Herbie Nichols
Herbie Nichols (1919–1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Although he had little success as a jazz musician during his lifetime, he is highly regarded by many musicians and critics to this day.
During much of his life he was forced to take work as a Dixieland musician instead of playing the types of jazz he preferred. He performed originally in bop groups, but is best known today for his own highly original compositions, program music which combines bop, Dixieland, and West Indian music with harmonies derived from Erik Satie and Béla Bartók.
His tune "Serenade" was taken as the music for Billie Holiday's "Lady Sings the Blues"." He recorded only six times; his three albums for Blue Note Records have been released on CD. Since his death his music has been most energetically promoted by Roswell Rudd, who worked with Nichols in the early 1960s. Rudd has recorded or programmed at least three albums featuring Nichols' compositions, including his own The Unheard Herbie Nichols (1996).
