RAY BROWN | MILT JACKSON — Much In Common + All-Star Big Band (1996) 2xCD | Serie Verve Take 2 | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (2006) RM | 6xCD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Oliver Nelson was one of the more distinctive arrangers to be active in jazz, the studios, and popular music of the '60s. While most Nelson reissues focus on his always-excellent saxophone playing (whether on tenor or alto), this six-CD set, Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions, focuses on Oliver Nelson the arranger-composer-bandleader. He does take solos on some of these dates on tenor, alto,and soprano (his only recorded solos on that instrument), but it his writing that takes center stage. Included are his albums Full Nelson, Fantabulous, Jazzhattan Suite (which finds the ensemble called the Jazz Interactions Orchestra), Sound Pieces, and his unusual and reverent tribute set Musical Tribute to JFK: The Kennedy Dream. In addition, Nelson's writing for Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz All Stars is here, plus his contributions (usually just part of each record) for sets by organist Shirley Scott (Roll 'Em), a group co-led by Ray Brown and Milt Jackson, and clarinetist Pee Wee Russell (The Spirit of '67). Topping off this well-conceived box are all of the music for organist Jimmy Smith's Hobo Flats, Peter and the Wolf (a classic jazz version), and Smith's first collaboration with guitarist Wes Montgomery, plus a few numbers from Smith's Bashin', Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Hootchie Coochie Man. In addition to the playing of Jimmy Smith (who was really at his peak during this period), Wes Montgomery, Shirley Scott, and Pee Wee Russell, the most memorable soloists are altoist Phil Woods, cornetist Nat Adderley (on the Feather date), and flugelhornist Clark Terry plus Nelson himself. There is plenty of classic material here (such as the Smith/Montgomery blues jamming on "Down by the Riverside") which, even when the big-band writing is secondary, serves as a superior tribute to the underrated Oliver Nelson. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Stolen Moments (1975-2015) RM | Serie East Wind Masters Collection 1000 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This LP contains Oliver Nelson's final recording as a leader, cut just seven months before his premature death. Happily Nelson (on alto) is well-featured with a nonet, playing four of his compositions (including "Stolen Moments" and "Yearnin'") along with versions of "St. Thomas," Neal Hefti's "Midnight Blue" and a very brief "Straight No Chaser." In addition to Nelson, the group includes trumpeter Bobby Bryant, Jerome Richardson on soprano and flute, three other saxophonists and keyboardist Mike Wofford. A fine finish to a much-too-brief life. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Verve Jazz Masters 48 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Considering that he was the equal of such heralded arrangers as Quincy Jones, Gil Evans, and Tadd Dameron, it's a shame Oliver Nelson has, for the most part, gone unsung. Maybe Nelson's eventual TV and film work tainted him in the eyes of critics and purists; but, then again, most jazz arrangers made that move, often out of sheer financial necessity -- and let's not scold them if it was simply a matter of wanting to expand their horizons. Before his Hollywood switch, though, Nelson used several '60s dates to not only display those pen skills, but to reveal his considerable saxophone chops (tenor, alto, and soprano!), as well. The fruits can be found on many dates for OJC, Impulse (the classic Blues and the Abstract Truth), and Verve. It's his work for the latter label that is nicely showcased on this collection. Covering the years 1962-1967 and culled to a large extent from his Full Nelson album and various Leonard Feather-sponsored releases, the 16 tracks here find Nelson at the helm of various big band lineups, plying his always swinging yet often complex and distinct sound. The mix contains a dazzling array of treats, including some of the most sophisticated jazz charts ("Patterns for Orchestra"), a taste of his later soundtrack work ("A Typical Day in New York"), beautiful ballads ("Penthouse Dawn"), and even some contemporary R&B-tinged fare ("Full Nelson"). Along with these and several other original pieces, Nelson also does fine by Ellington ("Paris Blues") and W.C. Handy ("St. Louis Blues"). And it's Joe Newman's fine solo on this last cut that ably demonstrates how Nelson, like Mingus, had a knack for bringing out the best in his players. With an all-star cast of players and plenty of fine sides to go, this Nelson roundup offers the perfect way to familiarize yourself with one of the great jazz architects of the '60s. Stephen Cook   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Meet Oliver Nelson (1959-1992) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Oliver Nelson's debut as a leader found him already a distinctive and skilled tenor saxophonist by the age of 27. For this quintet set, Nelson teams up with the veteran trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Art Taylor for four of his originals, plus the ballads "Passion Flower" and "What's New." Although none of these Nelson tunes caught on, this was an impressive beginning to a short but productive career and gives one a strong example of the multi-talented Nelson's tenor playing. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Takin' Care of Business (1960-1991) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Oliver Nelson would gain his greatest fame later in his short life as an arranger/composer, but this superior session puts the emphasis on his distinctive tenor and alto playing. In a slightly unusual group (with vibraphonist Lem Winchester, organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith, bassist George Tucker, and drummer Roy Haynes), Nelson improvises a variety of well-constructed but spontaneous solos; his unaccompanied spots on "All the Way" and his hard-charging playing on the medium-tempo blues "Groove" are two of the many highpoints. Nelson remains a vastly underrated saxophonist and all six performances (four of them his originals) are excellent. Scott Yanow
Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON SEXTET ft. ERIC DOLPHY | RICHARD WILLIAMS — Screamin' the Blues (1960) Two Version | 1991, RM | Original Jazz Classics – OJCCD-080-2 + 2018, SACD | The Prestige Stereo Series | FLAC (tracks+.image+.cue), lossless

