Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Oliver Nelson “The Blues and the Abstract Truth” (1961)

The Blues and the Abstract Truth could very easily be called part II of the Kind of Blue trilogy. Oliver Nelson used two musicians from Kind of Blue: Bill Evans and Paul Chambers. Other notable musicians here include Roy Haynes, Eric Dolphy and Freddie Hubbard. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Freddie Hubbard is the best trumpet player of all time. But as usual, Eric Dolphy stands out as the star, no matter how deep an album's lineup is. If you want to know how to distinguish between Oliver Nelson and Eric Dolphy's playing, keep in mind that whenever somebody is playing like a complete lunatic it's Dolphy. This album came out two years after Kind of Blue and was followed by part III and the peak of the trilogy, Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter in 1964. Not only does the lineup improve, but the music itself gets better with every chapter. Don't miss out on Part II or III. –Rob

No comments:

Post a Comment