herbie gave to Roswell Rudd. Rudd also included it in his book. He recorded it in his two volume Unheard Herbie Nichols set. I believe it is the only recording. Will check layer. I missed the backstory - it is Jason Moran who bought the lead sheets and whoever he bought them from gave him this CD? Interesting. I remember Fred Cohen at Jazz Record Center mentioning some lead sheets, and possibly he told me they were in the possession of Joe Muranyi. Maybe Jason bought these from Fred. I knew the interview existed but I was not sure who had it. I am still not 100% clear. It is funny how much mystery still surrounds Herbie after 58 years. Edit: The Tom Lord discography shows two other versions of Old 52nd Street Rag: Pianist David Haney solo in 2011 (CIMP) and Howard Alden/Marty Krystall/Buell Neidlinger on K2B2. Lord says 2017 for the latter but that can't be right, my CD says 2013. Rudd's version (CIMP) is from 1996. Edited January 11, 2021 by Ken Dryden Deleted comments. Quote
Ken Dryden Posted January 11, 2021 Report Posted January 11, 2021 (edited) I reviewed it in January 2018 so a 2017 release sounds about right. Edited January 11, 2021 by Ken Dryden Quote
clifford_thornton Posted January 11, 2021 Report Posted January 11, 2021 Mait Edey, the pianist who ran the Seeds label out of Boston. Interesting! Quote
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