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Sal Nistico

Sal Nistico, born Salvatore Nistico 2 April 1938 in Syracuse (New York), died 3 March 1991 in Berne, Switzerland, was a jazz tenor saxophonist associated for many years in the mid-'60s with Woody Herman's Herd.

He started playing alto sax, switching to tenor in 1956 and briefly played baritone sax. In 1965, he joined Count Basie but returned on many occasions to play with Herman. He also played with Nat Adderley, Don Ellis, Stan Tracey, Chuck Mangione and Buddy Rich.

While not a well-known public figure, he was highly respected by his fellow tenor sax players as a "musicians' musician". Sal's solo work contrasts his big band work. The solo work is more bebop oriented, as heard on the Heavyweights recordings.

Sal Nistico: Heavyweights

Read "Heavyweights" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 12, 2002

It’s been over a decade now since the death of saxophonist and composer Sal Nistico and as of yet no substantive rediscovery of his talent has yet to take place. However, that might change now with the reissue of his first two recordings as a leader. Nistico’s maiden voyage was the 1961 Jazzland set Heavyweights, which put him in the fast company of trumpeter Nat Adderley, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Walter Perkins. This would be followed ...

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Album Review

Sal Nistico: Heavyweights

Read "Heavyweights" reviewed by David Rickert

by David Rickert
June 10, 2002

Sal Nistico is a fine player from the post-bop school known mainly as a star soloist for Woody Herman (that is, if he’s recognized at all). Like many obscure players from the era, he was also given the opportunity to record some small-group sessions under his own name, two of which are collected here on this reissue. On the first Nistico is backed by a stellar lineup including Nat Adderley and Barry Harris, who help Nistico confront the legacy of ...

Video / DVD

Terry Gibbs and Sal Nistico

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 1, 2023

In 1963, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs teamed with tenor saxophonist Sal Nistico to record a terrific little-known swinger for New York's Time Records known as Gibbs & Nistico. I say “known as" because the album cover, as you can see below, doesn't distinctly project a title. Produced by Bob Shad, the LP featured Sal Nistico (ts), Terry Gibbs (vib), Nat Pierce (org), Turk Van Lake (g), Charlie Andres (b) and Jake Hanna (d). At the time, Nistico and the rhythm section ...
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Video / DVD

Sal Nistico at Carmelo's, 1981

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
November 20, 2017

For much of the latter part of the 19th century and into the post-war years, Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley was a center of Italian immigration. Prior to residential development in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Valley was a draw for those who arrived in the States from Italy to work as stone masons and farmers. Northern Italians arrived in L.A. first in the late 1800s, followed by Southern Italians in the early 20th century. In the 1940s, ...
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Recording

Hod O'Brien Meets Sal Nistico

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
January 30, 2017

Jazz was in a strange place in the 1980s. I remember being fresh out of college and working my first job at The New York Times. There were plenty of clubs in town, but other than the big ones where legends performed, the scene was fairly run down and thin on young people in the audience. The excitement of fusion in the 1970s had led to synthpop and funk in the '80s, and the action was all on MTV and ...
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