Press
PRAISE FOR DISSOLVE:
"...modern jazz at its highest level....Sweeping panoramas full of dark hues combine with a sense of agitation and aggression while maintaining a kaleidoscopic sweep of orchestral colors, sometimes dense, sometimes translucent."
- All About Jazz - Dan McClenaghan
"... Nelson offers up three lengthy tracks, all bursting with energy, ideas and dynamism. Big band sonics taken to the 23rd century: splendid stuff."
- Jazzwise (UK) - Kevin Whitlock
"Their debut extends toward a higher plane of compositional achievement, elevating jazz to the lofty realm of modern classical music.
... the title track [is] a kaleidoscope of contrapuntal themes that weave in and out of the brass and woodwind sections, shifting in and out of time and spatial sensibilities in a mysterious narrative, its peaking followed by a scattering into the ether.”
- DownBeat - Gary Fukushima
"Moving inside and outside of convention, he pulled off being lyrical and bold. Nelson's followers can count on being surprised at how nimbly he can satisfy their appetites: he takes new directions while also satisfying their affection for thoughtfully conceived music that bridges jazz, classical, and other forms."
- The Arts Fuse (Boston) - Steve Feeney
Praise for Deep River:
"... a masterful suite by composer/guitarist Richard Nelson that merges jazz and American folk music." Boston Globe
- Boston Globe
"... an atmospheric large jazz group setting worthy of Gil Evans."
- Cadence
Praise for Pursuit:
“This bold and striking new big band recording reflects a giant, generous world of influences. Guitarist Richard Nelson has written a suite of music that would seem at home on a jazz stage or in a contemporary concert- music venue. . . The writing is complex but emotionally engaging, dense yet clean and resonant. . . .The colors of the orchestra are spellbinding, evocative and powerful.”
- New York City Jazz Record
“A student of avant-garde composers Donald Erb and Mario Davidovsky, and a core member of Mark Harvey's Boston- based Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, Nelson takes a few cues from these experiences, and adds more than a few of his own, to come up with a distinctive synthesis of modern jazz, and contemporary orchestral music. . . Nelson is an ambitious and daring composer . . . Props go to Nelson for letting the members of his ensemble have most of the solo space, though his guitar solo on "Strive" leaves a hunger to hear more. ”
— AllAboutJazz.com
“Nelson's new CD "Pursuit," released this week, is a bold and highly satisfying musical statement by his Large Ensemble (13 musicians). Recorded live at the University of Maine at Augusta, where Nelson teaches, the work includes five movements that range in content from thoughtful solos through chamberlike passages for duos and trios to full-out collective improvisations. Add touches of big band swagger, as Nelson does, and you've got a lot to paddle through - but it's a very fun trip. ”
— Portland Press Herald
Praise for Origin Story:
“Thirst for experimentation . . . pushing of known boundaries . . . appreciation for the time-tested sounds of the tradition. Not your typical guitar date.”
— Cadence
“Nelson merges Euro-jazz type improvisation with the upfront tenacity of a multi-directional New York City downtown-like vibe. ”
— EJazzNews
Praise for Figurations:
“Serious . . . intense . . . imaginative . . . profound”
— Dave Nathan in All Music Guide
“Nelson's tone is ripe with clarity . . . his guitar rings out with his original concepts.”
— Frank Rubolino, Cadence Magazine