Oliver Nelson

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Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger and composer.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life and career

Oliver Nelson's family was musical: his brother was also a saxophonist who played with Cootie Williams in the 1940s, and his sister sang and played piano. Nelson began learning to play the piano when he was six, and started on the saxophone at eleven. From 1947 he played in "territory" bands around Saint Louis, before joining the Louis Jordan big band from 1950 to 1951, playing alto sax and arranging. After military service in the Marines, he returned to Missouri to study music – composition and theory – at Washington and Lincoln Universities, graduating in 1958.

After graduation, Nelson moved to New York, playing with Erskine Hawkins and Wild Bill Davis, and working as the house arranger for the Apollo Theater in Harlem. He also played on the West Coast briefly with the Louie Bellson big band in 1959, and in the same year began recording as leader with small groups. From 1960 to 1961 he played tenor sax with Quincy Jones, both in the U.S. and on tour in Europe.

[edit] Breakthrough and afterwards

After six albums as leader between 1959 and 1961 for the Prestige label with such musicians as Kenny Dorham, Johnny Hammond Smith, Eric Dolphy, Roy Haynes, King Curtis and Jimmy Forrest), Nelson's big breakthrough came with The Blues and the Abstract Truth (Impulse!) containing the now established standard "Stolen Moments". This made his name as a composer and arranger, and he went on to record a number of big-band albums, as well as working as an arranger for Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Eddie Davis, Johnny Hodges, Wes Montgomery, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Smith, Billy Taylor, Stanley Turrentine, Irene Reid, Gene Ammons and many more. He also led all-star big bands in various live performances between 1966 and 1975.

In 1967, Nelson moved to Los Angeles. Apart from his big-band appearances (in Berlin, Montreux, New York, and Los Angeles), he toured West Africa with a small group. He also spent a great deal of time composing music for television (Ironside, Night Gallery, Columbo, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, and Longstreet) and films (Death of a Gunfighter and he arranged Gato Barbieri's music for Last Tango in Paris). He produced and arranged for pop stars such as Nancy Wilson, James Brown, the Temptations, and Diana Ross. Oliver Nelson died of a heart attack on 28 October 1975, aged 43.

[edit] Discography

  • 1959: Meet Oliver Nelson: Featuring Kenny Dorham
  • 1960: Taking Care of Business
  • 1960: Screamin' the Blues
  • 1960: Soul Battle
  • 1960: Nocturne
  • 1961: Straight Ahead
  • 1961: The Blues and the Abstract Truth
  • 1961: Main Stem
  • 1962: Afro/American Sketches
  • 1964: More Blues and the Abstract Truth
  • 1964: Fantabulous
  • 1966: Sound Pieces
  • 1967: Live in Los Angeles
  • 1971: Swiss Suite
  • 1971: Impressions of Berlin
  • 1974: In London with Oily Rags
  • 1975: Skull Session
  • 1976: A Dream Deferred

[edit] References

  • Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, & Brian Priestley. Jazz: The Rough Guide. ISBN 1-85828-528-3
  • Richard Cook & Brian Morton. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD 6th edition. ISBN 0-14-051521-6

[edit] External links