Applejackin' – Herbie Nichols

A classic Herbie Nichols song: full of rhythmic quirks and harmonic oddities, but very swinging with at times a quite accessible melody. The main rhythmic motif accents the third beat in the first four measures; this almost sounds as if the song starts with a 2/4 measure and the third beat is the downbeat of the next measure. These deceptive rhythms are also accentuated by the changes (see below). In the first measure, where our audio clip starts, the melody rises in a triplet pattern to the third beat; these are the only eighth-note triplets in the song. The higher third-beat notes, and the diminished triadic figures between them, descend in sequence and are followed by a more tonal passage. A 16th-note figure breaks up the eighth-note rhythms in the seventh measure; it is different in the two A sections and C section of the 32-measure form. The bridge melody combines stepwise and arpeggiated melodic movement.

As with the melody, the most unusual harmonic passage is in the first four measures. Each of these measures begins with a diminished chord, which is resolved a half step up or down. These resolutions in the middle of the measure accentuate the melodic focus on the third beat. The opening A♭dim7 goes up to A minor, but the next three measures' diminished chords (G, C, and F) each resolve down to a dominant chord in first inversion, for example D7/F♯. It's a quirky way to get around the circle of fourths to the tonic F, not unlike the classic circle-of-fourths "rhythm changes" variant. The rest of the A section is static on F, going to F7 at the end except for the second A which ends on B♭/F. The bridge starts on F as well, with the subsequent D♭7(♯11) leading to some descending II-V7s; the last chord of the bridge is E♭7 instead of the expected C7, to link up with A♭dim7.

There is a typical Herbie Nichols intro: eight measures, based on the last four measures of the A section but developed in a different direction, followed by a four-measure drum solo break. The same intro is used as a coda, including the final drum break. In this intro, the last two measures feature tritone slash chords: D♭maj7/G and G♭maj7/C. The bass walks only the roots for the fifth through eighth measures of the intro. Dynamics are indicated in our lead sheets: the melody begins strongly and decrescendos through the descending sequence of the first four measures.

For information about the Piano Melody Transcription, click on the Piano Corner tab.

This session from "The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols" was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's legendary Hackensack Studio.

Herbie Nichols' original manuscripts show the alternate title of this song, Showboating. Herbie recorded three takes: one on August 1, 1955, and the other two (including the master take) on August 7th. Interestingly, Herbie plays the entire head out on the alternate take from August 7th, but varies the melody enough on the last chorus of the other two takes that is essentially a continuation of his solo until the last eight measures.

Bassist/cellist Buell Neidlinger recorded Applejackin' on his 1994 album of Nichols songs, "Blue Chopsticks."

A Piano Melody Transcription is available for the intro CLIP and in head of the master take. Herbie uses relatively simple voicings, incorporating more right-hand voicings than in some of his other songs—but what really makes his music stand out is always the articulation. This transcription shows all the important slurs and accents that he played. Some notes really pop out and are indicated by full-size accents, while others are just a little more forceful than the notes around them and have smaller accent marks.