Not only did fame elude pianist and composer Herbie Nichols during his lifetime, but steady opportunities to perform his own music did as well. By the time he died in 1963 at just 44 years old, his now-classic Blue Note trio sessions were nearly a decade old and already out of print. Though he was later regarded as a second-row giant—standing just behind Ellington and Monk in the jazz pantheon—Nichols’ brilliance remained largely unrecognized while he lived.
Over the past 40 years, however, a widening circle of musicians championed Nichols’ work, gradually positioning compositions like “House Party Starting” and “2300 Skidoo” as staples of the modern jazz repertoire. His artistic journey came to mirror that of many overlooked poets, painters, and thinkers who were underappreciated in their time but revered by generations that followed. It became a better-late-than-never story—one that continued to deepen and flourish.
In 2025, vocalist and composer Fay Victor wrote the latest chapter in that unfolding saga with her project Herbie Nichols SUNG. By crafting original lyrics for many of Nichols’ most celebrated compositions, Victor reimagined and revitalized his music for contemporary audiences. Herbie Nichols SUNG enjoyed a standout year, opening the Winter Jazz Festival in New York and appearing at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C., and Chicago’s Hyde Park Jazz Festival.
This past Saturday, FEMA presented Herbie Nichols SUNG at the arts center, marking another milestone in the continuing rediscovery and celebration of Nichols’ extraordinary legacy.
Photo Credit: Lisa Sheirer