Herbie Nichols Trio

**Herbie Nichols Trio** was the vehicle for jazz pianist and composer Herbie Nichols, a visionary artist whose work simmered under the radar during his lifetime. Active in the 1950s, Nichols blended bebop, stride, and avant-garde ideas into a sound that was entirely his own—quirky, harmonically rich, and rhythmically playful. His trio recordings, often featuring bass and drums, became cult classics, showcasing originals like "Lady Sings the Blues" and "House Party Starting," which twisted jazz conventions into whimsical, cerebral shapes. Sadly, Nichols struggled for recognition in his era, overshadowed by bigger names, and passed away in 1963 at just 44.

Decades later, albums like *Love, Gloom, Cash, Love* (a posthumous collection of his work) and reissues like *Herbie Nichols Trio* sparked a rediscovery of his genius. Modern jazzheads and musicians now hail him as an unsung hero, a composer whose off-kilter melodies and sly wit inspired later avant-garde and progressive jazz movements. While compilations like *Milestones of Jazz Legends: More Blue Notes, Vol. 3* keep his legacy alive, Nichols’ story remains a bittersweet reminder of how brilliance sometimes only gets its due long after the final note.

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