Oliver Nelson (on tenor and alto sax) meets Eric Dolphy (alto, bass clarinet and flute) on this frequently exciting sextet session with trumpeter Richard Williams, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Roy Haynes. Although Dolphy is too unique and skilled to be overshadowed in a setting such as this, Nelson holds his own. He contributed five of the six compositions (including "Screamin' the Blues," "The Meetin'," and "Alto-Itis") and effectively matches wits and creative ideas with Dolphy. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Screamin' the Blues 10:59
Oliver Nelson
2 March on, March On 4:59
Esmond Edwards
3 The Drive 5:48
Oliver Nelson
4 The Meetin' 6:43
Oliver Nelson
5 Three Seconds 6:25
Oliver Nelson
6 Alto-Itis 4:58
Oliver Nelson
Credits:
Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy
Bass – George Duvivier
Drums – Roy Haynes
Piano – Richard Wyands
Recorded By, Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Oliver Nelson
Trumpet – Richard Williams

LEM WINCHESTER SEXTET ft. OLIVER NELSON — Lem's Beat (1960-1991) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lem Winchester, an ill-fated vibraphonist who was influenced musically by Milt Jackson, teams up with tenor saxophonist Oliver Nelson, altoist Curtis Peagler and a fine rhythm section for a good straight-ahead date that has been reissued on CD. Nelson emerges as the most distinctive solo voice, and since he contributed three of the six songs, the tenorman's musical personality dominates this set. Winchester shows much potential that, due to his untimely death in early 1961, was never fulfilled. Good bop-based music. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON WITH LEM WINCHESTER — Nocturne (1960-1991) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

This relaxed set (originally on the Prestige subsidiary Moodsville) puts the emphasis on ballads and slower material. Nelson (switching between alto and tenor) is joined by vibraphonist Lem Winchester, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Roy Haynes for four standards and three of his originals (including the swinging "Bob's Blues"). Everyone plays well but the intentional lack of mood variation keeps this release from being all that essential. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON | KING CURTIS | JIMMY FORREST — Soul Battle (1962) RM | Serie Original Jazz Classics, 20 Bit Remastered | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This intriguing session matches three powerful tenor players: Oliver Nelson, King Curtis (in a rare jazz outing), and Jimmy Forrest. With fine backup work by pianist Gene Casey, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Roy Haynes, the tenors battle to a draw on a set of blues and basic material (including a fine version of "Perdido"). Easily recommended to fans of big-toned tenors and straight-ahead swinging. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :  

OLIVER NELSON WITH JOE NEWMAN — Main Stem (1961-1992) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Unlike most of Oliver Nelson's recordings, this one has the feel of a jam session. A Prestige set, Nelson (on tenor and alto) teams up with trumpeter Joe Newman (in exciting form), pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Duvivier, drummer Charlie Persip, and Ray Barretto on congas. There are two superior standards ("Mainstem" and "Tangerine") and four of Nelson's more basic originals. The spirited solos of Nelson and Newman are strong reasons to get this colorful session. Scott Yanow    Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON ORCHESTRA — Afro-American Sketches (1961-1993) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Oliver Nelson merged the rhythmic fervor of Africa and Black America with the organizational flair of Europe on this release. The often spectacular work features the orchestra sometimes whooping and clashing in the backdrop and other times giving soulful statements or converging in a blues setting. While Nelson combined Afro-Latin rhythmic support from Ray Barretto with crisp jazz drumming from Ed Shaughnessy, he also contributed his own soaring alto and tenor sax solos and conducted the orchestra. It was a monumental job, and Nelson exceeded it. Ron Wynn   Tracklist & Credits :

