Oliver Nelson
Tenor Sax Solo on
Stolen Moments

About

Oliver Nelson's tenor saxophone solo is the third of four improvisations on this recording, the composer himself stepping forward to interpret his own composition. Taking four choruses of the 12-bar blues in C minor at 117 BPM, Nelson demonstrates the deep understanding of the tune's harmonic landscape that only its creator could possess. His playing combines the analytical precision of an arranger's mind with the emotional warmth of a committed improviser, his lines illuminating the composition's inner workings from a unique perspective.

Oliver Nelson was 28 to 29 years old at the time.