Oliver Nelson discography

This is the discography for American jazz musician Oliver Nelson.

As leader/co-leader

Year of recording	Album	Notes	Label
1959	Meet Oliver Nelson	Quintet with Kenny Dorham and Ray Bryant	Prestige
1960	Taking Care of Business	Quintet with Johnny "Hammond" Smith and Lem Winchester	Prestige
1960	Screamin' the Blues	Sextet with Eric Dolphy and Richard Williams	Prestige
1960	Nocturne	Quintet with Lem Winchester	Moodsville
1960	Soul Battle	Sextet with King Curtis and Jimmy Forrest	Prestige
1961	The Blues and the Abstract Truth	Septet with Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, Eric Dolphy, Paul Chambers and Freddie Hubbard	Impulse!
1961	Straight Ahead	Quintet with Eric Dolphy	Prestige
1961	Main Stem	Sextet with Joe Newman	Prestige
1961	Afro/American Sketches	Oliver Nelson Orchestra	Prestige
1962	Impressions of Phaedra	Oliver Nelson Orchestra	United Artists
1962-3	Full Nelson	Oliver Nelson Orchestra	Verve
1964	Fantabulous	Oliver Nelson Orchestra	Argo
1964	More Blues and the Abstract Truth	Sextet/Septet/Octet arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson	Impulse!
1965	Rita Reys Meets Oliver Nelson	Rita Reys with Orchestra arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson	Philips
1966	Oliver Nelson Plays Michelle	Oliver Nelson Orchestra	Impulse!
1966	Sound Pieces	Oliver Nelson Orchestra/Quartet	Impulse!
1966	Happenings	Hank Jones and the Oliver Nelson Orchestra featuring Clark Terry	Impulse!
1966	Encyclopedia of Jazz	Encyclopedia of Jazz All Stars [split album]	Verve
1966	The Sound of Feeling	Encyclopedia of Jazz All Stars [split album]	Verve
1967	The Spirit of '67	Pee Wee Russell and the Oliver Nelson Orchestra	Impulse!
1967	The Kennedy Dream	Oliver Nelson Orchestra	Impulse!
1967	Live from Los Angeles	Oliver Nelson's Big Band	Impulse!
1967	Jazzhattan Suite	Jazz Interactions Orchestra	Verve
1968	Soulful Brass	Oliver Nelson with Steve Allen	Impulse!
1969	3-2-1-0	Nobuo Hara and His Sharps & Flats composed and arranged by Oliver Nelson	Columbia (Japan)
1969	Black, Brown and Beautiful	Oliver Nelson Orchestra	Flying Dutchman
1970	Zig Zag	Original Motion Picture Score	MGM
1970	In Tokyo	Nobuo Hara and His Sharps & Flats and Oliver Nelson	Columbia (Japan)
1970	Berlin Dialogue for Orchestra	Oliver Nelson and the "Berlin Dreamband"	Flying Dutchman
1971	Swiss Suite	Oliver Nelson Orchestra featuring Gato Barbieri and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson	Flying Dutchman
1974	Oliver Edward Nelson in London with Oily Rags	Oliver Nelson with Oily Rags	Flying Dutchman
1975	Skull Session	Oliver Nelson	Flying Dutchman
1975	Stolen Moments	Oliver Nelson	East Wind

Compilations

• A Dream Deferred (Flying Dutchman 1969-75 [1976]) – Selections from Flying Dutchman albums + 2 previously unreleased tracks
• Back Talk (Chess, 1964 [1976]) with Lou Donaldson – Compilation of Argo & Cadet LPs Fantabulous and Rough House Blues
• Images (Prestige 1961 [1976]) with Eric Dolphy – Compilation of Prestige LPs Screamin' the Blues and Straight Ahead
• Three Dimensions (Impulse! 1961-66, [1978]) – Compilation of Impulse! LPs The Blues and the Abstract Truth and Sound Pieces + 2 previously unreleased tracks
• Black, Brown and Beautiful (Bluebird, 1970-75 [1989]) – reissue of Johnny Hodges Flying Dutchman LP 3 Shades of Blue + tracks from Oliver Edward Nelson in London with Oily Rags and Skull Session
• Verve Jazz Masters 48 (Verve, 1962-67 [1995]) – Selections from Verve albums
• The Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Mosaic, 1961-67 [2006])

