This afternoon I was randomly listening to music in my Radio Blog Club playlist without paying much attention, and out of the blue I heard a flute and thought: hey, that’s Eric Dolphy. Then, I listened carefully and remembered that it was “Stolen Moments” from Oliver Nelson’s most celebrated album The Blues and the Abstract Truth. Not only does it in fact feature Eric Dolphy on flute, Nelson also showcases one of the best casts of jazz musicians all together: Bill Evans (one of my favorite pianists), Roy Haynes on drums, Paul Chambers on bass, and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. They are all out of this world on this piece.
If you’ve ever read Janet Fitch’s White Oleander, you’ll recognize the song “Stolen Moments” which features in the story. Unfortunately, Fitch gets it wrong by attributing the pounding and liberating trumpet sound to Oliver Nelson. I don’t mean to be pedantic or nitpicky, but you got to give the credit to Freddie Hubbard. Nelson is the band leader and plays the sax.
Grave Error 
What i always found interesting with “Blues and the Abstract Truth” is the disconnect between Dolphy, Hubbard, Haynes et Evans on one side and band leader Oliver Nelson on the other. The jazz heavyweights lay out their solos with such ease, fluidity and inspiration while Oliver Nelson’s solos are always ultra-minimalist and lack imagination. I find it particularly striking in “Stolen Moments”.
William,
I thought the same thing listening to Stolen Moments over and over again yesterday. Nelson is the least interesting piece of the puzzle. Each soloist comes in and gives a stellar performance, but then when Nelson pulls them all together, the unity is not greater than the sum of its parts, rather the opposite: what is exciting is the parts.