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When the late President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, the world lost not only a prominent politician, but one who truly championed the arts and civil rights. In February of 1967, Oliver Nelson recognized Kennedy's contributions and assembled a big band to play music in his honor, with taped segments of his speeches as preludes. The result is a heartfelt yet eerie combination, perhaps a bit off-putting, but absolutely relevant decades later. The music is reflective of the changing times as identified by Nelson, ranging from commercial movie score-type music, to soulful or straight-ahead jazz, bop, and the modern big-band sound that the leader, composer, and orchestrator owned. Kennedy's most famous speech about fellow Americans, asking what they can do for their country, is folded into the last track "John Kennedy Memory Waltz" with a string quartet and the regret-tinged alto sax of Phil Woods. The 34th President's oratorios on human rights act as prelude to the soft clarion horns, 7/8 beat, flutes, and vibes, giving way to the modal and serene passages of "Let the Word Go Forth," or the cinematic, military, harpsichord-shaded, plucked-guitar-and-streaming-oboe-accented "The Rights of All," which is also reflective of the immortal spiritual song "Wade in the Water." Where "Tolerance" has a similar verbal tone, the mood is much more ethereal between the flutes, oboe, and strings, while the two-minute etude for the first lady and widow, "Jacqueline," has a loping stride. "A Genuine Peace" is an anthem for all times in a soul-jazz mode that parallels Aaron Copland's Americana moods, while "Day in Dallas" is the expectant, ominous, foreboding calm before the chaos. Nelson's straight-ahead jazz exercise is "The Artists' Rightful Place," a spoken word tonic for musical troops in a bop framework that has the horn section jumping for joy. As always, Nelson surrounds himself with the very best musicians -- Woods and Phil Bodner in the reed section, tuba player Don Butterfield, bassist George Duvivier, and pianist Hank Jones -- and all produced by Bob Thiele.
© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo
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Phil Bodner, English Horn, AssociatedPerformer - George Duvivier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Grady Tate, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Nelson, Trombone, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hank Jones, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Woods, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Don Butterfield, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Phil Bodner, English Horn, AssociatedPerformer - George Duvivier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Grady Tate, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Nelson, Trombone, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hank Jones, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Woods, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Don Butterfield, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Phil Bodner, English Horn, AssociatedPerformer - George Duvivier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Grady Tate, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Nelson, Trombone, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hank Jones, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Woods, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Don Butterfield, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Arnold, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1967 Verve Label Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Phil Bodner, English Horn, AssociatedPerformer - George Duvivier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Grady Tate, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Nelson, Trombone, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hank Jones, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Woods, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Don Butterfield, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Arnold, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1967 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Phil Bodner, English Horn, AssociatedPerformer - George Duvivier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Grady Tate, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Nelson, Trombone, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hank Jones, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Woods, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Don Butterfield, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Phil Bodner, English Horn, AssociatedPerformer - George Duvivier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Grady Tate, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Nelson, Trombone, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hank Jones, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Woods, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Don Butterfield, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Phil Bodner, English Horn, AssociatedPerformer - George Duvivier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Grady Tate, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Nelson, Trombone, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hank Jones, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Woods, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Don Butterfield, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Arnold, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1967 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Phil Bodner, English Horn, AssociatedPerformer - George Duvivier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Grady Tate, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - GEORGE DAVID WEISS, ComposerLyricist - Oliver Nelson, Trombone, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Hank Jones, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Woods, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Don Butterfield, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
When the late President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, the world lost not only a prominent politician, but one who truly championed the arts and civil rights. In February of 1967, Oliver Nelson recognized Kennedy's contributions and assembled a big band to play music in his honor, with taped segments of his speeches as preludes. The result is a heartfelt yet eerie combination, perhaps a bit off-putting, but absolutely relevant decades later. The music is reflective of the changing times as identified by Nelson, ranging from commercial movie score-type music, to soulful or straight-ahead jazz, bop, and the modern big-band sound that the leader, composer, and orchestrator owned. Kennedy's most famous speech about fellow Americans, asking what they can do for their country, is folded into the last track "John Kennedy Memory Waltz" with a string quartet and the regret-tinged alto sax of Phil Woods. The 34th President's oratorios on human rights act as prelude to the soft clarion horns, 7/8 beat, flutes, and vibes, giving way to the modal and serene passages of "Let the Word Go Forth," or the cinematic, military, harpsichord-shaded, plucked-guitar-and-streaming-oboe-accented "The Rights of All," which is also reflective of the immortal spiritual song "Wade in the Water." Where "Tolerance" has a similar verbal tone, the mood is much more ethereal between the flutes, oboe, and strings, while the two-minute etude for the first lady and widow, "Jacqueline," has a loping stride. "A Genuine Peace" is an anthem for all times in a soul-jazz mode that parallels Aaron Copland's Americana moods, while "Day in Dallas" is the expectant, ominous, foreboding calm before the chaos. Nelson's straight-ahead jazz exercise is "The Artists' Rightful Place," a spoken word tonic for musical troops in a bop framework that has the horn section jumping for joy. As always, Nelson surrounds himself with the very best musicians -- Woods and Phil Bodner in the reed section, tuba player Don Butterfield, bassist George Duvivier, and pianist Hank Jones -- and all produced by Bob Thiele.
© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 8 track(s)
- Total length: 00:29:02
- Main artists: Oliver Nelson
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: GRP
- Genre: Jazz
© 2009 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2009 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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