* En anglais uniquement
Sal Nistico's explosive tenor solos with
Woody Herman in the mid-'60s helped make that edition of
Herman's Herd into a success. Originally an altoist,
Nistico switched to tenor in 1956 and played with R&B bands for three years. He gigged with and made his recording debut in 1959-1960 with
the Jazz Brothers, a band also including
Chuck and
Gap Mangione. But it was while with
Herman in 1962-1965 that
Nistico made history. In 1965, he spent five months with
Count Basie. He returned to
Basie in 1967 and to
Herman on several occasions (1968-1970, 1971, 1981-1982), although without the impact of the first stint. Otherwise, the tenor freelanced throughout his career, playing with
Don Ellis and
Buddy Rich but mostly working with pick-up groups.
Nistico recorded for several labels as a leader including Riverside, Red, and Beehive. ~ Scott Yanow