THE NICE

British rock band. One of the most scandalous, noisy and talented group of English progressive scene the second half of the 60-ies, The Nice were the history of the club R & B groups of the second wave, day after day traveled through the halls of the London suburbs.
. As a child, Keith Emerson received a classical musical education as a pianist, but also to youth ill with jazz, but at nineteen, like most of his contemporaries, was carried away rock and roll and blues
. In 1965 he became part of Gary Farr & The T-bones, which has gathered experience, accompanying famous American bluesman Mose Allison, T-Bone Walker and Howlin 'Wolf.

. In the autumn of next year the band broke up, and Emerson, spent two months in an unsuccessful rehearsals with The Vip's, accepted the offer of Andrew Oldham Meadow - to lead back to a British tour group of American soul-blues singer Pee-wee Arnold.
. In May 1967 a new group, which received the name of The Nice, began to rehearse in part: Keith Emerson (Keith Emerson, p
. November 2, 1944, Todmorton, keyboards, harmonica), his colleague at the T-bones Lee Jackson (Lee Jackson, p. January 8, 1943, Newcastle, bass, guitar, vocals), Dave O'list (Dave O'list; guitar, vocals) and Ian Haig (Ian Hague; drums). O'list started in an ambitious, but not succeeding pop-blues band The Attack, and Haig - in The Thunderbirds, Chris Farlou.

During rehearsals, the band managed to turn out their own repertoire, and Oldham suggested that they open the concerts Arnold. Representations, . that the group arranged for fifteen minutes, . were so impressive (Emerson kicked Body, . played his feet and head, . stuck in the lid body knives, . rend eerie sounds, . without ceasing to hold a furious pace and showing brilliant technique), . the end of the tour, it became clear, . The Nice that the team is valuable in itself,
. After recording the album with a wee Arnold Oldham invited a group of its own contract.

. In September, Emerson, Jackson and O'list parted with Haig, the place which was taken by another party The Attack Brian 'Blink' Davidson (Brian Blinky Davidson, p
. May 25, 1942, Leicester). They made their debut at the Windsor Blues Festival, producing confusion in the ranks of the purity of style, but earning the applause and attention of the press.
. In winter, they released their first album, which was pioneering work in many respects: in contrast to the concerts, the sound of which has always been aggressive and chaotic, studio arrangements were thoughtfulness and tactful
. One of the first in the history of rock Emerson tried to strike a balance between classical music and rock and roll, . unconstrained mixing Mozart cadenza with blues chromaticisms and fragments of popular classics collar numbers and Dylan Hardin,
. Home Rooms album were Rondo by Mozart and a free adaptation of a fragment from the opera "War and Peace" by Sergei Prokofiev.

. At first, the manner of the group determine the balance between explosive, temperamental and unpredictable technique of Emerson-impulsive style O'lista, but with the passage of time dictates first became more evident
. Tension within the group discharged in the destructive power of her speeches: during the American debut at the club, Steve Paul's The Scene audience was stunned to, . The Nice that the musicians went on stage naked to the waist and, like members of The Who, . fought among themselves, . swearing and ratcheted up with each other, . Emerson jumped on the lid of the piano and did stand on the keyboard,
. Naturally, the halls were packed.

. In June 1968, . After the first concert in the Royal Albert Hall, . during which they, . in protest against the Vietnam War, . staged executions of the American flag, . which has been slashed with knives, . trampled and, . Finally, . burned directly downstage, . group was banned from there 'for life'.,

. A month later, a scandal, . caused by a cover of their first English single, with a 7-minute version of Aamerica Bernstein of 'West Side Story', . showing a group of children with portraits of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King, instead of,
. Sam Bernstein prohibited them from execution of his work in the United States! Despite the ban singles for the BBC, it rose to 21 th place in the UK charts. In October O'list, tired of the constant rivalry with Emerson, left the band. He was replaced by Gordon Longstaff (Gordon Longstaff), . who stayed in the The Nice just enough, . to record their second album, Ars Longa Vita Brevis, . culminating were intermezzo from 'Karelia Suite' by Sibelius and ambitious psevdoklassicheskaya title track in four parts with clear Beethoven allusions,
. Like all the subsequent albums The Nice, Ars Longa Vita Brevis reached the Top20.

Further attention to the group has focused on the game Emerson. The third album of The Nice was interesting in terms of studio recording, . the most attractive accommodation which has been processing Hang On To A Dream by Tim Hardin, . and concert, . which was made in New York's Fillmore East, and includes updated remakes of Rondo and She Belongs To Me Dylan.,

. The book published in 1970, Five Bridges Suite, . written by Jackson about his native Newcastle, . become the most ambitious project of a trio: a complex structure, . brilliant study of all parties, . skillful connection of electric and acoustic instruments - all Emerson later conveyed to the absurd in Elp,
. By this time, Immediate already closed and moved to The Nice Charisma.

. However, the days of the group were considered: Jackson and Davidson (as O'list year earlier) were dissatisfied with the role of simply carrying out others' ideas, and in March 1970 decided to disband The Nice.

. Emerson three months later began a new, successful career as a leader of Emerson Lake & Palmer
. Jackson created The Jackson Heights, and Davidson, Every Which's Way, but neither the one nor the other did not achieve results comparable to The Nice. In 1973, with relative success, they attempted to repeat the formula in the trio Refugee, in which the role Emerson played Swiss Patrick Moraz. Charisma in 1971-72 published remains available in her recordings The Nice. Over the next ten years, came a large number of reprints of works.