Black, Brown and Beautiful

Black, Brown and Beautiful
Studio album by Oliver Nelson
Released	1970
Recorded	October 1969 Los Angeles, CA
Genre	Jazz
Label	Flying Dutchman FDS 116
Producer	Bob Thiele
Oliver Nelson chronology
3-2-1-0 (1969) Black, Brown and Beautiful (1970) Zig Zag (1970)

Black, Brown and Beautiful is an album by American jazz composer/arranger Oliver Nelson featuring performances by a big band recorded in 1969 and first released on the Flying Dutchman label. Selections from the album were released on Nelson's 1976 compilation A Dream Deferred while the title was also used for the CD rerelease of Johnny Hodges album 3 Shades of Blue.

Reception

Douglas Payne called it "A stirring tribute to Martin Luther King that is as searching and angry as it is contemplative and compassionate. Nelson mixes dissonant orchestral moments that nearly lapse into free zones with lovely, more familiar territory which celebrate a joy of love and life. Highly recommended but (as of yet) unissued on CD and very hard to find." This album can, however, be bought now as a digital download from the usual places.

Track listing

All compositions by Oliver Nelson

1. "Aftermath" - 5:29
2. "Requiem" - 7:03
3. "Lamb of God" - 2:28
4. "Martin Was a Man, a Real Man" - 4:08
5. "Self-Help Is Needed" - 4:06
6. "I Hope in Time a Change Will Come" - 2:33
7. "3, 2, 1, 0" - 3:24
8. "Black, Brown and Beautiful" - 3:26
9. "Requiem, Afterthoughts" - 4:00

Personnel

• Oliver Nelson - piano, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, arranger, conductor
• Orchestra including the following soloists:
• Bobby Bryant - trumpet
• Frank Strozier - alto saxophone
• John Gross, John Klemmer - tenor saxophone
• Pearl Kaufman, Roger Kellaway - piano
• Chuck Domanico - bass
• John Guerin, Roy Haynes - drums
• Stanley Wilson - conductor (tracks 2, 5-7 & 9)