Jazz Articles about Steve Nelson

Dave Holland Quintet: Critical Mass

by Joel Roberts
December 5, 2006

Bassist extraordinaire Dave Holland believes that like fine wine, music shouldn't be unbottled before its time. Holland and his highly regarded quintet spent a year and a half honing and retooling the music on their new album until it reached the point he calls “critical mass, where “it has become what it's going to be. That patience, care and commitment to getting things right is evident throughout Critical Mass. This is the work of a working band, ...

Chip White: Harlem Sunset

by Nic Jones
September 9, 2006

Chip White has a hell of a band here, but the fact that he provided it with almost an entire programme of stimulating material is what makes this a disc worth frequently returning to. Additionally, the quartet of White, Gary Bartz, Steve Nelson and Buster Williams offers such a captivating reading of “I Want To Talk About You" that the overall effect is one of enduring pleasure, and that's only enhanced by the presence of Claudio Roditi's “We (To Kristen ...

Dave Holland Quintet: Critical Mass

by Nic Jones
September 4, 2006

This particular lineup of Dave Holland's longstanding quintet had apparently been working for eighteen months prior to recording this disc, and that simple fact oozes out of every note played. There is a level of cohesion and empathy here that arguably can come only from such longstanding associations.

Holland is anything but despotic in his leadership responsibilities, and every member of the group gets a composer's credit here. The result is a diversity of approaches that makes for rewarding listening, ...

Dave Holland Quintet: Critical Mass

by John Kelman
August 23, 2006

It's been five years since the last studio record by Dave Holland's quintet. But between touring on its own and as the core of Holland's big band, which was responsible for the outstanding Overtime (Dare2, 2005), the unit shows no sign of slowing down. Critical Mass proves that when the chemistry is right, even longstanding bands can continue to improve by introducing new elements, without forgetting what made them great in the first place. The quintet has been ...

Steve Nelson: Vibing

by Russ Musto
August 1, 2006

Vibraphonist Steve Nelson began his career during the seventies, in his hometown of Pittsburgh, following the straight ahead path blazed by his first major influence, Milt Jackson. After a year with guitarist Grant Green he was playing and recording with his Rutgers professors James Spaulding and Kenny Barron, before landing a spot in David “Fathead" Newman's quintet. Throughout the eighties Nelson was the vibists of choice among some of his generation's most talented up-and-comers, including Bobby Watson, Curtis Lundy, James ...

Steve Nelson: Fuller Nelson

by Andrew Rowan
October 5, 2004

This dancing, jubilant recording breaks no new ground, but it beautifully realizes the old-fashioned notion of joy in swinging. The trio makes its way through a program of originals (real melodies, not just notes to get to the blowing) and standards, sans drummer, without missing a beat. “The Second Time Around" begins on tiptoe, gathering momentum as it unfolds. Nelson's ebullient solo is buoyed by Ray Drummond's insistence in finding just the right notes at or near the ...

Steve Nelson: Fuller Nelson

by John Kelman
June 9, 2004

You have to have roots. Talk to almost any modern player and they'll stress that in order to get where they are today, they had to walk a road paved in tradition. Few understand or articulate that as well as vibraphonist Steve Nelson. Given that he came to wider attention through his forward-thinking work with Dave Holland over the past nine years, one might be surprised to see that, when faced with the opportunity to release an album under his ...