Fantabulous

iTunes Review

The late composer/arranger and reeds player Oliver Nelson is best known for his 1961 classic, Blues and the Abstract Truth, but he created a number of other fine albums that display his considerable skills. On Fantabulous, recorded in Chicago in 1964, Nelson leads a 12-piece band through six originals. (The album also includes “Daylie’s Double,” a piece by his wife, Audrey, along with a version of Billy Taylor’s “A Bientot.”) Phil Woods, on clarinet and alto sax, and drummer Grady Tate are two of the better-known players here, but the whole band performs with verve and sensitivity. The writing on Fantabulous is full of interesting textures and swinging rhythms, and the solos are top-notch. With its lovely horns and mysterious flutes, “Take Me With You” evokes the lush side of Ellington, while a version of “Teenie’s Blues,” a composition that also appeared on Blues and the Abstract Truth, sounds great in this edgy, large-ensemble version. Nelson blows like mad on the track and one of the disc’s secret weapons — pianist Patti Bown — plays a wild solo.