These classic recordings span the years 1959 to 1962 and feature Oliver Nelson working with some of the greats of the era, including Roy Haynes, Kenny Dorham, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Freddie Hubbard, Johnny Smith.  Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was a technically dextrous saxophonist with excellent control and wonderful tone who could take off and really soar.  He was also a challenging and original composer, a thoughtful arranger and a capable bandleader.  The vast majority of the 48 tracks on the 4-disc box set collecting 8 LPs were composed and arranged by Nelson himself.  While Nelson ackowledged that his own approach to the saxophone was greatly influenced by John Coltrane, he was a singular composer whose work is too often overlooked.   The soulful, well constructed pieces presented here will amply reward repeated listenings and very much stand the test of time.  

We should take a moment to point out that this collection is somewhat misleadingly named, as, while it does contain the complete catalogue of Nelson's Prestige LPs, there are a number of LPs included that were not originally released on Prestige, and, most significantly, it includes Blues and the Abstract Truth, which, while it was recorded and released in 1961, in the chronological middle of Nelson's Prestige catalogue, and was recorded at the Van Gelder studio, along with all the others in this collection, was released on Impulse!.  This is almost certainly Nelson's most widely esteemed LP, so we're glad it was included!

 

LPs/Tracks on Disc 1: MEET OLIVER NELSON (LP) 1.Jams And Jellies ; 2.Passion Flower ; 3.Don't Stand Up ; 4.Ostinato ; 5.What's New' ; 6.Booze Blues Baby ; TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS (LP) 7.Trane Whistle ; 8.Doxy ; 9.In Time ; 10.Lou's Good Dues ; 11.All The Way ; 12.Groove ; LPs/Tracks on Disc 2: SCREAMIN' THE BLUES (LP) 1.Screamin' The Blues ; 2.March On, March On ; 3.The Drive ; 4.The Meetin' ; 5.Three Seconds ; 6.Alto - It Is ; SOUL BATTLE (LP) 7.Blues At The Five Spot ; 8.Blues For M.F. (Mort Fega) ; 9.Anacruses ; 10.Perdido ; 11.In Passing ; LPs/Tracks on Disc 3: BLUES AND THE ABSTRACT TRUTH (LP) 1.Stolen Moments ; 2.Hoe - Down ; 3.Cascades ; 4.Yearnin' ; 5.Butch And Butch ; 6.Teenie's Blues ; STRAIGHT AHEAD (LP) 7.Images ; 8.Six And Four ; 9.Mama Lou ; 10.Ralph's New Blues ; 11.Straight Ahead ; 12.111 - 44 ; LPs/Tracks on Disc 4: MAIN STEM (LP) 1.Main Stem ; 2.J & B ; 3.Ho! ; 4.Latino ; 5.Tipsy ; 6.Tangerine ; AFRO/AMERICAN SKETCHES (LP) 7.Message ; 8.Jungleaire ; 9.Emancipation Blues ; 10.There's A Yearnin' ; 11.Going Up North ; 12.Disillusioned ; 13.Freedom Dance ;

 

DISCOGRAPHY

 

Meet Oliver Nelson

Studio album by Oliver Nelson

Released: 1959

Recorded: October 30, 1959 

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs

Length: 36:34

Label: New Jazz NJLP 8224

Producer: Esmond Edwards

 

Track listing

All compositions by Oliver Nelson except as indicated 

• "Jams and Jellies" - 7:03

• "Passion Flower" (Milt Raksin, Billy Strayhorn) - 6:51

• "Don't Stand Up" - 3:44

• "Ostinato" - 5:31

• "What's New?" (Johnny Burke, Bob Haggart) - 6:53

• "Booze Blues Baby" - 6:32

 

Personnel

• Oliver Nelson - tenor saxophone

• Kenny Dorham - trumpet

• Ray Bryant - piano

• Wendell Marshall - bass

• Art Taylor - drums

 

Taking Care of Business

Studio album by Oliver Nelson

Released: 1960

Recorded:  March 22, 1960

Studio:  Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Length: 42:48

Label: New Jazz NJLP 8233

Producer: Esmond Edwards

 

Track listing

All compositions by Oliver Nelson except as indicated 

• "Trane Whistle" - 9:57

• "Doxy" (Sonny Rollins) - 6:59

• "In Time" - 5:33

• "Lou's Good Dues Blues" - 6:18

• "All the Way" (Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 7:34

• "Groove" - 6:27

 

Personnel

• Oliver Nelson - tenor saxophone, alto saxophone

• Lem Winchester - vibraphone

• Johnny "Hammond" Smith - organ

• George Tucker - bass

• Roy Haynes - drums

 

Screamin' the Blues

Studio album by Oliver Nelson

Released: January 1961

Recorded: May 27, 1960

Studio: Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Length: 39:59

Label:  New Jazz. NJ 8243

Producer: Esmond Edwards

Track listing

All tracks written by Oliver Nelson, except where noted.

