Oliver Nelson - Live From Los Angeles (1967) (eac-log-cover)

Oliver Nelson - Live From Los Angeles (1967)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

Impulse

Allmusic:
Oliver Nelson's live recordings don't seem as sharp as his studio stuff. Good playing, though, from a good group of West Coasters, but nothing exciting happens.
Amazon customer
I first heard this recording in my college jazz improvisation class. All of us young kids were sitting around ooh-ing and aah-ing over the burning sax duet on the classic rendition of Milestones, as well as the extraordinary Mel Brown and his guitar solo on Guitar Blues. But what we couldn't get over was the groove, energy, and passion that drenches every note.
It is twenty years later and this is still one of my favorite jazz recordings. Nelson takes risks all around and they all pay off. He takes on pop tunes (Down by the Riverside and Ja-Da), Jazz standards (Milestones, I Remember Bird), and Blues (Night Train, Guitar Blues), and he makes them all his own. This cd is essential. It's a river of ideas, sounds, and passion. It's the kind of cd that can make you believe in big bands again.
Because you can't listen to the tracks on this one, I want to describe a little the style. I guess the best way to put it is that it's what you would expect from Oliver Nelson, a lot of straight-ahead jazz mixed with some great blues. It's sort of a big band version of Blues and the Abstract Truth with more blues.

Tracks
-1 "Miss Fine" 4:04
-2 "Milestones" 8:16
-3 "I Remember Bird" 5:29
-4 "Night Train" 4:39
-5 "Guitar Blues" 4:15
-6 "Down By The Riverside" 8:29
-7 "Ja-Da" 2:05

Personnel
Oliver Nelson (saxophone); Mel Brown (guitar); Tom Scott (saxophone); Frank Strozier, Gabe Baltazar (alto saxophone); Bill Perkins (tenor saxophone); Jack Nimitz (baritone saxophone); Conte Candoli, Bobby Bryant , Freddy Hill, Buddy Childers (trumpet); Lou Blackburn, Billy Byers (trombone); Frank Strazzeri (piano); Monty Budwig (bass instrument); Ed Thigpen (drums).

sample & buy: Live From Los Angeles