Nardis (composition)
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"Nardis" is a composition by American
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
. It was written in 1958, during Davis's modal period, to be played by
Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered by the general public for the 1966 soul ...
for the album '' Portrait of Cannonball''. The piece has come to be closely associated with pianist
Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...
, who performed and recorded it many times throughout his career.


Composition and the original recording

From 1955 to 1958, Miles Davis was leading what would come to be called his First Great Quintet. By 1958, the group consisted of
John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...
on
tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...
,
Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...
on
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
,
Paul Chambers Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. (April 22, 1935 – January 4, 1969) was an American jazz double bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, he has become one of the most widely-known jazz bassists of the hard bop er ...
on
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
, and
Philly Joe Jones Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American Jazz drumming, jazz drummer. Biography Early career As a child, Jones appeared as a featured tap dancer on ''The Kiddie Show'' on the Philadelphia radio stat ...
on
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
, Richard Cook. ''It's About That Time: Miles Davis On and Off Record.'' New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. , pp. 44-45. and had just been expanded to a sextet with the addition of
Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered by the general public for the 1966 soul ...
on
alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...
. Coltrane's return to Davis’s group in 1958 coincided with the "modal phase" albums: ''Milestones'' (1958) and ''
Kind of Blue ''Kind of Blue'' is a studio album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released on August17,1959, by Columbia Records. For this album, Davis led a sextet featuring saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianist Bill Ev ...
'' (1959) are both considered essential examples of 1950s modern jazz. Davis at this point was experimenting with modes—i.e., scale patterns other than major and minor. In mid-1958,
Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...
replaced Garland on piano and
Jimmy Cobb Wilbur James "Jimmy" Cobb (January 20, 1929May 24, 2020) was an American jazz drummer. He was part of Miles Davis's First Great Sextet. He was awarded an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 2009. Early life Cobb was born in Washington, D.C., on J ...
replaced Jones on drums, but Evans, too, left after eight months, replaced by
Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of 1 ...
in late 1958. This group backing Davis, Coltrane, and Adderley, with Evans returning for the recording sessions, would make ''
Kind of Blue ''Kind of Blue'' is a studio album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released on August17,1959, by Columbia Records. For this album, Davis led a sextet featuring saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianist Bill Ev ...
'', often considered the greatest jazz album of all time. Adderley left the band in September 1959 to pursue his career, returning the line-up to a quintet. In July 1958, Evans appeared as a sideman on Adderley's album '' Portrait of Cannonball'', which featured the first performance of "Nardis", specially written by Davis for the session. While Davis was not very satisfied with the overall performance, he said that Evans was the only one to play it in the way he wanted. The piece would come to be associated with Evans's future trios, which played it frequently. The use of the
Phrygian mode : The Phrygian mode (pronounced ) can refer to three different musical modes: the ancient Greek ''tonos'' or ''harmonia,'' sometimes called Phrygian, formed on a particular set of octave species or scales; the medieval Phrygian mode, and the m ...
and the major Gypsy scale in this tune is also present in other "Spanish" works from those years, notably Davis's ''
Sketches of Spain ''Sketches of Spain'' is a studio album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released on July 18, 1960 by Columbia Records. Recording took place between November 1959 and March 1960 at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City. An extended ...
.'' Davis never recorded "Nardis", and Adderley only did on that one occasion.


Later Bill Evans recordings

"Nardis" became an integral part of Evans' repertoire, and it appears on many of his albums: '' Trio at Birdland'' (1960), '' Explorations'' (1961), '' The Solo Sessions, Vol. 1'' (1963), '' Trio Live'' (1964), '' Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival'' (1968), ''
Quiet Now ''Quiet Now'' is an album by jazz pianist Bill Evans, recorded in 1969. It was released in 1981 on the Affinity label. The same recordings were officially released in 2021 in cooperation with the Bill Evans estate as part of the album '' Behind ...
'' (1969), '' You're Gonna Hear from Me'' (1969), ''Live at the Festival'' with
Tony Oxley Tony Oxley (15 June 1938 – 26 December 2023) was an English free improvisation, free improvising drummer and electronic musician. Born in Sheffield, Oxley moved to London in 1966 and became house drummer at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club where he ...
(1972), '' The Paris Concert: Edition Two'' (1979), '' Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings'' (1980, four versions), and '' The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings'' (1980, six versions), among others. It also appears on many of Evans' filmed appearances. According to Evans biographer Peter Pettinger, it was during the late 60s that the pianist's "performances of 'Nardis' began to assume marathon proportions: twenty-minute interpretations were a nightly event, centered around
Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, B ...
's thrilling solo." With his final trio, featuring bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe LaBarbera, which is most closely associated with this piece, Evans considered "Nardis" to be "therapy for each of them" and "almost wished they could line up twenty or so of these 'Nardis' performances and put out a four-album set." Guitarist John McLaughlin recalled hearing a version of the piece at the
Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jaz ...
near the end of Evans' life "during which Bill played the most phenomenal introduction ... followed by a rendition that had
Dave Liebman David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach. In June 2010, he received a ...
and myself jaw-dropping." The Evans version from Montreux was later sampled by
Madlib Otis Lee Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American record producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. Critically acclaimed for his eclectic, music sample, sample-heavy production style, he is rega ...
on the ''
Madvillainy ''Madvillainy'' is the only studio album by American hip-hop duo Madvillain, consisting of British-American rapper MF Doom and American record producer Madlib. It was released on March 23, 2004, by Stones Throw Records. The album was recor ...
'' track "Raid" (2004).


