AUGUST 1995
BUELL NEIDLINGER
Blue Chopsticks
(K2B2)
Herbie Nichols was one of the neglected geniuses of jazz. A brilliant pianist-composer who was too unique and ahead of his time, Nichols was only able to find regular work during his lifetime with dixieland bands; his own recordings of his compositions were exclusively in hornless trios. Shortly before Nichols' premature death in 1963, bassist Buell Neidlinger promised him that someday he would record the pianist's works with horns and strings. It took 31 years but the imaginative Blue Chopsticks proves to be worth the wait.
Neidlinger (who switched to cello for the date) performs 11 of Herbie Nichols' compositions in an unusual quintet with trumpeter Hugh Schick, Marty Krystall on reeds (mostly tenor), violinist Richard Greene and the viola of Jimbo Ross; no piano, bass or drums! Because there have been few recordings of Nichols' pieces through the years (and almost none with horns), Neidlinger had to take creative liberties to really bring out the beaurty of the compositions in this setting.
One hears strong hints of earlier forms of jazz (Schicks''s wa-wa trumpet is a major asset), classical music and country hoedowns along with the urgency of bop. The results are unpredictable, full of surprises and quite memorable. There are so many exquisite moments that it will take several listens to absorb all of this innovative music. Suffice it to say that Blue Chopsticks is one of the most significant jazz recordings to come out in 1995. This gem is highly recommended (and avialable from K2B2).
