Oliver+nelson

Oliver Nelson - More Blues And The Abstract Truth (1964) {2015 Japan Impulse! Classics 50 Series UCCI-9264}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 285 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 103 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 194 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1964, 2015 Impulse! / Verve / Universal Music Japan | UCCI-9264
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop

Oliver Nelson's follow-up to his classic Blues & The Abstract Truth session for Impulse – and like that one, a tremendous little album – filled with deep tones and wonderful colors in sound! The group here's a bit larger than before – an ensemble that includes Phil Woods on alto, Ben Webster on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Roger Kellaway on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Grady Tate on drums. The album includes some superb original compositions by Nelson – just the kind of overlooked jazz numbers that make the set great – and as with most of his arrangements from the time, there's a perfect balance between group force and intimate solo space! Titles include "The Critic's Choice", "Blues & The Abstract Truth", "One For Bob", and 2 versions of Dave Brubeck's "Theme From Mr. Broadway".

Oliver Nelson & Nobuo Hara - In Tokyo (1970) {Nippon Columbia COCB-54079 rel 2013}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 247 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 99 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 19 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1970, 2013 Nippon Columbia | COCB-54079
Jazz / Modern Big Band / Post-Bop / Saxophone

Oliver Nelson makes a great appearance here with the Sharps & Flats group of Nobuo Hara – an excellent Japanese ensemble who are clearly inspired by Nelson's soulful arrangements of the 60s! Oliver's the reed soloist on the album, not the leader – and it's great to hear him getting a bit of his own sort of treatment while stretching out as an individual voice – free to remind us that he's also a hell of a soloist when he wants to be, with reed talents that work perfectly with the larger sense of tone from the bigger group! Nelson plays soprano sax wonderfully on a few cuts.

Oliver Nelson - Stolen Moments (1975) {2015 DSD Japan East Wind Masters Collection 1000 UCCJ-9144}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 260 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 85 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 144 Mb | 5% repair rar | DSD Mastering
© 1975, 2015 East Wind Music / Universal Japan | UCCJ-9144
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Jazz Group / Saxophone

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. One of the last sessions Oliver Nelson ever recorded – a genius batch of work recorded for the Japanese East Wind label, and maybe one of his greatest albums ever! The set's a wonderful link between the sophisticated large group sounds that Nelson did for Impulse Records in the 60s, and some of the more expansive styles he was trying out on the Flying Dutchman imprint in the 70s – a batch of work that both has that sense of majesty that Nelson could command at his best, but which still retains an earthy vibe overall.

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."

As Oliver Nelson is known primarily as a big band leader and arranger, he is lesser known as a saxophonist and organizer of small ensembles. Blues and the Abstract Truth is his triumph as a musician for the aspects of not only defining the sound of an era with his all-time classic "Stolen Moments," but on this recording, assembling one of the most potent modern jazz sextets ever. Lead trumpeter Freddie Hubbard is at his peak of performance, while alto saxophonists Nelson and Eric Dolphy (Nelson doubling on tenor) team to form an unlikely union that was simmered to perfection. Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Roy Haynes (drums) can do no wrong as a rhythm section. "Stolen Moments" really needs no comments, as its undisputable beauty shines through in a three-part horn harmony fronting Hubbard's lead melody…

Oliver Nelson - The Kennedy Dream (1967) {Impulse! 0602527069999, Verve Originals Series rel 2009}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 188 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 69 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 14 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1967, 2009 Impulse! / Verve | 0602527069999
Jazz / Modern Big Band / Post Bop / Saxophone / Arranger

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.