Film and Television Scores

• Dzjes Zien (1965) – Dutch Television Movie
• Ironside (1967-1972) – US TV Series
• Run for Your Life (1967) – US TV Series
• The Name of the Game (1968-1970) – US TV Series
• Death of a Gunfighter (1969) – US Movie
• It Takes a Thief (1969-1970) – US TV Series
• Zig Zag (1970) – US Movie
• Dial Hot Line (1970) – US TV Movie
• Skullduggery (1970) – US Movie
• Matt Lincoln (1970) – US TV Series
• Lady Sings the Blues (1971) – US Movie – arranger only
• Longstreet (1971) – US TV Series
• Night Gallery (1971-1972) – US TV Series
• Cutter (1972) – US TV Series
• Columbo (1972) – US TV Series
• Last Tango in Paris (1972) – French/Italian Movie
• Banacek (1973) – US TV Series
• I Love a Mystery (1973) – US TV Movie
• The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-1975) – US TV Series
• Chase (1973) – US TV series
• Casino on Wheels (1973) – US TV Movie
• The Alpha Caper (1973) – US TV Movie
• Money to Burn (1973) – US TV Movie
• Matt Helm (1975) – US TV Series
• The Bionic Woman (1976) – US TV Series

As arranger/conductor

An additional sideman role is indicated when it is known.

With Faye Adams

• "You Can Trust In Me"/"Goodnight My Love" (Prestige, 1962)

With Cannonball Adderley

• Domination (Capitol, 1965)

With Steve Allen

• Soulful Brass #2 (Flying Dutchman, 1969)

With Air Pocket

• Fly On (East Wind, 1975) – producer

With Louis Armstrong

• Louis Armstrong and His Friends (Flying Dutchman, 1970)

With Gato Barbieri

• El Gato (Flying Dutchman, 1972 [1975])
• Last Tango in Paris (United Artists, 1972)

With Count Basie

• Afrique (Flying Dutchman, 1970); also tenor saxophone

With Elek Bacsik

• Bird and Dizzy: A Musical Tribute (Flying Dutchman, 1975)

With James Brown

• Soul on Top (King, 1969)

With Mel Brown

• Chicken Fat (Impulse!, 1967)

With Ray Brown and Milt Jackson

• Ray Brown / Milt Jackson (Verve, 1965)

With Ruth Brown

• "Secret Love"/"Time After Time" (Noslen, 1963)

With Henry Cain

• The Funky Organ-ization Of Henry Cain (Capitol, 1967)

With Betty Carter

• 'Round Midnight (Atco, 1963)

With Ray Charles

• A Portrait of Ray (ABC/Tangerine, 1968)

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

• Trane Whistle (Prestige, 1960)

With Lou Donaldson

• Rough House Blues (Cadet, 1964)

With Jean DuShon

• Feeling Good (Cadet, 1966)

With Lorraine Ellison

• Heart & Soul (Warner Bros., 1966)

With Art Farmer

• Listen to Art Farmer and the Orchestra (Mercury, 1962)

With Maynard Ferguson

• Come Blow Your Horn (Cameo, 1964)

With Jimmy Forrest

• Soul Street (New Jazz, 1962)

With Don Goldie

• Trumpet Exodus (Verve, 1962)

With Leo Gooden

• Leo Sings with Strings (L.G., 1963)

With Jackie & Roy

• Changes (Verve, 1966)

With Jimmy Grissom

• "I've Got You On My Mind"/"Lover's Reverie" (Prestige, 1962)

