Nelson's Shout: Raw Blues in Modern Dress
Leonard Feather called it Nelson's best record to date, and the saxophonist makes every note count.
When Oliver Nelson released Screamin' the Blues (1961), critics paid attention right away. Leonard Feather gave it four stars in DownBeat and declared it Nelson's finest work to that point—high praise that mattered in 1961. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings later awarded it 3.5 stars, cementing its reputation as a genuine standout in Nelson's catalog. This was not a record that had to build its audience over decades; it arrived as a statement.
What makes it worth hearing is Nelson's refusal to separate the blues from modern harmonic language. He doesn't play it safe with either camp. The album swings hard, the solos cut deep, and Nelson himself plays with a directness that leaves no room for posturing. He's at ease here in a way that suggests complete command of his instrument and his ideas. The saxophonist isn't trying to prove anything; he's simply playing what he hears, and what he hears is blues filtered through bebop and hard bop discipline.
In Nelson's career, this sits early but confident—a moment when he had something urgent to say and the chops to say it clearly. If you know his later work in film scoring and orchestral arranging, this album shows why musicians respected him as a player first. It's not a record that bends over backward for accessibility, but it doesn't need to. The blues speaks for itself.
Who's playing
Eric Dolphybass clarinet
George Duvivierdouble bass
Richard Wyandspiano
Oliver Nelsontenor saxophone
Richard Williamstrumpet
Roy Haynesdrums
Where next?
More by Oliver Nelson
The Blues and the Abstract Truth 1961
More Blues and the Abstract Truth 1961
Oliver Nelson Plays Michelle 1966
Skull Session 1975
The musicians on this record
Out to Lunch 1964
Eric Dolphy
plays bass clarinet here
plays bass clarinet here
Just Us 1960
Roy Haynes
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
