Oliver Nelson's aptly titled 1961 album The Blues and the Abstract Truth is such a perfectly-tuned iconic statement that it should have ‘touch with peril’ stamped all over its cover. The Abstract Truth Big Band pays its homage by expanding the score from septet to big band and adding new bits, including orchestrated solos from the original. And though there's a slight loss of crispness in the rhythm, they pass the test with room to spare. Jörg Achim Keller's arrangements keep the lean, supple edge of the original while delivering enough new insights to make the album stand on its own. The musicianship is exemplary, and with the Abbey Road studio capturing in full the nuanced riches of the brass, the band sound great. The album follows the same order as the original, making ‘Stolen Moments’ the first hurdle to cross. With solid solos and bittersweet mood neatly intact, we move on to the dazzling ensemble technique of ‘Hoe Down’ – two orchestrated solos plus a scored battle of the brass – and the sax trades of ‘Cascades’. Highlights are two scored Dolphy solos that capture the space, discordancy and swing of the original. The first introduces ‘Yearnin’, but on ‘Teenies Blues’ the edge-of seat ensemble work is spliced into trades with Dave O'Higgins and follows a stonking Mark Nightingale solo. The CD is rounded off by four pieces, which confirm Nelson's stature as one of jazz's greatest composers and arrangers.