Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Portrait of a True Jazz Legend - Oliver Nelson

 


From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack.

Oliver Nelson was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. He was born on June 4, 1932, in St. Louis, Missouri, and passed away on October 28, 1975.  Nelson was primarily recognized as a skilled saxophonist, playing both the alto and tenor varieties. His first instrument, however, was the piano, which he began playing at the age of six. Nelson later learned to play the saxophone in high school and eventually studied music in college.

He is perhaps best known for his 1961 album "The Blues and the Abstract Truth," considered a landmark recording in the jazz canon. The album, which featured fellow jazz luminaries like Freddie Hubbard and Bill Evans, was lauded for its innovative arrangements and compositions, most notably the piece "Stolen Moments."

Apart from his work as a performing musician, Nelson was an accomplished composer and arranger. He worked with a variety of artists and ensembles, from jazz musicians like Cannonball Adderley and Stanley Turrentine to popular artists like James Brown and the Temptations. Nelson also composed music for television and film, including the themes for television shows such as "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "Ironside."  Nelson's career was cut short by a heart attack in 1975 when he was just 43. Despite his relatively brief career, he left a significant legacy in the world of jazz and beyond.

The band here, tackles a couple standards like "Down By The Riverside" and "Milestones".  The soloists on each number.

"Milestones" - Leo Wright: alto saxophone, Klaus Marmulla: trumpet, Rolf Roemer: tenor saxophone

"Down by the Riverside" - Carmell Jones, Milo Pavolovic, Manfred Stoppacher, & Carmell Jones: trumpets



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