Customer Reviews

The Blues and the Abstract Truth

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of those jazz recordings that managed to capture lightning -- that is to say, recording magic -- in a bottle. Its pacing is perfect, its arrangements sublime, and the first-rate players, all of whom would be worth listening to on their worst day, offer inspired work.

Nelson, a fine tenor player in his own right, is surrounded by extraordinary talent: Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Haynes. But this is Nelson's album: not only does he play beautifully himself, he contributed the compositions and the arrangements, all of which have a note-perfect quality that could only be achieved by an artist in absolute command of his material.

Each tune is a joy in its own right, but the highlight for me (just ahead of the joyful "Hoedown") is "Stolen Moments," which has rightfully become a jazz standard. It's a tune that never fails to remind me of the difference between a true jazz composition and a blowing session. In the latter, solos are taken for their own sake. In "Stolen Moments," the solos are flawless, but each player extends on the previous statement. For example, the transition chord that Bill Evans plays between Oliver Nelson's solo and his own is a perfect reply that shows how carefully he was listening to Oliver's playing. The communication deepens the pleasure of listening to the performance.

Like Miles' "Kind of Blue" and a handful of other jazz albums, "Blues and the Abstract Truth" could be put into a vault for listeners a thousand years hence to find. I'm sure they'd be just as impressed as the rest of us have been.

Never heard this disc before? Not sure if it would be for you? Read all the customer reviews here and you'll notice several things , with the exception of one four star rating all the others have given it five stars and praise as one of the all time best studio recordings in the field of jazz. Look at the personnel. It is a who's who of the best and leaders in their own right but on this occasion they were under the guidance of Oliver Nelson who writes all the compositions, arranges the music and oh, by the way , plays alto and tenor saxophone on this disc. The music is complex and for musicians who understand the time measurements and even those like myself who are less versed in the structure of music, the music is arranged in simply iiresistible melodies. For those of us who don't understand musical structure but appreciate beautiful harmony it just sounds tight. The structure with each song is one that changes with different harmonic progressions interlaced with outstanding solos by the giants on their perspective instruments, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Bil Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone and flute, Roy Haynes on drums and additional saxophone work by George Barrow on barritone and Oliver Neslson on alto and tenor saxophone. This is jazz as it was intended to be in 1961; pure , unadulterated, deep but accessible soulful instumentals based on the blues structure but totally original. Some others have suggested this to be the proverbial desert island music. It definitely ranks way up there on a short list of jazz discs that don't come around very often and as near to perfection as possible. Again look at the contributors that made this possible , produced by Creed Taylor(not to be confused with Cecil Taylor, except by me:) and engineered by the one man team of Rudy Van Gelder just polish up the all star cast. Of all the songs my absolute fave is "Stolen Moments" that is introduced by Hubbards soft, soulful eloquent trumpet that lays the foundation for a trip down a very cool passage into Dolphy's fine flute work and Nelson's sax that is methodically accentuated by the thumping bass line of Chambers for a swinging introduction to the piano of Evans and the beginning to one of the best jazz discs of all time. If you are into jazz then you know how good this disc is, it is nearly flawless in all regards. If you are learning about jazz, go back to 1961 to experience this classic. A worthwhile addition to any collection of music and essential for jazz collections this disc is highly recommended.

One of those albums that over time has entered the legendary category - very much a landmark recording. STOLEN MOMENTS has not only become a jazz standard, but this initial recording of the tune is a masterpiece. Everything and everyone on it just clicks perfectly: Dolphy's solo on flute absolutely demands the listener's attention. And the other tunes are almost just as good, especially HOE-DOWN and CASCADES, both taken up tempo. The album was like a gust of fresh air when it first came out on LP in 1961, and it still sounds fresh today. One of those must-have CDs.

Just buy it, and hear the abstract, or should I say absolute, truth. I have at least 1000 jazz CDs. This is in my top 10. Kind of Blue is of course the rosetta stone, but this record can be spoken of in the same breath. Few others can even come close to this one!
Hundreds of years from now the United States will be described as having created quite a remarkable music, and Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, etc...will be mentioned as the inventors, and Oliver Nelson as one of the foremost musicians to follow in their giant footsteps. Mingus wrote a tune called "Better get Hit In Yo Soul"...This recording delivers a hit to your soul. Get hit!

I can't count the number of times I've had this in my hands at a CD store or in my shopping cart online only to change my mind and go in some other direction. Now I feel like a fool. This moves into my top 10 jazz records with a bullet.

As other reviewers have stated, the All-Star lineup is without reproach. These guys are all top players on their respective instruments, recording in their prime. That is not to say that such a summit of talent ensures sublime results. There is definately magic involved in these performances, a certain simpatico between musicians that creates a work of great feeling and beauty. Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans and Freddie Hubbard all contribute with playing that ranks among the best of their highly successful careers. There is note a weak moment, let alone a weak track. Oliver Nelson's compositions and arrangements are amazing.

I wish that I had picked this up years ago, and I also wonder what some of the titles that I picked up in place of this were. I'm sure there were some good ones that I do not regret buying. I am happy that I now own this classic and wholeheartedly recommend to any other music fan.

This is one of the few jazz CDs that manages to live up to its reputation without sounding like a cliché. Oliver Nelson's too-short career had a big impact on many who followed him and there is no shortage of musicians who copied (or tried to copy) his eclectic and cosmopolitan style. But the sound is still fresh and beautiful and absorbing more than 40 years after it was recorded.

Over the last couple of decades, it seems like the term "jazz" has been expanded to include a great deal of unstructured and repetitive music that would have made Louis Armstrong or Count Basie cringe. But The Blues and Abstract Truth is a great example of what made jazz great.

