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Oliver Nelson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

OliverNelson
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

OliverEdwardNelson(June4,1932October28,
1975)wasanAmericanjazzsaxophonist,clarinetist,
arranger,composer,andbandleader.[1]
Heisperhapsbestrememberedforhis
groundbreaking1961Impulse!albumTheBluesand
theAbstractTruth,widelyregardedasoneofthemost
significantAmericanjazzrecordingsofthemodern
jazzera.Thecenterpieceofthealbumisthedefinitive
versionofNelson'scomposition,"StolenMoments".
Otherimportantrecordingsfromtheearly1960sare
MoreBluesandtheAbstractTruthandSoundPieces,
bothalsoonImpulse!.[2]

Contents
1 Biography

OliverNelson
Born

June4,1932
St.Louis,Missouri

Died

October28,1975(aged43)
LosAngeles

Genres

Bebop,hardbop,postbop,jazz
fusion

Occupation(s) Musician,composer,arranger
Instruments

Sopranosaxophone,alto
saxophone,tenorsaxophone,and
clarinet

Labels

Verve
Impulse!
Prestige
Argo
FlyingDutchman

1.1 Earlylifeandcareer
1.2 Breakthroughandafterwards
2 Discography
2.1 Asleader
2.2 Asarranger/conductor
2.3 Assideman
3 References
4 Externallinks

Biography
Earlylifeandcareer
OliverNelsonwasbornintoamusicalfamily.HisbrotherwasasaxophonistwhoplayedwithCootie
Williamsinthe1940s,andhissistersangandplayedpiano.Nelsonbeganlearningtoplaythepiano
whenhewassixandstartedonthesaxophoneateleven.Beginningin1947heplayedin"territory"
bandsinandaroundSaintLouisbeforejoiningtheLouisJordanbandwherehestayedfrom1950to
1951,playingaltosaxophoneandarranging.[3][4]
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In1952NelsonunderwentmilitaryserviceintheMarinesplayingwoodwindsinthe3rdDivisionband
inJapanandKorea.ItwasinJapanthatNelsonattendedaconcertbytheTokyoPhilharmonicOrchestra
andheardMauriceRavel'sMotherGooseSuiteandPaulHindemith'sSymphonyinEFlat.Nelsonlater
recalledthatthis"'wasthefirsttimethatIhadheardreallymodernmusicforbackinSt.LouisIhadn't
evenknownthatNegroeswereallowedtogotoconcerts.Irealizedeverythingdidn'thavetosoundlike
BeethovenorBrahms....ItwasthenthatIdecidedtobecomeacomposer'".[5]
NelsonreturnedtoMissouritostudymusiccompositionandtheoryatWashingtonandLincoln
Universities,graduatingwithamaster'sdegreein1958.NelsonalsostudiedwithcomposersElliott
Carter,RobertWykesandGeorgeTremblay.[6][3]
WhilebackinhishometownofSt.Louis,hemetandmarriedEileenMitchellthecouplehadason,
OliverNelsonJr.,butsoondivorced.Aftergraduation,NelsonmarriedSt.LouisnativeAudrey
McEwen,aunionwhichlasteduntilhisdeathandproducedason,Nyles.
AftercompletinghisdegreeNelsonmovedtoNewYorkCity,playingwithErskineHawkinsandWild
BillDavis,andworkingasthehousearrangerfortheApolloTheaterinHarlem.Healsoplayedonthe
WestCoastbrieflywiththeLouieBellsonbigbandin1959,andinthesameyearbeganrecordingfor
PrestigeRecordsastheleaderofvarioussmallgroups.From1960to1961hebrieflyplayedwithCount
BasieandDukeEllingtonandthenjoinedtheQuincyJonesbigbandplayingtenorsaxophone,bothin
theU.S.andontourinEurope.[3]

