The Blues and the Abstract Truth

Recorded during the course of a single day in February 1961 and released six months later, The Blues And The Abstract Truth is regarded as jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelsons most acclaimed album. It helped that he was assisted by a stellar list of musicians, including Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, George Barrow and Roy Haynes. Musically the album was something of a departure from the norm for Oliver; better known primarily for his work with big bands, this album found him fronting a much smaller combo and exploring the mood and structure of the blues. To accomplish this, Oliver wrote six tracks, with only some of the tracks being structured in the conventional 12-bar blues form. However, many of the solos are performed in such a style, resulting in a compelling album that has withstood the passage of time extremely well.