Nica's Tempo is the most common latter-day title of an album by the Gigi Gryce Orchestra and Quartet, recorded and first released in late 1955.Dave Thompson, Goldmine Record Album Price Guide, United States: Penguin Publishing Group, 2019, p.273
Background
Recording and composition While side two is ostensibly by the "Gigi Gryce Quartet", its duration is dominated by three previously unrecorded compositions of Thelonious Monk, on which he is featured as the quartet's pianist. Furthermore, the lineup is Gryce plus the same musicians that had recorded a 10" LP as the Thelonious Monk Trio a year earlier (Thelonious Monk Plays), making this arguably a Monk/Gryce quartet, playing under Gryce's name for contractual reasons. Author Robin D.G.Kelley, in the book Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original, reports that the teaching, rehearsal and performance of these compositions were all directed by Monk. Kelley further describes: It would be another year before Riverside Records recorded any original Monk compositions, for the album Brilliant Corners. These were, therefore, the only original compositions Monk recorded for release in 1955.
Release history The album was originally issued in late 1955Dave Thompson, Goldmine Record Album Price Guide, United States: Penguin Publishing Group, 2019, p. 273 (Signal S 1201) in packaging that makes its title difficult to summarize. The side A label read Gigi Gryce Orchestra, while the side B label read Gigi Gryce Quartet; the back cover listed both titles. One Signal edition of the front cover simply read Gigi Gryce, while the other was titled with a list of 11 star players from the sessions, starting with Gigi Gryce and Thelonious Monk. The Signal Records masters were acquired by Savoy Records, who reissued this album circa 1958 as Nica's Tempo.
Title The title track is a reference to Nica de Koenigswarter (born Kathleen Annie Pannonica Rothschild) a.k.a. "The Bebop Baroness" or "The Jazz Baroness", a patron of jazz musicians such as Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker.
Track listing Side 1 (by "Gigi Gryce Orchestra")
Side 2 (by "Gigi Gryce Quartet")
Personnel
Gigi Gryce Orchestra Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6: Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, October 22, 1955 Art Farmer – trumpet Jimmy Cleveland – trombone Gunther Schuller – French horn Bill Barber – tuba Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone Danny Bank – baritone saxophone Horace Silver – piano Oscar Pettiford – bass Kenny Clarke – drums Tracks 3, 5: Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, October 22, 1955 Art Farmer – trumpet Eddie Bert – trombone Julius Watkins – French horn Bill Barber – tuba Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone Horace Silver – piano Oscar Pettiford – bass Art Blakey – drums Ernestine Anderson – vocals
Gigi Gryce Quartet Tracks 7–10: Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, October 15, 1955
Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone Thelonious Monk – piano Percy Heath – bass Art Blakey – drums
Technical personnel Ozzie Cadena – producer Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer Ira Gitler – liner notes
References