Formed in 1967, The Nice havelargely been regarded as something of a footnote in popular music history — theband through which Keith Emerson came into the spotlight prior to formingEmerson, Lake & Palmer. Crucially,taking ELP out of the equation, The Nice were one of the pioneering bands ofthe late sixties, their fusion of rock, jazz and classical music exerting astrong influence on the progressive rock of the seventies. In Dawn –The Nice Story, Laura Shenton offers a detailed explorationof the uniqueness, achievements and music of The Nice — as well as the spin-offgroups Jackson Heights, Refugee and beyond — celebrating them as a band worthyof critical recognition in their own right.