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Steve Nelson: Vibing
by Russ Musto
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 ...
Continue ReadingSteve Nelson: Fuller Nelson
by Andrew Rowan
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 ...
Continue ReadingSteve Nelson: Fuller Nelson
by John Kelman
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 ...
Continue ReadingVarious: Thank You, Joe!
by AAJ Staff
Arkadia has a good thing going for it: tribute albums. Interestingly, Thank You, Joe! is Arkadia's first CD of appreciation extended to a living jazz legend. Previous honorees have included John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and Gerry Mulligan.Thank goodness that Arkadia had the insight to honor Henderson. Such a tribute raises the question, however, of how many other living jazz innovators should be honored: Lucky Thompson, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Jon Hendricks, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Horace Silver, Roy ...
Continue ReadingChip White: Harlem Sunset
by Glenn Astarita
Harlem Sunset is the impressive debut recording from powerhouse drummer Chip White originally released in 1994 on the Postcards label which is now brought to us by way of Arkadia Records. Here, White shines as a composer, offering a series of compositions that convey an at times, hard-edged tenderness featuring killer support from an estimable bunch comprising saxophonist Gary Bartz, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibraphonist Steve Nelson bassist Buster Williams and trumpeter Claudio Roditi. The proceedings get off to a furious ...
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