Form

Nardis makes use harmonically and melodically of the
Phrygian dominant scale In music, the Phrygian dominant scale (or the Phrygian ♮3 scale) is the actual fifth musical mode, mode of the harmonic minor scale, the fifth being the dominant (music), dominant.Dave Hunter (2005). ''Play Acoustic'', San Francisco: Backbeat, p ...
and the minor Gypsy scale (technically known as the double harmonic scale), and it is set in thirty-two-bar AABA form. Bill Evans usually played the piece in
E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp, on the F. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: Change ...
.


Title and authorship

The title of the piece has remained something of a mystery. According to jazz critic
Ted Gioia Ted Gioia (born October 21, 1957) is an American jazz critic and music historian. He is author of 12 books, including ''Music: A Subversive History'', '' The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire'', ''The History of Jazz'' and ''Delta Blues'' ...
, a "third-hand account" has it that Davis overheard "a fan requesting a song from an uncooperative Bill Evans, who allegedly replied, 'I don't play that crap ... I'm an artist.' Add a slight New Jersey accent to that last phrase, and you arrive at something similar to 'n'ardis.' Until a better hypothesis comes to light, this one will have to do." Drummer Joe LaBarbera notes, "Throughout his career, Bill played Nardis'so often and so well that many have assumed he composed it despite his consistent denial of authorship." And it is true that Evans was not shy about claiming the authorship of "
Blue in Green Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The term ''blue'' generally des ...
". Nonetheless, pianist
Richie Beirach Richard Alan Beirach (born 23 May 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Beirach was born in New York City. He initially studied both classical music and jazz. While still attending high school, he took lessons from pianist ...
, who recorded "Nardis" himself, has made a case for Evans' authorship, noting that it's a more sophisticated piece than Davis usually wrote, that it seems to be a pianist's piece, that its compositional principles resemble those of other pieces by Evans, that Davis never recorded it, and that Evans played it throughout his career. Beirach admitted, though, that his argument is largely based on a "gut feeling", speculated that possibly Evans gave Davis the publishing rights as part of "some business arrangement", and concluded that "regardless of who wrote 'Nardis', it's a lifelong gift to all of us."


Other notable recordings

* George Russell Sextet, '' Ezz-thetics'' (1961) * Neal Ardley's New Jazz Orchestra included an arrangement by Ian Carr on the British jazz album ''Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe'' (1969). *
Richie Beirach Richard Alan Beirach (born 23 May 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Beirach was born in New York City. He initially studied both classical music and jazz. While still attending high school, he took lessons from pianist ...
, ''Eon'' (1974) and ''Elegy for Bill Evans'' (1981) * The Great Jazz Trio (
Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians have described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts h ...
, piano;
Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...
, bass; Tony Williams, drums), '' The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard Vol. 2'' (1977) * Richard Davis with
Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...
, '' Fancy Free'' (1977) *
Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...
, ''Solo Concert'' (1979) * The
Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classical musi ...
with bassist Eddie Gómez, '' Music of Bill Evans'' (1986) * Pianist
Fred Hersch Fred Hersch (born October 21, 1955) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and a 17-time Grammy nominée. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than ...
recorded "Nardis" in medley format with
Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer. He is best known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Ja ...
's " Lonely Woman" on two albums: ''Evanessence: A Tribute to Bill Evans'' (1990) and ''Alive at the Vanguard'' (2012). * Jacky Terrasson, ''
Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses d ...
'' (2002) * The John Abercrombie Quartet, ''Up and Coming'' (2016) * Marc Johnson included the composition in his solo 2022 album ''
Overpass An overpass, called an overbridge or flyover (for a road only) in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries, is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that is over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and '' underpa ...
''. *
Marcin Patrzalek Marcin Patrzałek (; born October 6, 2000), known mononymously as Marcin, is a Polish percussive fingerstyle guitarist, composer, and producer. He is known for combining fingerstyle, percussive guitar techniques with modern electronic and orche ...
's 2024 album "Dragon in Harmony" included an arrangement.


References


Books

*{{cite book , last = Pettinger , first = Peter , title = Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings , publisher = Yale University Press , orig-year= 1999 , year = 2002 , edition = New , isbn = 0-300-09727-1 1950s jazz standards Jazz compositions Compositions by Miles Davis Jazz compositions in E minor Real Book Song