Breakthroughandafterwards
Aftersixalbumsasleaderbetween1959and1961forthePrestigelabel(withsuchmusiciansasKenny
Dorham,JohnnyHammondSmith,EricDolphy,RoyHaynes,KingCurtisandJimmyForrest),Nelson's
bigbreakthroughcamewithTheBluesandtheAbstractTruth,whichmadehisnameasacomposerand
arranger,andhewentontorecordanumbernotableofbigbandalbumsincludingAfroAmerican
SketchesandFullNelson.[3]
HeworkedasanarrangeronlargeensemblealbumsforCannonballAdderley,SonnyRollins,Eddie
"Lockjaw"Davis,JohnnyHodges,WesMontgomery,BuddyRich,JimmySmith,BillyTaylor,Stanley
Turrentine,IreneReid,GeneAmmonsandmanyothers.Healsoledallstarbigbandsinvariouslive
performancesbetween1966and1975.Nelsoncontinuedtoperformasasoloistduringthisperiod,
focusingprimarilyonsopranosaxophone.
In1967NelsonmovedtoLosAngelestobenearthetelevisionandmovieindustryandbegan
composingbackgroundmusicfortelevisionandfilms.TelevisionprojectsincludedIronside,Night
Gallery,Columbo,TheSixMillionDollarManandLongstreet.FilmsscoredbyNelsonincludeDeathof
aGunfighter(1969),Skullduggery(1970)andZigZag(1970).[4]HealsoarrangedSonnyRollins'music
forAlfie(1966)andGatoBarbieri'smusicforLastTangoinParis(1972).Duringthistimehealso
arrangedandproducedalbumsforpopstarssuchasNancyWilson,JamesBrown,theTemptations,and
DianaRoss.
Alongwithhisbigbandappearances(inBerlin,Montreux,NewYork,andLosAngeles),hetoured
WestAfricawithasmallgroup.LesswellknownisthefactthatNelsoncomposedseveralsymphonic
works,andwasalsodeeplyinvolvedinjazzeducation,returningtohisalmamater,Washington
University,inthesummerof1969toleadafiveweeklongclinicthatalsofeaturedsuchguest
performersasPhilWoods,MelLewis,ThadJones,SirRolandHanna,andRonCarter.Hisbookofjazz
practiceexercises,PatternsforImprovisation,waspublishedin1966andremainshighlyregardedto
thisday.
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NelsondiedofaheartattackonOctober28,1975attheageof43.[4]

Discography
Asleader
PrestigeRecords
1959:MeetOliverNelson
1960:TakingCareofBusiness
1960:Screamin'theBlues
1960:Nocturne
1960:SoulBattlewithKingCurtisandJimmyForrest
1961:StraightAhead
1961:MainStem
1962:Afro/AmericanSketches
Impulse!Records
1961:TheBluesandtheAbstractTruth
1964:MoreBluesandtheAbstractTruth
1966:OliverNelsonPlaysMichelle
1966:SoundPieces
1966:HappeningswithHankJones
1967:TheSpiritof'67withPeeWeeRussell
1967:TheKennedyDream
1967:LivefromLosAngeles
1968:SoulfulBrasswithSteveAllen
VerveRecords
1963:FullNelson
1966:LeonardFeather'sEncyclopediaofJazz
1966:LeonardFeatherPresentstheSoundofFeelingandtheSoundofOliverNelson
1967:JazzhattanSuite
FlyingDutchmanRecords
1968:SoulfulBrassNo.2
1969:BlackBrownandBeautiful
1970:TheMayorandthePeople
1970:BerlinDialogueforOrchestra
1970:LeonThomasInBerlinwithOliverNelson
1971:SwissSuite
1974:InLondonwithOilyRags
1975:SkullSession
1976:ADreamDeferred
Otherlabels
1962:ImpressionsofPhaedra(UnitedArtists)
1964:Fantabulous(Argo)
1975:StolenMoments(EastWindRecords/InnerCityRecords)
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Asarranger/conductor
WithCannonballAdderley
Domination(Capitol,1965)
WithAirPocket
FlyOn(EastWindRecords,1975)
WithGeneAmmons
SoulSummitVol.2(Prestige,1961[1962])
LateHourSpecial(Prestige,1961[1964])
VelvetSoul(Prestige,1961[1964])
WithCountBasie
Afrique(FlyingDutchman,1970)
WithMelBrown
ChickenFat(Impulse!,1967)
WithRayBrownandMiltJackson
RayBrown/MiltJackson(Verve,1965)
WithEddie"Lockjaw"Davis
TraneWhistle(Prestige,1960)
WithArtFarmer
ListentoArtFarmerandtheOrchestra(Mercury,1962)
WithJimmyForrest
SoulStreet(NewJazz,1962)
WithPaulHorn
Monday,Monday(RCAVictor,1966)
WithEttaJones
FromtheHeart(Prestige,1962)
WithRamseyLewis
CountryMeetstheBlues(Argo,1962)
WithHerbieMann
MyKindaGroove(Atlantic,1964)
LatinMann(Columbia,1965)
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OurMannFlute(Atlantic,1966)
WithCarmenMcRae
PortraitofCarmen(Atlantic,1967)
WithWesMontgomery
Goin'OutofMyHead(Verve,1965)
WithShirleyScott
ForMembersOnly(Impulse!,1963)
GreatScott!!(Impulse!,1964)
Roll'Em:ShirleyScottPlaystheBigBands(Impulse!,1966)
WithBudShank
GirlinLove(WorldPacific,1966)
WithJimmySmith
Bashin':TheUnpredictableJimmySmith(Verve,1962)
HoboFlats(Verve,1963)
Who'sAfraidofVirginiaWoolf?(Verve,1964)
Monster(Verve,1965)
Peter&theWolf(Verve,1966)
Jimmy&Wes:TheDynamicDuo(withWesMontgomery)(Verve,1966)
WithBillyTaylor
RightHere,RightNow!(CapitolRecords,1963)
WithClarkTerry
ClarkTerryPlaystheJazzVersionofAllAmerican(Moodsville,1962)
WithFrankWess
SouthernComfort(Prestige,1962)