With Johnny Hartman

• I Love Everybody (ABC-Paramount, 1967)

With Johnny Hodges

• The Eleventh Hour (Verve, 1962)
• 3 Shades of Blue (Flying Dutchman, 1970)

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

• Six Million Dollar Man (Flying Dutchman, 1975)

With Paul Horn

• Monday, Monday (RCA Victor, 1966)
• Paul Horn & The Concert Ensemble (Ovation, 1969)

With Paul Humphrey, Shelly Manne, Willie Bobo & Louis Bellson

• The Drum Session (Philips (Japan), 1974) – producer

With Yujiro Ishihara

• Nostalia (Teichiku Entertainment (Japan), 1974)

With Etta Jones

• So Warm (Prestige, 1961)
• From the Heart (Prestige, 1962)

With Kimiko Kasai

• Kimiko Kasai in Person (CBS/Sony (Japan), 1973)
• Thanks, Dear (CBS/Sony (Japan), 1974) – musical supervisor

With Ramsey Lewis

• Country Meets the Blues (Argo, 1962)

With Herbie Mann

• My Kinda Groove (Atlantic, 1964)
• Latin Mann (Columbia, 1965)
• Standing Ovation at Newport (Atlantic, 1965)
• Today! (Atlantic, 1965)
• Our Mann Flute (Atlantic, 1966)

With Lloyd G. Mayers

• A Taste of Honey (United Artists Jazz, 1962)

With Carmen McRae

• Portrait of Carmen (Atlantic, 1967)

With Thelonious Monk

• Monk's Blues (Columbia, 1968)

With Wes Montgomery

• Goin' Out of My Head (Verve, 1965)

With Lee Morgan

• Delightfulee (Blue Note, 1966)

With Esther Phillips

• Esther Phillips Sings (Atlantic, 1955)

With Della Reese

• "Every Other Day"/"Soon" (ABC, 1967)
• I Gotta Be Me...This Trip Out (ABC, 1968)

With Irene Reid

• Room for One More (Verve, 1965)

With Buddy Rich

• Swingin' New Big Band (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
• Big Swing Face (Pacific Jazz, 1967)
• The New One! (Pacific Jazz, 1967)
• Very Alive at Ronnie Scotts (RCA, 1971)

With Sonny Rollins

• Alfie (Impulse!, 1966)

With Diana Ross

• Lady Sings the Blues (Motown, 1972)
• Blue (Motown, 1972)

With Jimmy Rushing

• Every Day I Have the Blues (Bluesway, 1967)

With Shirley Scott

• For Members Only (Impulse!, 1963)
• Great Scott!! (Impulse!, 1964)
• Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands (Impulse!, 1966)

With Doc Severinsen

• Rhapsody for Now! (RCA, 1973)

With Bud Shank

• Girl in Love (World Pacific, 1966)

With Jimmy Smith

• Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith (Verve, 1962)
• Hobo Flats (Verve, 1963)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Verve, 1964)
• Monster (Verve, 1965)
• Got My Mojo Workin' (Verve, 1965)
• Peter & the Wolf (Verve, 1966)
• Hoochie Coochie Man (Verve, 1966)
• Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo (Verve, 1966) with Wes Montgomery
• Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes (Verve, 1966) with Wes Montgomery
• Livin' It Up! (Verve, 1968)

With Ringo Starr

• Sentimental Journey (Apple, 1969)

With Carl Stokes

• The Mayor and the People (Flying Dutchman, 1970)

With Billy Taylor

• Right Here, Right Now! (Capitol Records, 1963)
• Midnight Piano (Capitol, 1964)

With Jack Teagarden

• Jack Teagarden (Verve, 1962)

With The Temptations

• The Temptations in a Mellow Mood (Gordy, 1967)

With Clark Terry

• Clark Terry Plays the Jazz Version of All American (Moodsville, 1962)

With Bob Thiele

• I Saw Pinetop Spit Blood (Flying Dutchman, 1975)

