Blindfold test resolved: Big Nick Nicholas at the West End

Update (June 16, 2012): Big Nick Nicholas is playing at the West End here, not at the Tin Palace as I had erroneously written.

Well my little “Body and Soul” blindfold test did not last long. I promised to give you the solution by the end of june, but it did take Bo Scherman less than an hour to figure out that the tenor player in question is Big Nick Nicholas (1922–1997). Congratulations, Bo! I would not have thought that someones comes up with the solution THAT quick.

Big Nick Nicholas was playing this beautiful rendition of “Body and Soul” with his quartet at the West End in N.Y.C. on October 3, 1979.

Big Nick Nicholas at the West End, October 3, 1979.
Photo by Otto Flückiger

George Walker “Big Nick” Nicholas played with Hank Jones, Thad Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Hot Lips Page and Earl Hines  in the 1940s and joined Buck Clayton’s band in 1955. In the early sixties Nicholas inspired John Coltrane to write his composition “Big Nick”, dedicated to him.

It seems that Nicholas was away from the N.Y.C scene for a while. In one of the announcements on Otto’s tape from the West End, Nicholas mentions that he has not been in New York for years. Besides recording two sets of Nicholas’ quartet, Otto also took quite a few photographs (you can click on them to enlarge them) and did not forget to take the promotional flyer for the engagement with him  (subtitled “An Infuential Tenor Saxophonist returns To The Big Apple”) on which Phil Schaap  tells us more details about Nicholas’ career:

Howard McGhee / Howard Kimbo at the West End, 1980

A lot of the concerts my friend Otto witnessed during his late seventies and early eighties trips to N.Y.C. took place at the West End Club whose speciality was to present veterans of the Bebop Era. In mid May 1980 Otto went to the West End to see Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918– July 17, 1987) with his quintet:

Andy Bey (piano) and Howard McGhee (trumpet) at the West End,
N.Y.C., May 16, 1980. Photo by Otto Flückiger

Ed “Tiger” Lewis at the West End, 1980

When he was in New York City in 1980 my friend the jazz researcher Otto Flückiger naturally made his round through the clubs to enjoy jazz of all kinds. So he got too see and hear Sam River’s Rivbea Orchestra, Panama Francis’ Savoy Sultans, Woody Shaw with Wynton Marsalis, a George Coleman group – and lots more. On April 6, 1980 he went to the West End at Broadway near Columbia to hear the band of veteran trumpet player Ed “Tiger” Lewis:

Donald Jordan (p), Ed “Tiger” Lewis (tp), Harold Cumberbatch (bars) and
Sir John Godfrey (dr) at the West End, April 6, 1980.
Photo by Otto Flückiger (click to enlarge)

This evening is remarkable in that Otto took quite a few photos, when usually he only made three or four (photography was a costly thing then). I thought it would be nice to present these photos here. Since Otto also recorded the band, I am adding some sound to add to your pleasure. Here’s the Ed “Tiger” Lewis Quintet playing Charlie Parker’s Confirmation at the West End in N.Y.C. on April 6, 1980:

So now for the other photos:

First two close-ups of drummer Sir John Godfrey: