Dk 4 on my office system, and Ican't stop my "Herbie Nichols was my hero," Cecil Taylor said to head and upper body from noddin' and me of this jazz original, and it's more than likely that goovin' along with the beat The flow, the connectivity, the easy Nichols would have found his audience, much as Taylor did. But but interesting musical exploration take me far and wide in my leukemia claimed this gentle giant at the age of 44, in April 1963. imagination. It's so easy to fall into the hypnotic, compelling, Nichols was abridge between Jelly Roll Morton, Teddy Wilson, utterly attractive flow of sound. It's easy to take, but it's real music Art Tatum, Mary Lou Williams, Thelonious Monk, Elmo Hope, at the same time. Ifear I'll overplay these CDs and lose interest, and Bud Powell on one hand, and Mal Waldron, Herbie but Ikeep playing them, and continue to find them as fascinating Hancock, Andrew Hill, Hasaan Ibn Ali, Cecil Taylor, and Gem and fresh as the day Ifound them at Etherea in the East Village. Allen on the other. With deep roots in New Orleans, Harlem The recording is audiophile in every way: The encompassing stride, and the European concert tradition, Nichols' music also bass creates apowerful foundation over alush'n'Iovely midrange reflects aprofoundly African rhythmic aesthetic. His melodies and sweet highs with lots of detail. Idon't know about the majors, derive directly from complex root syncopations, and his innate but the recording values of these new-music recording houses ability to orchestrate rhythm inspires heroic interplay with drum- popping up in lower Manhattan are right up there with the best. mers Blakey and Roach, who treat his songforms like little drum The soundstage, artificial though it may be, wraps way around the concertos. Rather than run changes, Nichols always deconstruct- listener —so very involving On abottle of champagne or a ed and recast his thematic ideas in aloping, two-handed orches- good vintage wine, plop either &c in the player, and stare deeply tral style. His improvisations are aglow with edgy, elliptical har- and meaningfully at your Love Interest of the Moment. Iab- monies, depicting adissonant, asymmetrical brand of counter- solutely guarantee you afluid, sexy, groovin' good time. point and an oblique melodic focus. His left-hand punctuations inevitably find the cracks in time — it's like watching mercury DAVID SOKOL float. What's more, like Monk's, Nichols' tempos —whether on STEVIE WONDER: Songs in the Key of Life amedium stroll such as "Lady Sings the Blues" or aminor gallop Motown 374 630 340 2 (2 CDs). 1976/1992. Stevie Wonder, prod.; John like "Riff Primitif" — are as distinctive astylistic signature as are Fischbach, Gary Olazabal, engs. AAD. TT: 104:42 his angular harmonies and melodies. The overall effect of these Sta14:cring as it is, Stevie Wonder was barely 26 when he released excellent recordings from 1955-56 is darkly romantic and hyp- this musical monolith, a21-song exploration that bridged the pop notically swinging—it seems as if Nichols could keep extending and soul worlds with compassion and spirituality, was the rage in and elongating his melodic elisions for eternity. the mid-70s, and continues to sound utterly fresh today. Although JO JONES: The Essential Jo Jones Wonder was already amajor star (this was his 16th album, after Jo Jones, drums; Emmett Berry, trumpet; Benny Green, Lawrence Brown, trom- all), the scope of Son» earned him aspot beside Dylan, Lennon, bone; Rudy Powell, clarinet; Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Freddie Greene, gui- and McCartney as one of the great songwriters of his time. From tar; Nat Pierce, Count Basie, piano; Ray Bryant, piano; Tommy Bryant, Walter Page, bass. Vanguard 101/2-2 (CD). 1955-58/1995. John Hammond, prod. "Isn't She Lovely" (a love song to anewborn daughter) to "Sir MD. TT: 78:30 Duke" (a love song to the great Ellington) to"Black Man" (a love song to human accomplishment) to "Knocks Mc Off My Feet" (a Jonathan David Samuel Jones' place in jazz history would be just-plain love song), Wonder uses strings, brass, all kinds of per- sacrosanct and secure if for nothing other than his role as the cussion, achurch choir, his own divine voice, and an army of other drummer in the "All-American Rhythm Section" of the great instrumentation to paint his masterpiece. One of those rare Gerald Count Basie Orchestra. On the first of six joyous selections here Ford/Jimmy Carter—era recordings that still yields new subtleties from apair of August 1955 sessions, the rhythm team of Jones, and joys with every listen, this is one to die for, again and again. guitarist Freddie Greene, and bassist Walter Page is reunited one last time with pianist Count Basie for arousing rendition of PAM TULLIS: Sweetheart's Dance "Shoe Shine Boy." Their collective dynamics, canny blues sensi- Arista 18758-2 (CD). 1994. Pam Timis, Steve Fishell, prods.; Mike Poole, eng. AAD? TT: 32:52 bility, coy minimalism, and telepathic brand of interplay is the very essence of swing, but — as the delirious laughter that greets Country music has become so generic and homogenized lately their witty improvised coda suggests — there is ashared sense of that it's hard to believe that just five years have passed since Pam people, places, and things that is peculiar to them alone. Pianist Tiflis released this gem and was subsequently crowned the Nat Pierce carries on ably throughout the rest of the session, Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year. The which reprises the elegance and locomotion of the Basie band daughter of Music City journeyman Mel Tiflis, Pam grew up with- with great spirit, particularly in the person of tenor saxophonist in spittin' distance of the Grand Ole Opry, but early in her career Lucky Thompson. But it's the second session, apiano-trio date discovered how to respectfully take the traditional country that's in from April 1958, that is altogether timeless and remarkable. her blood and make it thoroughly contemporary. With her sweet, Philadelphia brothers Tommy and Ray Bryant, on bass and righteous twang, she's untouched in her ability to convey heart- piano, respectively, prove the perfect foils for Jo Jones' graceful, break, compassion, and good-natured fun, and Sweet/wail's Dance commanding melodic gestures and orchestral percussive scope. bursts with conviction and warmth. Half of its songs were hits, though"I Was Blown Away" had the misfortune of bulleting up the charts at the time of the Oklahoma City bombing, and was voluntarily pulled off the radio. This collection assem- bles an all-star team of players that, besides guitarist Brent Mason, steel guitarist Paul Franklin, and fiddler Sam Bush, also includes Daddy Bluegrass Bill Monroe in agor- geous mandolin cameo. All this, plus guest vocals from Kim Richey, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Vince Gill, and Mel hirnsel£ make this the best main- stream country album of the 1990s. CHIP STERN HERBIE NICHOLS: The Complete Blue Note Recordings Herbie Nichols, piano; Al McKibbon, Teddy Kotick, bass; Art Blakey, Max Roach, drums Blue Note CDP 8 59352 2 (3 mono CDs). 1997. Alfred Lion, prod.; Rudy Van Gelder, eng. AAD. TT: 3:32:43 Stereophile, February 2000 .