With Leon Thomas

• Leon Thomas in Berlin (Flying Dutchman, 1971)

With The Three Sounds

• Coldwater Flat (Blue Note, 1968)

With Cal Tjader

• Soul Burst (Verve, 1966)

With Stanley Turrentine

• Joyride (Blue Note, 1965)

With Frank Wess

• Southern Comfort (Prestige, 1962)

With Joe Williams

• Jump for Joy (RCA Victor, 1963)
• Me and the Blues (RCA Victor, 1964)

With Nancy Wilson

• How Glad I Am (Capitol, 1964)
• Today, My Way (Capitol, 1964)
• A Touch of Today (Capitol, 1966)
• Just for Now (Capitol, 1966)
• Lush Life (Capitol, 1967)
• Welcome to My Love (Capitol, 1967)

With Lem Winchester

• Lem's Beat (Prestige, 1960) - also performer

With Kai Winding

• Suspense Themes in Jazz (Verve, 1962)
• More Brass (Verve, 1966)

As sideman

An additional arranger credit for part of the album is indicated.

With Cannonball Adderley

• African Waltz (Riverside, 1961)

With Gene Ammons

• Soul Summit Vol. 2 (Prestige, 1961 [1962]; arranged two tracks)
• Late Hour Special (Prestige, 1961 [1964]; arranged 4 tracks)
• Velvet Soul (Prestige, 1961 [1964]; arranged 1 track)

With Manny Albam

• Jazz Goes to the Movies (Impulse!, 1962)

With Elek Bacsik

• I Love You (Bob Thie, 1973)

With Louis Bellson

• The Brilliant Bellson Sound (Verve, 1959)

With Clea Bradford

• These Dues (Tru-Sound, 1961)

With Chris Connor

• Free Spirits (Atlantic, 1962)
• Richard Rodgers' No Strings: An After-Theatre Version (Atlantic, 1962) with Bobby Short

With Duke Ellington

• Paris Blues (United Artists, 1962)

With Red Garland

• Soul Burnin' (Prestige, 1961)
• Rediscovered Masters (Prestige 1961 [1977])

With Etta Jones

• Something Nice (Prestige, 1960 [1961])
• Hollar! (Prestige, 1960 [1963])

With J. J. Johnson

• J.J.! (RCA Victor, 1964) – reeds

With Quincy Jones

• I Dig Dancers (Mercury, 1960)
• The Quintessence (Impulse!, 1961)
• The Pawnbroker (Mercury, 1965)

With Louis Jordan

• "If You're So Smart How Come You Ain't Rich"/"How Blue Can You Get" (Decca, 1951)
• "Please Don't Leave Me"/"Three-Handed Woman" (Decca, 1951)
• "Trust in Me"/"Cock-a-Doodle Doo"/"Work Baby Work" (Decca, 1951)
• "May Every Day Be Christmas"/"Bone Dry" (Decca, 1951)
• "Louisville Lodge Meeting"/"Work Baby Work" (Decca, 1951)
• "Slow Down" (Decca, 1951 [1952])
• "Fat Sam from Birmingham" (Decca, 1951 [1953])
• "There Must Be a Way" (Decca, 1951 [1953])
• "Come And Get It" (Decca, 1951 [1954])

With Eddie Kirkland

• It's the Blues Man! (Tru-Sound, 1962)

With Mundell Lowe

• Satan in High Heels (soundtrack) (Charlie Parker, 1961)

With Gary McFarland

• The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" (Verve, 1961)

With Joe Newman

• Joe Newman Quintet at Count Basie's (Mercury, 1961)

With Shirley Scott

• Blue Seven (Prestige, 1961)

With Johnny "Hammond" Smith

• Talk That Talk (New Jazz, 1960)

With Leon Thomas

• Leon Thomas in Berlin (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
• Gold Sunrise on Magic Mountain (Flying Dutchman, 1970)