Oliver Nelson

Oliver Nelson distinguished himself early as a versatile soloist on alto, tenor, and soprano, yet his skills as a composer soon eclipsed his work as an instrumentalist. He turned professional in 1947, performing with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra and with St. Louis big bands directed by George Hudson and Nat Towles. In 1951 he both arranged and played second alto in Louis Jordan’s large ensemble, after which he served in the Navy and spent four years at university. Once he reached New York he worked briefly with Erskine Hawkins, Wild Bill Davis, and Louie Bellson—the last engagement taking place on the West Coast. Between 1959 and 1961 he also recorded six small-group albums and one big-band date while appearing in Quincy Jones’ orchestra from 1960 to 1961; those releases quickly earned him wide respect in jazz. The 1961 album Blues and the Abstract Truth became a landmark and drew fresh attention to “Stolen Moments,” a piece Nelson had already recorded on a slightly earlier session with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. He further demonstrated his agility by trading ideas with the explosive Eric Dolphy on two separate quintet dates. Although his playing remained strong, calls for his arranging talents grew louder, leading him to score big-band sessions for Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, and Billy Taylor, among others. After relocating to Los Angeles in 1967, Nelson concentrated on studio work for television and motion pictures. He still led an occasional big band, produced several ambitious compositions, and made sporadic jazz recordings, yet he had largely withdrawn from the jazz community years before suffering a fatal heart attack at age 43.