Customer Reviews

Spinning Song: Duck Baker Plays The Music Of Herbie Nichols

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On this album, Duck Baker takes a spare, solo-guitar approach to realizing the music of Herbie Nichols, a much-underappreciated contemporary of such jazz luminaries as Thelonious Monk. Baker clearly understands Nichol's ferocious harmonic complexity, demonstrated amply by the range of chord voicings that are several steps removed from run-of-the-mill II-V-I. "The Third World," which opens the album, is reminiscent of Thelonious Monk's compositions, but it has a flavor distinctly different from Monk, which Baker articulates with grace and extraordinary time. This album is well-worth the listen, whether you're a guitar fan or jazz fan or what have you -- it's simply great music.

Duck Baker is widely appreciated as a master of finger-style jazz guitar, and his recordings of Herbie Nichols' beautiful music are truly rewarding. Guitar fans and jazz fans who are into Monk,etc, will get alot out of this nuanced interpretation.

With Duck Bakers brillant finger-style approach to jazz guitar, he manages to improvise in Herbie Nichols complex songs. This is done with energy and beauty. Most of the songs are played at a slower pace than Herbie's original blue note recordings, though in no way does this detract from the songs. In fact the opposite is true.