Nelson Boyd (born February 6, 1928 Camden, New Jersey, d. October 1985[1]) was an American bebop jazz bassist.
Born in Camden, New Jersey, Boyd played in local orchestras in Philadelphia around 1945, and moved in 1947 to New York. There he played with Coleman Hawkins, Tadd Dameron, and Dexter Gordon, and subsequently with Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Barnet in 1948. He recorded with Fats Navarro and Charlie Parker in 1947, and with Jay Jay Johnson and Miles Davis (on the Birth of the Cool sessions) in 1949. Davis's tune "Half Nelson" was named after him on account of his stature.
After 1949 Boyd played often with Gillespie, touring the Middle East with him in 1956. He recorded with Melba Liston in 1958 with trombone ultimates on "Melba Liston and Her 'Bones". He also did sessions with Max Roach and Thelonious Monk. His last recordings were in 1964.