''Dr. Cyclops' Dream'' is the second album by

the Herbie Nichols Project The Herbie Nichols Project was an American jazz ensemble dedicated to performing the music of composer and pianist Herbie Nichols. History The group was co-founded in 1992 by pianist Frank Kimbrough and double bassist Ben Allison, both members o ...

, an American jazz ensemble dedicated to performing the music of composer and pianist

Herbie Nichols Herbert Horatio Nichols (January 3, 1919 – April 12, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who wrote the jazz standard " Lady Sings the Blues". Obscure during his lifetime, he is now highly regarded by many musicians and critics. Lif ...

. It was recorded during February 1999 at Tedesco Studio in Paramus, New Jersey, and was released later that year by the

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

label. Led by pianist

Frank Kimbrough Frank Kimbrough (November 2, 1956 – December 30, 2020) was an American post-bop jazz pianist and composer. He was born and raised in Roxboro, North Carolina. He did some work at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Chapel Hill before moving to Washingt ...

and double bassist

Ben Allison Ben Allison (born November 17, 1966) is an American double bassist, composer, producer, bandleader, educator. In addition to his work as a performer, he co-founded the non-profit Jazz Composers Collective and served as its Artistic Director for ...

, the group also features saxophonists Ted Nash and Michael Blake, trumpeter Ron Horton, and drummer Tim Horner.

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, Ken Dryden wrote: "the date includes a wealth of Nichols' imaginative yet infrequently heard songs, plus a number of compositions recorded for the first time... Fans of the music of Herbie Nichols will be astounded by this rewarding CD." The authors of ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' called the music "pretty substantial further evidence for Nichols's overlooked genius," and commented: "The use of blues and non-blues intervals is utterly distinctive and these players know exactly what they're dealing with." Glenn Astarita of ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' stated that the musicians "capture the proverbial spirit while putting an indelible stamp to the music of a man who during his tenure in jazz was often overshadowed by others, which to this day remains somewhat of a mysterious or forlorn notion...

hey Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...

take the music of Herbie Nichols into the twenty-first century as his music lives on through the eyes and ears of this estimable bunch! Highly recommended!!"

Track listing

Composed by Herbie Nichols. # "Bartok" – 8:35 # "It Didn't Happen" – 4:33 # "Dr. Cyclops' Dream" – 7:50 # "Swan Song" – 5:54 # "Dream Time" – 1:58 # "Valse Macabre" – 5:50 # "I've Got Those Classic Blues" – 1:50 # "Beyond Recall" – 5:00 # "Bebop Waltz" – 5:33 # "IDH" – 2:06 # "Riff Primitif" – 6:17 # "Cro-mag at T's" – 0:57

Personnel

– piano *

– double bass * Ted Nash – tenor saxophone, alto flute, bass clarinet * Michael Blake – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone * Ron Horton – trumpet, flugelhorn * Tim Horner – drums

References

{{Reflist 1999 albums Black Saint/Soul Note albums The Herbie Nichols Project albums