1959 · Album
Meet Oliver Nelson
Recorded 1959 · New Jazz · Produced by Not specified in verified sources
A saxophonist introduces himself
Nelson's tenor playing here shows a musician with real ideas, even if the tunes themselves didn't stick around.
Meet Oliver Nelson is the debut album by saxophonist Oliver Nelson, recorded in 1959 and released on the New Jazz label. This is Nelson early in his career, before he became known for his arranging work and film scores. What you hear is a straightforward blowing session—Nelson on tenor saxophone, working through a set of originals with the kind of confidence and directness that marks someone who knows what he wants to say on his instrument.
The album works because Nelson doesn't oversell himself. He plays with a clear, focused tone and doesn't clutter the music with unnecessary flourishes. The tunes themselves are functional vehicles for the improvisation rather than memorable melodies you'll hum afterward. AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, noting that while none of these Nelson compositions achieved widespread recognition, they served as an impressive starting point that demonstrated his skills as a tenor player and the breadth of his talents as a musician.
If you're coming to Nelson's work, this isn't the essential place to start—his later arranging and compositional work ended up mattering more to jazz history. But for anyone interested in watching a musician find his footing on the tenor saxophone, there's something direct and honest about this record. It's a working musician staking out his territory, and it shows.
Who's playing
Wendell Marshalldouble bass
Ray Bryantpiano
Oliver Nelsontenor saxophone
Kenny Dorhamtrumpet
Art Taylordrums
Where next?
More by Kenny Dorham
All 31 albums →
The musicians on this record
The Blues and the Abstract Truth 1961
Oliver Nelson
plays tenor saxophone here
plays tenor saxophone here
Ray Bryant Plays 1960
Ray Bryant
plays piano here
plays piano here
