Orchestre national de Jazz de Montréal presents

Tribute to Oliver Nelson

The Orchestre national de Jazz de Montréal (ONJ) launches its ninth season with a concert dedicated to the music of Oliver Nelson (1932-1975), thus seizing the opportunity to reconnect with a musician who has been largely forgotten. The musical director for this evening will be trumpeter and conductor Ron Di Lauro.

A saxophonist and composer, Nelson had his moment of glory in the jazz world of the 1960s, releasing a series of records under his own name and acting mainly as an arranger of orchestral sessions for big names such as Thelonious Monk.

He then worked in California studios until his untimely death, producing numerous soundtracks and theme songs for television series. His work, although quite abundant, quickly fell into oblivion, with the exception of his only major success, Stolen Moments.

Raised in a musical family in St. Louis, Missouri, Oliver Nelson switched from piano to saxophone at an early age. From the age of 15, he played with various groups in his region and then with Louis Jordan’s ensemble, for which he also wrote arrangements. Enlisted in the Marine Corps Band in 1952, he served in Korea and Japan. In Tokyo, a symphony concert revealed his passion for composition. Back in Missouri, he studied composition at two universities.

After graduating, Nelson moved to New York and played with Erskine Hawkins and Wild Bill Davis, and was the arranger for the Apollo Theater in Harlem before collaborating with Louis Bellson, Count Basie and Duke Ellington and recording under his own name for Prestige Records. He also played for Quincy Jones in the United States and on European tours. His collaboration with Eric Dolphy, Freddy Hubbard and Bill Evans made him a part of jazz history, as did the prolific work of his own band from 1961 until his untimely death from a heart attack in 1975. Two of his records are unmissable: The Blues and the Abstract Truth (Impulse, 1961) and Stolen Moments (East Wind Records, 1975).

Conductor: Ron Di Lauro
Saxophones: Jean-Pierre Zanella, Samuel Blais, André Leroux, Frank Lozano, Alexandre Côté
Trumpets: Jocelyn Couture, Aron Doyle, David Carbonneau, Bill Mahar
Trombones: Dave Grott, Jean-Nicolas Trottier, David Russell Martin, Jean-Sébastien Vachon
Piano: Marianne Trudel
Double bass: Rémi-Jean Leblanc
Drums: Kevin Warren
Music librarian: Taylor Donaldson

On-site show – Cinquième Salle
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 8:00pm
Vaccine passport required
Covid-19 sanitary measures in effect

Live webcast
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 8:00pm

On Demand webcast
Streaming available from September 22, 8 pm to September 26, 11 pm.

To purchase your tickets visit: www.placedesarts.com