Gorgeous & beautifully pressed gatefold 2LP set w/ extensive & erudite liner notes by veteran jazz critic & author Kevin Whitehead & Fay Victor's lyrics and session photos on the inner.
// Strictly limited one-time edition of 500 //
Includes unlimited streaming of Life Is Funny That Way
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 5 days
Purchasable with gift card
$32USDor more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
6-panel digipak printed on heavyweight stock, with 12pg. full-color booklet featuring extensive & erudite liner notes, full lyrics, and session photos.
// 2CD includes the non-album song, "The World Is Still The Same" fayvictor.bandcamp.com/track/the-world-is-still-the-same, as a bonus track at end of Disc 2 //
Includes unlimited streaming of Life Is Funny That Way
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 5 days
Purchasable with gift card
$20USDor more
Streaming + Download
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
* Full art, liner notes & lyrics included as PDF with Album download.
= Herbie Nichols SUNG =
Fay Victor: voice, lyrics, arrangements, bandleader
Michaël Attias: alto & baritone saxophones
Anthony Coleman: piano
Ratzo Harris: bass
Tom Rainey: drums
Life Is Funny That Way is the major new work from acclaimed and singular singer-soundartist-lyricist-bandleader Fay Victor. It is both a loving celebration and thorough reconsideration of jazz composer Herbie Nichols' rich legacy & a powerful work of art from a formidably talented and forthright black woman. This landmark work is also the first time that a full program of lyrics have been written & recorded for Nichols’ compositions. Victor's innovative arrangements are brought to vibrant life by Herbie Nichols SUNG, a dedicated and profoundly gifted quintet of veteran jazz performers.
Nearly 30 years ago while living in the Netherlands, Victor discovered and was captivated by Nichols’ music in the collection of her future husband. She first began to explore the concept of singing this tremendous work with Dutch pianist Misha Mengelberg and then together with trombonist and one-time Nichols collaborator Roswell Rudd.
It was in 2013 that Fay Victor formed the Herbie Nichols SUNG project with American players and began to present it regularly in NYC, adding to a European trio version that had already toured the continent. This deep and extensive artistic journey which Victor embarked on, alongside leading other acclaimed bands and recording projects of all- original material, led to the involvement of the TAO Forms label. Its creative director drummer Whit Dickey not only shared a great appreciation of Nichols’ singular work as a composer, but was also a long-time fan of the exceptionally gifted Victor.
Recalling her first experience of hearing Nichols' music, Victor says, “I put the record on and it sounded very strange to me. But then I heard “House Party Starting”. That was the one, that just sent something through my soul. I was blown away by that composition, and decided then and there that I want to learn this, I want to be able to sing this. And at that moment, I couldn’t. There was definitely some technical work I needed to do. It was great to have that challenge, and I was determined.” [ "Tonight" is Victor's ultimate realization. }
A decade later and clearly ready, Life Is Funny That Way was recorded with the long-devoted veterans of Herbie Nichols SUNG: Michaël Attias (alto & baritone saxophones), Anthony Coleman (piano), Ratzo Harris (bass), and relatively new addition Tom Rainey (drums). A tremendous group to be sure; united by their mutual love of both Nichols’ writing and Victor’s estimable artistry.
She and her band’s work was exquisitely captured & mixed by engineer Andy Taub at his Brooklyn Recording studio.
The source material comes from Nichols’ Blue Note sessions of 1955-56, plus three compositions not recorded in his lifetime.
The album’s material is wide-ranging in mood, from the puckish opening title track and abstracted “The Culprit Is You” (both with the full band) to the dark voice-alto-bass explorations of “Bright Butterfly” and a ghostly voice-alto-piano reworking of “The Spinning Song”, aptly titled “Descent Into Madness”.
“Shuffle Montgomery” has Victor scatting ebulliently over the full band with Attias on baritone, while “Twelve Bars”, another tune unrecorded by Nichols, is a feature for the piano trio.
In addition to fêting Nichols, Victor takes the opportunity to celebrate the person who gave him his greatest exposure. Billie Holiday was the first to write lyrics for one of his tunes, “Serenade”, making it one of her signature works: “Lady Sings The Blues”. As Victor explains, “I chose to include this song because I think about the audience a lot. If anybody knows Nichols at all, they know this song. But the other thing is that when Billie sang his song, she didn’t sing his bridge. So I wanted to sing the lyrics with his bridge. That was important to me. I wanted people to know what the complete composition sounded like. Those are great lyrics Billie Holiday wrote and it’s also an homage to her because sometimes I feel that she doesn’t get her full due in terms of how incredible a musician she was, how visionary she was.”
TAO Forms is very proud to present this deep Album work, which will be released on April5, 2024.
credits
released April 5, 2024
All compositions by Herbie Nichols
All lyrics & arrangements by Fay Victor
(except Lady Sings The Blues, lyrics by Billie Holiday)
Recorded & Mixed by Andy Taub at Brooklyn Recording
Mastered by Paul Wickliffe at Skyline Underground
Produced by Fay Victor
Executive Producer: Whit Dickey for TAO Forms, taoforms.bandcamp.com
Project Coordinator: Steven Joerg
Liner Notes: Kevin Whitehead
Photography by Deneka Peniston
Art & Design by William Mazza Studio
Compositions Publishing Details:
1 “Life Is Funny That Way” is an adaptation of “Double Exposure” written by H. Nichols. Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2 “The Bassist” is an adaptation of “The Gig” written by H. Nichols. Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
3 “Bright Butterfly” is an adaptation of “Another Friend” written by H. Nichols. Published by the Estate of Herbie Nichols (admin. by Kurt Boone). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
4 “Sinners, All Of Us!” is an adaptation of “The Happenings” written by H. Nichols. Published by the Estate of Herbie Nichols. (admin. by Kurt Boone) Used by permission. All rights reserved.
5 “The Culprit Is You” is an adaptation of “2300 Skiddoo” written by H. Nichols. Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
6 “Shuffle Montgomery” is an adaptation of “Shuffle Montgomery” written by H. Nichols. Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
7 “Tonight” is an adaptation of ““House Party Starting” written by H. Nichols. Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
8 “Lady Sings The Blues” is an adaptation of “Lady Sings The Blues” written by H. Nichols and B. Holiday. Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
9 “Twelve Bars” written by H. Nichols. Published by the Estate of Herbie Nichols. (admin. by Kurt Boone). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
10 “Descent Into Madness” is an adaptation of “The Spinning Song” written by H. Nichols. Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
11 “Non-Fraternization Clause” is an adaptation of “Step Tempest” written by H. Nichols. Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
supported by 33 fans who also own “Life Is Funny That Way”
i was at 2 of these shows and they were a highlight of the year for me, so glad to see this music released -- the interplay is incredible and the interpretations are so fresh. the recording quality is excellent as well. e123
