Oliver Nelson
Oliver Nelson was a distinctive soloist on alto, tenor, and even soprano, but his writing eventually overshadowed his playing skills. He became a professional early on in 1947, playing with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra and with St. Louis big bands headed by George Hudson and Nat Towles. In 1951, he arranged and played second alto for Louis Jordan's big band, and followed with a period in the Navy and four years at a university. After moving to New York, Nelson worked briefly with Erskine Hawkins, Wild Bill Davis, and Louie Bellson (the latter on the West Coast). In addition to playing with Quincy Jones' orchestra (1960-1961), between 1959-1961 Nelson recorded six small-group albums and a big band date; those gave him a lot of recognition and respect in the jazz world. Blues and the Abstract Truth (from 1961) is considered a classic and helped to popularize a song that Nelson had included on a slightly earlier Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis session, "Stolen Moments." He also fearlessly matched wits effectively with the explosive Eric Dolphy on a pair of quintet sessions. But good as his playing was, Nelson was in greater demand as an arranger, writing for big band dates of Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, and Billy Taylor, among others. By 1967, when he moved to Los Angeles, Nelson was working hard in the studios, writing for television and movies. He occasionally appeared with a big band, wrote a few ambitious works, and recorded jazz on an infrequent basis, but Oliver Nelson was largely lost to jazz a few years before his unexpected death at age 43 from a heart attack.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
-
Back To Black And White
Jazz - Released by btbaw sounds on 19 Jul 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Trane Whistle
Jazz - Released by Black Barn Music on 13 Aug 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sleepless Times
Jazz - Released by Sleepless Times 2020 on 9 Aug 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Happy Easter
Jazz - Released by Archive & Catapulte on 4 Apr 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
-
-
Holy Christmas Voices
Jazz - Released by HCVVV Voices timeless on 1 Dec 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Happy Birthday Oliver (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Millennium Digital Remaster on 4 Jun 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Septet-The Blues Land-The Abstract Truth
Blues - Released by JB Production on 6 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Easter Dance
Jazz - Released by Archive & Catapulte on 7 Apr 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hello Santa
Oliver Nelson, Oliver Nelson & Lem Winchester, Oliver Nelson & Eric Dolphy
Jazz - Released by golden times on 21 Nov 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Our Starlet
Oliver Nelson, Oliver Nelson & Lem Winchester, Oliver Nelson & Eric Dolphy
Jazz - Released by cappo digital on 29 Nov 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Santas Favorite Hits
Oliver Nelson, Oliver Nelson & Lem Winchester, Oliver Nelson & Eric Dolphy
Jazz - Released by Belle Wood on 17 Nov 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chartbreaker
Oliver Nelson, Oliver Nelson & Lem Winchester, Oliver Nelson & Eric Dolphy
Jazz - Released by The Most Wanted Hits on 4 Oct 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Happy Reunion
Oliver Nelson, Oliver Nelson & Lem Winchester, Oliver Nelson & Eric Dolphy
Jazz - Released by cappo digital on 6 Oct 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Snowy Winter Hits
Oliver Nelson, Oliver Nelson & Lem Winchester, Oliver Nelson & Eric Dolphy
Jazz - Released by cappo digital on 19 Oct 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -