"Little Niles" is a composition by jazz pianist

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious ...

written in

waltz time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western culture, Western musical notation to specify how many beat (music), beats (pulses) are contained in each measu ...

that has become a jazz standard. It was first recorded in 1956 for his album '' With These Hands...'', and was subsequently included in his 1958 album, also called ''Little Niles'', which was inspired by his two then young children, Niles (later known as Azzedine) and Pamela. Other Weston albums that feature the composition include '' Tanjah'' (1973), ''

Niles Littlebig ''Niles Littlebig'' is an album by Randy Weston's African Rhythms recorded in 1969 in Paris and originally released on the French Polydor label.

'' (1969), and ''

Monterey '66 ''Monterey '66'' is a live album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1966 at the Monterey Jazz Festival but not released on the Verve label until 1994. Reception Allmusic awarded the album 4½ stars, with its review by Al Campbe ...

''. Lyrics to the song were composed by

Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...

, recorded on the

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

album ''The Swingers!'' (1958). Other artists who have recorded versions include:"Little Niles , Versions"
SecondHand Songs. *

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (inclu ...

(''

Salute to the Flute ''Salute to the Flute'' (reissued as ''When Lights Are Low'') is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann featuring tracks recorded in 1957 for the Epic label.Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Biography Pettiford was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United ...

(''

The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi Volume Two ''The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi Volume Two'' (also referred to as ''O.P.'s Jazz Men'') is an album by bassist/cellist and composer Oscar Pettiford that was recorded in 1957 and first issued on the ABC-Paramount label.Abbey Lincoln Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010), known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of deli ...

(''

It's Magic "It's Magic" is a popular song written by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn, published in 1947. They wrote the song for Doris Day in her Warner Brothers film debut, ''Romance on the High Seas'' (retitled ''It's Magic'' in the United Kingdom ...

'', 1958) *

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 ...

(''Shearing on Stage!'', 1959) *

Eugen Cicero Eugen Cicero (born ''Eugen Ciceu''; 27 June 1940 – 5 December 1997), nicknamed "Mister Golden Hands", was a Romanian-German jazz pianist who performed in the mixed classical-swing style. Biography Born in Vad, Romania, to Teodor and Livia Cic ...

(''In Town'', 1965) *

Phineas Newborn Phineas Newborn Jr. (December 14, 1931 – May 26, 1989) was an American jazz pianist, whose principal influences were Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Bud Powell. Biography Newborn was born in Whiteville, Tennessee, and came from a musical famil ...

('' Please Send Me Someone to Love'', 1969) *

Dollar Brand Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...

(''This Is Dollar Brand'', 1973) * Kenny Barron ('' Spiral'', 1982) *

James Spaulding James Ralph Spaulding Jr. (born July 30, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United states, Spaulding attended the Chicago Cosmopolitan School of Music. Between 1957 and 1961, he was a member of Sun ...

('' Gotstabe a Better Way!'', 1988) *

Erik Friedlander Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City. A veteran of New York City's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with sax ...

(''

Chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilici ...

'', 1995) *

Harold Danko Harold Danko (born June 13, 1947 in Ohio) is an American jazz pianist. Danko attended Youngstown State University. Among his credits are work in the big bands of Woody Herman and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, as well as smaller ensembles with Gerry Mul ...

(''3/4 - Three of Four'', 1998) *

Jan Lundgren Jan Lundgren, born on 22 March 1966 in Olofström, Blekinge, and resident in Ystad since 2005, is an internationally active Swedish jazz musician. He is a pianist, composer, and senior lecturer at the Malmö Academy of Music, where he has taug ...

(''Cooking! At the Jazz Bakery'', 1998) * Stefon Harris,

Jacky Terrasson Jacky Terrasson (born November 27, 1965) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Background Terrasson's mother is African-American from Georgia, and his father is French. From his parents he heard classical music as a child. He began piano lesson ...

('' Kindred'', 2001) * John Heard (''The Jazz Composer's Songbook'', 2005)

References

1950s jazz standards Compositions by Randy Weston Songs with lyrics by Jon Hendricks {{1950s-song-stub