LP-737

Oliver Nelson - Fantabulous

Released 1964

Recording and Session Information

Art Hoyle, Eugene (Snooky) Young, trumpet; Ray Wiegand, trombone; Tony Studd, bass trombone; Phil Woods, clarinet, alto saxophone; Bob Ashton, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Kenny Soderblom, flute, tenor saxophone; Oliver Nelson, tenor saxophone, arranger, conductor; Jerome Richardson (baritone saxophone,flute, alto-flute; Patti Bown, piano; Ben Tucker, bass Grady Tate, drums
Universal Recording Studio, Chicago, March 19 1964

13071 Teenie's blues
13072 Daylie's double
13073 Three plus one
13074 A bientot
13075 Hobo flats
13076 Take me with you
13077 Post no bills
13078 Laz-ie Kate

Track Listing

Hobo Flats	Oliver Nelson	March 19 1964
Post No Bills	Oliver Nelson	March 19 1964
A Bientot	Billy Taylor	March 19 1964
Three Plus One	Oliver Nelson	March 19 1964
Take Me With You	Willie Jean Tate & Oliver Nelson	March 19 1964
Daylie's Double	Audrey Nelson	March 19 1964
Teenie's Blues	Oliver Nelson	March 19 1964
Laz-ie Kate	Oliver Nelson	March 19 1964

Liner Notes

OLIVER NELSON hit the jazz world like a tornado about four years ago and he's been gaining momentum ever since. Although relatively unknown when he moved to New York City from his native St. Louis, Oliver shortly established himself as one of the most sought-after reedmen in town and was constantly in demand for recording sessions, concert orchestras, stage bands and jazz club dates. On these jobs he would play alto, tenor, baritone saxophone or clarinet as the occasion required; but on one job I recall, he played third trumpet in Reuben Phillips' band at the Apollo Theatre!

For all his facility with various instruments, Oliver best likes to express himself on the tenor sax and does most of his solo work on that instrument. His style is an interesting blending of the Coltrane-modern school and the straight-ahead, it's-got-to-swing philosophy.

As this album demonstrates, Oliver plays a "lotta" tenor sax. However, most of his current reputation as a musician is based not on his performance as an instrumentalist, but on his abilities as a composer and arranger. After his first few arranging assignments the word spread that a fresh and important talent was on the scene and Oliver was soon swamped with assignments. He wrote for Brook Benton, Benny Goodman, Ray Charles, Jimmy Smith, Art Farmer, Maynard Ferguson and as the expression many more."

The Nelson tunes and arrangements are highly regarded by musicians because they are always challenging and interesting. His harmonies are fresh and often surprising and he makes effective use of shifting rhythmic patterns and the interplay of orchestral sections.

But other arrangers are capable of intriguing their fellow musicians. Oliver's work is valuable because it has also succeeded in pleasing the general public — the untrained listeners who want to be entertained and not educated—and I think Oliver achieves this by always having his arrangements swing in a forthright way. The swing isn't implied, it's there!

This album was recorded in Chicago with the band that Oliver Nelson brought from New York for a concert presented by jazz DJ, Daddy-O Daylie, (Two exceptions are the Chicagoans, Arthur Hoyle and Kenny Soderblom.)

As is normally the case with Nelson's music, the challenges presented made the musicians function at top effciency and there was a festive, enthusiastic atmosphere in the studio.

In addition to Oliver's excellent tenor work, this LP has several fine solos by members of the orchestra. Patti Bown has some wonderfully "aggressive" solos on HOBO FLATS, POST NO BILLS, DAYLIE'S DOUBLE and TEENIES BLUES. Jerome Richardson's "growl" flute solo on POST NO BILLS is a high-point in the LP and Phil Woods' alto solos on POST NO BILLS and THREE PLUS ONE are as brilliant and arresting as a view of the Northern Lights.

I won't attempt a tune by tune summary of the album, but in addition to the solo highlights I've already mentioned, I'd like to emphasize the following:

Nelson's "vocal" tenor exploration of Billy Taylor's A BIEN TOT and his own TAKE ME WITH YOU points up why the tenor saxophone has been called the instrument that most closely resembles the human voice.

The Ravel-like building of the band behind Oliver's tenor soliloquy in TAKE ME WITH YOU

Let it be noted that DAY LIE'S DOUBLE (named for the above mentioned Daddy-O Daylie) was composed by Oliver's talented wife, Audrey.

THREE PLUS ONE — a socko, curtain-raiser type of tune, reminiscent of the type of things the swing era bands used to open their sets with; is a virtuoso arrangement that would have taken most merely competent musicians days to master, but the super-pros in the band gobbled it up.

The beautiful Ellingtonish mood of LAZIE KATE...

The wild things that happen in the arrangement of TEENIES BLUES.

Chicago trumpeter Hoyle's fiery solos on THREE PLUS ONE.

This then is some of the latest work of Oliver Nelson, who has been called "fantastic" and "fabulous". We call him 'FANTABULOUS"

Esmond Edwards