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About Oliver Nelson

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Musician

Oliver Nelson

Born:

Oliver Nelson needs to be reconsidered by music listeners for what he was - one of the most significant jazz voices of his generation, and an important big band composer and arranger of the 1960s. Perhaps the skill he mastered most keenly was his ability to turn listeners on. As difficult as his music might have been to play, and as hard as it is to analyze, it is extremely easy to listen to. Born June 4, 1932 in St. Louis, Oliver Nelson came from a musical family: His brother played saxophone with Cootie Williams in the Forties, and his sister was a singer-pianist. Nelson himself began piano studies at age six and saxophone at eleven

21

Article: Jazz Raconteurs

Julius Hemphill: Marty Ehrlich and Tim Berne Remember a Musical Visionary

Read "Julius Hemphill: Marty Ehrlich and Tim Berne Remember a Musical Visionary" reviewed by Dave Kaufman

by Dave Kaufman

Julius Hemphill, a brilliant alto saxophonist and extraordinary composer, was a towering figure in avant-garde jazz and creative music. Yet his body of work remains surprisingly little known, even among aficionados of this sort of adventurous music. Hemphill's music demonstrated a deep feeling for the blues and other African American traditions. His creative vision extended well ...

7

Article: Album Review

Jeff Lederer: There's a Yearnin'

Read "There's a Yearnin'" reviewed by Jerome Wilson

by Jerome Wilson

Jazz and classical music have been intersecting for decades. One of the most prominent examples of this was the Third Stream movement of the sixties, where composers and musicians like Gunther Schuller and John Lewis encouraged the efforts of jazz musicians who wanted to experiment in the world of classical music. The music created through the movement ...

3

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Tribute to Sonny Rollins (RIP); Recognizing Birthdays For Oliver Nelson, Paquito D'Rivera, and Others

Read "Tribute to Sonny Rollins (RIP); Recognizing Birthdays For Oliver Nelson, Paquito D'Rivera, and Others" reviewed by David W. Daniels

by David W. Daniels

In addition to our musical tribute to Sonny Rollins and the birthdays named, this week's Exploration show features new music from New Jazz Underground, Eliane Elias, and Brian Jackson with Rahsaan Patterson. Other musicians whose birthdays were recognized include Louis Hayes, Dakota Staton, and bassist Tony Levin.Playlist Sonny Rollins “Trav'lin Light" from The Standard ...

10

Article: Top Ten List

The Infinite Groove: Top 10 Classic Jazz Marathons

Read "The Infinite Groove: Top 10 Classic Jazz Marathons" reviewed by Michael Ricci

by Michael Ricci

Classic Jazz | Prog Rock While the “3-minute single" was the rule for radio, the jazz world of the mid-20th century operated on a different internal clock. With the arrival of the Long Play (LP) record, jazz musicians finally had the “room" to let their ideas breathe. This era gave birth to the extended ...

7

Article: Play This!

Laura J Marras: Isotope

Read "Laura J Marras: Isotope" reviewed by Artur Moral

by Artur Moral

Laura J Marras first drew Neil Duggan's attention in his review of Alessandro Di Liberto's Punti Di Vista (GleAm Records, 2025), where her alto saxophone is repeatedly highlighted--thanks to her fresh blend of sensitivity and energy. Other press notes on that release, quite rightly, attributed to her traces of John Coltrane and Oliver Nelson, as well ...

4

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Improvising the Russian Classical Composers: Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev

Read "Improvising the Russian Classical Composers: Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev" reviewed by Larry Slater

by Larry Slater

In the 19th century, Russian composers created timeless melodic works ripe for jazz interpretation. The 20th century in Russia ushered in decades of experimentation and revolutionary musical ideas.Prokofiev's output ranged from lyrical compositions to experimental avant-garde works. In this hour, you'll hear jazz interpretations of Prokofiev from Jo-Yu Chen, Peter Beets and Oliver Nelson. ...

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Article: Album Review

John Vanore & Abstract Truth: Easter Island Suite

Read "Easter Island Suite" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan

The spirit of Oliver Nelson and the thousand ghosts of Easter Island loom large over John Vanore & Abstract Truth's Easter Island Suite. The Nelson side of the equation has its roots in trumpeter Vanore's attendance at a Nelson-directed summer program at Indiana University, which led him, as a student, into deeper explorations of Nelson's work, ...

6

Article: Album Review

Mark Sherman: Bop Contest

Read "Bop Contest" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux

Vibraphonist and composer Mark Sherman has long been recognized as one of the music's most articulate advocates for straight-ahead values, grounding his virtuosity in the clarity and craftsmanship that define the bop lineage. Bop Contest, his 2025 release, continues that tradition with poise and conviction. Surrounded by a top-tier rhythm section comprising pianist Donald ...

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Article: Rising Stars

Introducing the NJ All-State Jazz Ensemble and Choir

Read "Introducing the NJ All-State Jazz Ensemble and Choir" reviewed by Sanford Josephson

by Sanford Josephson

"If they hire me," said Dr. David Demsey, “they know they're getting some Thad Jones." Demsey, who recently retired after 33 years as Coordinator of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University, is directing this year's New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA)/New Jersey Association for Jazz Education (NJAJE) All-State Jazz Ensemble. This is the third ...


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