Search - Oliver Nelson, Lem Winchester :: Nocturne

Pretty

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 09/05/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Moodsville was a subsidiary of the Prestige family of jazz labels; it was originated to spotlight jazz musicians in the ballad setting (1960s edition of bedroom jazz or jazz to eat dinner to). The most successful of the three or four dozen albums that were produced were the ones where at least on a tune or two the musicians were allowed to up the tempo a little bit. Otherwise the same slow tempos tended to become monotonous (unless you ate fast and changed the record). Unfortunately, that was not the case here: all 7 tracks, two of them blues, are done slowly. By far the best track is EARLY MORNING, a most attractive 12-bar blues and, ironically, one of the best tunes found on any of Oliver Nelson's Prestige/New Jazz/Moodsville recordings of the period. Not an essential recording (except for the above mentioned track), though Nelson fans will want to have it. Lem Winchester is on vibes and Richard Wyands on piano."