Assideman
WithCannonballAdderley
AfricanWaltz(Riverside,1961)
WithMannyAlbam
JazzGoestotheMovies(Impulse!,1962)
WithLouisBellson
TheBrilliantBellsonSound(Verve,1959)

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WithChrisConnor
FreeSpirits(Atlantic,1962)
WithDukeEllington
ParisBlues(UnitedArtists,1962)
WithRedGarland
SoulBurnin'(Prestige,1961)
RediscoveredMasters,Vol.2(Prestige1961)
WithJ.J.Johnson
J.J.!(RCAVictor,1965)
WithEttaJones
SomethingNice(Prestige,1960[1961])
Hollar!(Prestige,1960[1963])
WithQuincyJones
IDigDancers(Mercury,1960)
TheQuintessence(Impulse!,1961)
ThePawnbroker(Mercury,1965)
WithMundellLowe
SataninHighHeels(soundtrack)(CharlieParker,1961)
WithGaryMcFarland
TheJazzVersionof"HowtoSucceedinBusinesswithoutReallyTrying"(Verve,1961)
WithJoeNewman
JoeNewmanQuintetatCountBasie's(Mercury,1961)
WithShirleyScott
BlueSeven(Prestige,1961)
WithJohnny"Hammond"Smith
TalkThatTalk(NewJazz,1960)

References
1.Allmusic(http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p7220/biography)
2.Impulse!Recordscatalogathttp://www.jazzdisco.org/impulserecords/
3.JoeGoldberg,"FocusonOliverNelson"DownBeatmagazine,February15,1962Vol.29,No.4.page17.
4.PhilWoods,ReflectionsinEflatSaxophoneJournal,September/October1995page62.
5.Garland,Phyl(November1968)."TheMany'Bags'ofOliverNelson".Ebony(JohnsonPublishing
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Company):118.ISSN00129011.RetrievedOctober13,2015.
6.Garland,Phyl(November1968)."TheMany'Bags'ofOliverNelson".Ebony(JohnsonPublishing
Company):110.ISSN00129011.RetrievedOctober13,2015.

Externallinks
OliverNelson(http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p7220/biography)AllMusicbiographybyScott
Yanow
OliverNelson(http://www.thejazzfiles.com/JazzNelson.htm)briefintroductionfromtheJazz
Files
OliverNelson(http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist.aspx?ob=per&src=prd&aid=2789)
introductionfromImpulse!Records
OliverNelson:ADiscography(http://www.dougpayne.com/nelson.htm)DouglasPayne'ssite,
includingdiscographiesofNelson'sworkindifferentgenres,reviews,etc.
OliverNelsonPublishedBigBandArrangementsandCompositions
(http://www.ejazzlines.com/olivernelsonjazzbigbandarrangementsc201.html)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oliver_Nelson&oldid=701730773"
Categories: 1932births 1975deaths MusiciansfromSt.Louis,Missouri
AfricanAmericanjazzcomposers AfricanAmericanjazzmusicians Americanjazzclarinetists
Americanjazzsaxophonists Americanmusicarrangers Hardbopsaxophonists
Mainstreamjazzsaxophonists Postbopsaxophonists Souljazzsaxophonists
WashingtonUniversityinSt.Louisalumni PrestigeRecordsartists RCARecordsartists
VerveRecordsartists Impulse!Recordsartists InnerCityRecordsartists
FlyingDutchmanRecordsartists UnitedStatesMarines Jazzarrangers 20thcenturycomposers
20thcenturyAmericanmusicians
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