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
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Crush (Oliver Nelson Remix)
Pop - Released by Peanut Party Records on 1 Dec 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Flying Angel
Jazz - Released by TST Masters Musicians on 18 Aug 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Is It Real? (feat. Salena Mastroianni)
Tobtok, Simon Field, Oliver Nelson
Pop - Released by Perfect Havoc on 14 Oct 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Straight Ahead (Original Album Plus Bonus Tracks)
Jazz - Released by Jazz Classics on 1 Jan 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Hughes Movie (Oliver Nelson Remix)
Pop - Released by Atlantic Records UK on 26 Feb 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soul Battle (Remastered)
Oliver Nelson, King Curtis, Jimmy Forrest
Soul - Released by RevOla on 11 Jul 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Screamin' the Blues
Bebop - Released by Lumi Entertainment on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Blues and the Abstract Truth
Blues - Released by Black Sheep Music on 2 Mar 2015
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
El Blues y la Verdad Abstracta
Jazz - Released by CGH Ventures Inc. on 2 Mar 2015
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Found Your Love (Remixes Pt. 1)
Pop - Released by Polydor Records on 18 Sep 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Twisted (Oliver Nelson Remix)
Electronic - Released by Icons Creating Evil Art on 25 Mar 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Feel Alright (feat. Guy Sebastian) (Steerner Remix)
Electronic - Released by Perfect Havoc on 10 Nov 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
NYE (Oliver Nelson Remix)
Disco - Released by Icons Creating Evil Art on 5 Feb 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Booze Blues Baby
Jazz - Released by Marylebone Records on 1 Jan 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Yellow (feat. Liv Dawson)
Dance - Released by Perfect Havoc on 22 Feb 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Screamin' the Blues
Bebop - Released by Supreme Media on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo