Oliver Nelson

Though most of Oliver Nelson's in-print LPs feature him with East Coast players, he was an LA-based artist, since he earned his keep writing for Hollywood. Here, Nelson plays sax live with the same West Coast modernists who worked on his movie studio dates -- Conte Candoli, Bill Perkins, Monty Budwig etc..., though the East Coast ringer, Ed Thigpen, is behind the drums. The feel is exciting but the band doesn't hurry or over play -- instead, a light, swinging feel prodominates, even on crowd-pleasing barnstormers like "Night Train."