Oliver Nelson's debut as a leader found him already a distinctive and skilled tenor saxophonist by the age of 27. For this quintet set,
Nelson teams up with the veteran trumpeter
Kenny Dorham, pianist
Ray Bryant, bassist
Wendell Marshall, and drummer
Art Taylor for four of his originals, plus the ballads "Passion Flower" and "What's New." Although none of these
Nelson tunes caught on, this was an impressive beginning to a short but productive career and gives one a strong example of the multi-talented
Nelson's tenor playing.