OIiver Nelson - Blues & The Abstract Truth

Rating ***** (out of 5) - One of the best jazz albums of all time!

Nelson’s skill as an arranger and some extraordinary performances transform a 1961 septet session into one of the finest albums in all of jazz. “Stolen Moments” begins with three horns on a somewhat nostalgic theme, then eases into the solos: Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Dolphy (flute), Nelson (tenor sax), and Bill Evans (piano). What’s extraordinary? Nelson’s conception: each solo is perfectly sculpted, with no nuance out of place. And Nelson’s control: his canny orchestration of these solos forms a complete story. His sense of balance is especially masterful on “Cascades,” with free work from Dolphy and Hubbard meshing with Evans’s boppish piano. It’s an absolutely brilliant album, with excellent sound quality.

ABOUT OLIVER NELSON:
St. Louis-born Oliver Nelson started playing in local bands at age 16. He joined Louis Jordan’s big band four years later, in 1951, playing alto sax. This was Nelson’s first serious job as an arranger and perhaps his greatest contribution to jazz. For much of the 1950s, Nelson was in the Navy, then attended college. He moved to NYC, then L.A. By 1961, he was playing tenor sax for Quincy Jones’s band. Nelson’s best solo work was recorded in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A short time later, Nelson was one of jazz’s most sought-after arrangers, working with Jimmy Smith, Billy Taylor, Wes Montgomery, and, for much of the 1960s, with Buddy Rich. Nelson moved to L.A. in 1967 to work in television, and aside from some notable appearances with all-star bands at festivals, his new career didn’t allow much time for jazz. Nelson died of a heart attack in 1975 at age 43.