Side one

1 "Screamin' the Blues” 11:00

2 "March On, March On" (Esmond Edwards) 4:59

3 "The Drive” 5:50

Side two

4 "The Meetin’” 6:44

5 "Three Seconds” 6:26

6 “Alto-Itis" 5:00

 

Personnel

• Oliver Nelson - tenor saxophone, alto saxophone

• Eric Dolphy - bass clarinet, alto saxophone

• Richard Williams - trumpet

• Richard Wyands - piano

• George Duvivier - bass

• Roy Haynes - drums

 

Soul Battle

Track listing

• "Blues at the Five Spot" - 5:43 (Nelson)

• "Blues for M.F. (Mort Fega)" - 9:37 (Nelson)

• "Anacruses" - 5:43 (Nelson)

• "Perdido" - 9:22 (Juan Tizol)

• "In Passing" - 7:31 (Nelson)

• "Soul Street" - 9:07 (Jimmy Forrest) Bonus track on CD reissue

 

Personnel

• Oliver Nelson, King Curtis, Jimmy Forrest - tenor saxophone

• Gene Casey - piano

• George Duvivier - bass

• Roy Haynes - drums

 

 

The Blues and the Abstract Truth

Track listing

All tracks composed by Oliver Nelson.

• "Stolen Moments" – 8:46

• "Hoe-Down" – 4:43

• "Cascades" – 5:32

• "Yearnin'" – 6:24

• "Butch and Butch" – 4:35

• "Teenie's Blues" – 6:33

 

Personnel

• Freddie Hubbard – trumpet

• Eric Dolphy – alto saxophone (flute on "Stolen Moments")

• Oliver Nelson – tenor saxophone (alto saxophone on "Teenie's Blues")

• George Barrow – baritone saxophone

• Bill Evans – piano

• Paul Chambers – bass

• Roy Haynes – drums

Production

• Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer

• Chuck Stewart – photography

• Pete Turner – cover design

 

 

Straight Ahead

Released: 1961

Recorded: March 1, 1961

Studio: Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs

Length:  36:53

Label: NJ 8255

Producer: Esmond Edwards

Track listing

All pieces by Oliver Nelson, unless otherwise noted. 

• "Images" - 5:43

• "Six and Four" - 7:15

• "Mama Lou" - 5:04

• "Ralph's New Blues" (Milt Jackson) - 9:52

• "Straight Ahead" - 5:31

• "111-44" - 3:28

 

Personnel

• Oliver Nelson - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet

• Eric Dolphy - alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute

• Richard Wyands - piano

• George Duvivier - double bass

• Roy Haynes - drums

 

Main Stem

Studio album by Oliver Nelson with Joe Newman

Released: October 1962[1]

Recorded: August 25, 1961

Studio: Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Length: 35:50

Label: Prestige. RLP 7236

Producer:  Esmond Edwards

Track listing

All compositions by Oliver Nelson, except where noted 

• "Main Stem" (Duke Ellington) - 6:52

• "J & B" - 5:51

• "Ho!" - 4:33

• "Latino" - 6:12

• "Tipsy" - 5:19

• "Tangerine" (Johnny Mercer and Victor Schertzinger)- 7:03

Personnel

• Oliver Nelson - tenor saxophone

• Joe Newman - trumpet

• Hank Jones - piano

• George Duvivier - bass

• Charlie Persip - drums

• Ray Barretto - congas

 

Afro/American Sketches

Studio album by Oliver Nelson Orchestra

Released:  February 1962[1]

Recorded: September 29 & November 10, 1961

Studio

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs

Length:  41:30

Label:  Prestige. PRLP 7225

Track listing

All tracks composed by Nelson. 

• "Message" – 5:56

• "Jungleaire" – 6:33

• "Emancipation Blues" – 8:11

• "There's a Yearnin'" – 4:24

• "Going Up North" – 6:11

• "Disillusioned" – 5:36

• "Freedom Dance" – 4:39

Recorded on September 29 (#1, 3, 4, 6, 7) and November 10 (#2, 5), 1961. 

Personnel

Tracks 2, 5 

• Oliver Nelson – arranger, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone

• Joe Newman, Clyde Reasinger, Ernie Royal – trumpet

• Billy Byers, Paul Faulise, Melba Liston – trombone

• Don Butterfield – tuba

• Eric Dixon – tenor saxophone, flute

• Jerry Dodgion – flute

• Art Davis – bass

• Ed Shaughnessy – drums

• Ray Barretto – congas, bongos

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 

• Oliver Nelson – arranger, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone

• Jerry Kail, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Joe Wilder – trumpet

• Paul Faulise, Urbie Green, Britt Woodman – trombone

• Ray Alonge, Jim Buffington, Julius Watkins – French horn

• Don Butterfield – tuba

• Jerry Dodgion – alto sax, flute

• Eric Dixon – tenor saxophone, flute

• Bob Ashton – tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet

• Patti Bown – piano

• Peter Makas, Charles McCracken – violoncello

• Art Davis – bass

• Ed Shaughnessy – drums

• Ray Barretto – congas, bongos