In addition to Oliver Nelson -- one long note he holds on "Yearnin'" is so pure it'll bring tears to your eyes -- pay special attention to Bill Evans' piano, which really makes the whole thing gel. Just great.

It's the kind of music that you wish could go on all night, and so my one criticism is that the whole recording lasts just a little over 35 minutes. Luckily, my CD player has a function allowing it to be replayed when it finishes.

Even the most vociferous opera-hater can name one or two; those who recoil in horror at the thought of country music know who Willie Nelson is. But if you're not a lover of the American classical music called jazz, it's unlikely you can rattle off too many names. Many would come up with the Miles Davis, John Coltrane landmark, Kind Of Blue. Some would refer to the Getz/Gilberto collaborations. Happily, Blues And The Abstract Truth would also be mentioned. The main reason this wonderful recording became a classic is that it is accessible, and the credit for that belongs entirely to Oliver Nelson.

A quick scan of the line-up is jaw-dropping; it's a veritable Who's Who of the day. But this is often where the mischief begins. "Super-groups" fail more often than they succeed, frequently their performances turn into ego battles resembling bar fights. Freddie Hubbard is the most egregious example, a monumental egotist and showboat who seemed to believe that more notes faster equaled better music. Dolphy's motives were pure, but he was at times so consumed by his personal, highly idiosyncratic quest that "playing well with others" was not a strong suit. Fortunately Evans, Haynes, and the rhythm section were less mercurial.

The dirty little secret of BATAT is that, creativity and improvisation flourish in an atmosphere of structure and discipline. As composer and arranger, Nelson brought a very well designed, personal vision to the proceedings, and all the players, (even Hubbard), managed to subsume their egos long enough to record the session. The irony with Nelson is that his genius as a composer and arranger overshadows his powerful horn playing; he is not as flashy as Dolphy, (who could be?), but his tone is absolutely plush and soulfully, almost painfully, expressive.

This is one of those rare, (hen's teeth rare), CDs where everything comes together. The recording quality is breathtaking, were this CD to be any smoother it wouldn't be possible to pick it up. Nelson himself is a fascinating jazz figure, following him can lead you down lots of fun rabbit holes. In his 43 short years, he went from playing with Louis Jordan, to being house arranger at the Apollo, to playing "pure jazz" like BATAT, to scoring The Bionic Woman and other hit TV shows. An amazing man. Over the course of one recording session in 1961, he brought together some of the best talent of the day and aligned them ideally to create one of the smoothest, most satisfying jazz CDs ever recorded.

Oliver Nelson was a great jazzman who really never got his complete due. He was a reasonably original tenor sax man, but his real talent was composing and arranging. This is an exceptional album, both because of the high quality of arrangements and because of the creativity of the musicians Nelson surrounded himself with in this album. Eric Dolphy was in the mold of Coltrane, and definitely a free spirit, but he was also thoroughly grounded like Trane was. Bill Evans, well, what more need be said. He was the pianist for Miles on "Kinda Blue", he established himself as a major piano figure and he was a master accompanist. Freddie Hubbard was a master jazz trumpet player. The rhythm section is tight and more than just competent. All in all, this is a wonderful CD, and the highest of the high has to be Stolen Moments. Not only the arrangement, but also the way each soloist listens to the soloist just before him and continues the same "story". This is jazz, both written and improvised, at its best and this album ranks nearly as high as "Kinda Blue".

The truth may be an abstract concept, but this is just great music, pure and simple. It is basically jazz, based on blues structures, and the track called Hoedown is not exactly that- who cares. I've had this CD for some ten years now, and never get tired of listening to it, either as an aural landscape, slamming accompaniament or simply on its own. The musicians are creme de la heavy creme of the 1960s scene and they give their 110% here, making these complex composition sound easy and spot on; the improvisations are amazing, and the alto sax solo in the first track is one of these sublime moments in music that are too good for words. I am happy I got this Blues and am looking forward to my next decade with it. Get it, though no need to hurry- it's been around for fourty years, it's not going away anytime soon. A classic.

All the previous reviewers have just said it all about this album, but nevertheless I want to pay my tribute to one of the greatest album in Jazz too. Firstly I want to say that this is truly essential if you are steppin' into Jazz (if you are a Jazz fan you surely know this gem). Probably it is the first album I would suggest to a novice after Kind of blue. The first tune alone, the majestic minor blues Stolen Moments is worth the ticket. Simply buy this disc, there's nothing more to say. It's a work of art that can appeal to everyone who has a music sensibility, no matter the age, the sex, the race. Buy it. But after that what can I say more that some guys haven't said before? This album is in the category of albums that match compositions and improvisations in the best way. It is very balanced, incredibly well written and played hard bop strongly rooted in the blues. It's pure magic. But let's talk about the musicians and their contributions here. Personally I find absolutly sublime the music played by Hubbard. His trumpet solos here are something that have the right to enter the Alltime Jazz Hall of Fame. And obviously I can't not to mention Bill Evans. And I want to pay a special mention to Roy haynes. His job here is a master in jazz drumming. He played light, percussive, present but discrete, propulsive, dynamic, creative, vulcanic but unobtrusive. Simply perfect. If the other guys played some of their best stuff it is surely because they had an unbelievable drummer pushing, substaining, stimulating them at every second. Roy's drumming is like a velvet, scintillating background on which the guys put their solos on like diamonds. Roy's drumming help the diamonds shine how they possibly could. There are no words to describe Roy's playing here (as everywhere). He is JAZZ DRUMMING, simply perfection. If you don't buy this album, simply you're not into Jazz but neither into music in general.