Oliver Nelson - Blues and the Abstract Truth
Oliver Nelson, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
George Barrow, baritone saxophone
Paul Chambers, bass [click here to see more vinyl featuring Paul Chambers]
Eric Dolphy, flute, alto saxophone [click here to see more vinyl featuring Eric Dolphy]
Bill Evans, piano [click here to see more vinyl featuring Bill Evans]
Roy Haynes, drums [click here to see more vinyl featuring Roy Haynes]
Freddie Hubbard, trumpet [click here to see more vinyl featuring Freddie Hubbard]
1 LP, gatefold
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Acoustic Sounds Series
Original Label : Impulse
Recorded February 23, 1961 in Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder
Produced by Creed Taylor
Remastered by Ryan K. Smith
Originally released in 1961
Reissued in 2021
Tracks:
Side A :
- Stolen Moments
- Hoe-Down
- Cascades
Side B :
- Yearnin'
- Butch And Butch
- Teenie's Blues
Reviews :
"As Oliver Nelson is known primarily as a big band leader and arranger, he is lesser known as a saxophonist and organizer of small ensembles. Blues and the Abstract Truth is his triumph as a musician for the aspects of not only defining the sound of an era with his all-time classic "Stolen Moments," but on this recording, assembling one of the most potent modern jazz sextets ever. Lead trumpeter Freddie Hubbard is at his peak of performance, while alto saxophonists Nelson and Eric Dolphy (Nelson doubling on tenor) team to form an unlikely union that was simmered to perfection. Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Roy Haynes (drums) can do no wrong as a rhythm section. "Stolen Moments" really needs no comments, as its undisputable beauty shines through in a three-part horn harmony fronting Hubbard's lead melody. It's a thing of beauty that is more timeless as the years pass. The "Blues" aspect is best heard on "Yearnin'," a stylish, swinging, and swaying downhearted piece that is a bluesy as Evans would ever be. Both "Blues" and "Abstract Truth" combine for the darker "Teenie's Blues," a feature for Nelson and Dolphy's alto saxes, Dolphy assertive in stepping forth with his distinctive, angular, dramatic, fractured, brittle voice that marks him a maverick. Then there's "Hoedown," which has always been the black sheep of this collection with its country flavor and stereo separated upper and lower horn in snappy call-and-response barking. As surging and searing hard boppers respectively, "Cascades" and "Butch & Butch" again remind you of the era of the early '60s when this music was king, and why Hubbard was so revered as a young master of the idiom. A must buy for all jazz fans, and a Top Ten or Top Fifty favorite for many." AllMusic Review by Michael G. Nastos
Ratings :
AllMusic : 5 / 5 , Discogs : 4,66 / 5