THE OLIVER NELSON ORCHESTRA ft. PHIL WOODS — Impressions Of Phaedra (1962) Vinyl, LP MONOAURAL | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Moody and long-forgotten, like the film it was inspired by, Phaedra interchanges film-like cues with some torrid jazz content (mostly courtesy of Phil Woods). Makes an interesting case for "Greek Jazz."  Douglas Payne
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OLIVER NELSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA — Fantabulous (1964-2008) Serie Verve Originals | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By the time Oliver Nelson and his big band had recorded Fantabulous in March of 1964 for Argo, the great composer, saxophonist, conductor, and arranger was a man about town in New York. He had released some truly classic dates of his own as a leader in smaller group forms -- Blues and the Abstract Truth and Full Nelson among them -- and had done arrangement work for everyone from Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Hodges, Nancy Wilson, Frank Wess, King Curtis, Etta Jones, Jimmy Smith, Jack Teagarden, Betty Carter, Billy Taylor, and Gene Ammons, to name more than a few. For Fantabulous, he took his working big band to Chicago for a gig sponsored by Daddy-O-Daylie, a famous local disc jockey. He had also worked with a number of the players on this date before, even recording an earlier version of the tune "Hobo Flats" that opens this set a year before on an album of the same name. Altoist Phil Woods, baritone roarer Jerome Richardson, trumpeters Snooky Young and Art Hoyle, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Grady Tate are a few of the names on Fantabulous. Nelson holds down the tenor chair, and Patti Bown is on piano with additional brass and reed players. Another Nelson original, "Post No Bills" features killer alto work from Woods, and a brief but smoking hot baritone break form Richardson on the same cut. This program is compelling in that it provides an excellent meld of all of Nelson's strengths-as an advanced, colorful harmonist who insisted on the hard swinging esthetic, as an excellent tenor saxophonist and a killer conductor. Another highlight is "Daylie's Double," (which bears a similarity to Nat Adderley's "Work Song"") named for the aforementioned DJ, with smoking tenor breaks from Nelson, and big fat soulful chord soloing from Bown. Likewise Billy Taylor's "A Bientot," it opens in true big brass Ellingtonian elegance, and unravels itself as a gorgeous bluesy ballad with echoes of "I Only Have Eyes for You" in its melody. The subtle shades of flute and twinned clarinet are a nice touch before the entire band arrives to carry it out on a big yet tenderly expressive lyric cloud. That said, there isn't a weak moment here, there isn't anything that doesn't captivate, delight, and even astonish, as in the smoking, striated harmonic bop head on "Three Plus One." It's almost amazing it took more than 20 years before this appeared on American shores on CD, but at last, here it is in excellent sound at a budget price as part of Verve's Originals series. This is for those who are fans who don't have it yet (and who are unwilling to pay high collector's fees for good vinyl copies or the wages of Japanese import insanity), and those wondering where to begin with Nelson the arranger.

-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — More Blues and the Abstract Truth (1964-2015) RM | Serie Impulse! Classics 50 – 25 | APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

Unlike the original classic Blues and the Abstract Truth set from three years earlier, Oliver Nelson does not play on this album. He did contribute three of the eight originals and all of the arrangements but his decision not to play is disappointing. However there are some strong moments from such all-stars as trumpeter Thad Jones, altoist Phil Woods, baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Roger Kellaway and guest tenor Ben Webster (who is on two songs). The emphasis is on blues-based pieces and there are some strong moments even if the date falls short of its predecessor.  Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Sound Pieces (1966-1991) RM | GRP Presents The Legendary Masters Of Jazz | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Sound Pieces features Oliver Nelson in two very different settings. Although best-known as an altoist and a tenor saxophonist, Nelson sticks exclusively to soprano throughout the set. He leads a 20-piece big band on three of his compositions which, although interesting, are not overly memorable. Best are five other numbers (two of which were originally issued on the record Three Dimensions) that showcase Nelson's soprano playing with a quartet that includes pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate. Although one would not think of Nelson as a soprano stylist, his strong playing actually put him near the top of his field on such numbers as "The Shadow of Your Smile," "Straight No Chaser," and his own "Patterns."  Scott Yanow
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OLIVER NELSON — Oliver Nelson Plays Michelle (1966) LP, Vinyl | MONOAURAL | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This is an album of short, often corny tunes and brief, likable solos. Nelson features one of his first uses of guitar here via Barry Galbraith and, more prominently, Billy Butler. Nelson's originals, "Jazz Bug" and "Do You See What I See?" are worth a listen. Douglas Payne   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA — The Kennedy Dream : A Musical Tribute To John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1967-2006) RM | Serie Impulse! Originals | FLAC (tracks), lossless

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   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON | NOBUO HARA AND HIS SHARPS & FLATS — Oliver Nelson In Tokyo (1970-2013) RM | Serie Dig Deep Columbia | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

THE THREE SOUNDS AND THE OLIVER NELSON ORCHESTRA — Coldwater Flat (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Serie Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Live at the Lighthouse captured the Three Sounds at their jazziest, but Coldwater Flat, the first studio session pianist Gene Harris and bassist Andrew Simpkins recorded with new drummer Donald Bailey, takes a different path. For this date, the group decided to emphasize its pop side, recording the record with the lush Oliver Nelson Orchestra and choosing to cover such pop hits as "The Look of Love" and "Last Train to Clarksville." The closing number, "Star Trek," is actually an original by Harris, unrelated to the TV show. One of the primary attractions of the Three Sounds' sound was its simplicity and their ability to find so much variation within the trio format. That magic is somewhat lost with the orchestra, which tends to overwhelm the trio. More than anything, that is what prevents Coldwater Flat from ranking among the group's finest efforts, but the glossy production has its appealing moments as well, and the record does function well as pleasant background music, even if it veers too close to easy listening to be true jazz. Stephen Thomas Erlewine   Tracklist & Credits :