CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET - The Complete Recordings
Phoenix Records 131614
JULIAN “CANNONBALL” ADDERLEY, alto sax; NAT ADDERLEY, cornet; JUNIOR MANCE, piano; SAM JONES, bass JIMMY COBB, drums
STUDIO SESSIONS:
Disc One & Disc Two [1-6]:
Includes the complete LPs Sophisticated Swing (Mercury MG-36110)
Cannonball Enroute (Mercury MG-20616)
Cannonball’s Sharpshooters (Mercury SR-80018).
New York, February 1957 & March 1958.
LIVE SESSIONS:
Disc Two [7-14]: KNBC-TV Show “Stars of Jazz”.
Burbank, California, December 17, 1956 (tracks 7-9)
& Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island, July 5, 1957 (tracks 10-14)
The two CDs are the complete performances by the Julian “Cannonball” Adderley Quintet featuring Nat Adderley, Junior Mance, Sam Jones and Jimmy Cobb. The albums ‘Sophisticated Swing’, ‘Cannonball Enroute’ and ‘Cannonball’s Sharpshooters’ are included.. In addition, there is a 1956 TV show soundtrack plus a 1957 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival.
The first track of the first disk is ‘Spectacular’ and it is: fast, controlled with spirited solos from the two brothers Nat and Julian. Just like an Adderley concert, the music starts as it means to go on.
‘Miss Jackie’ is obviously delighted with Sam Jones. Who wouldn’t be? Jones’ walking bass at the start of the track underpins the passionate solos from Cannonball and Junior Mance. Nat Adderley is more contemplative than his brother. He makes the cornet sound like a trumpet. His solos eschew the flashy but he can carefully build solos with the right light and shade.
There are few more energising sounds in jazz than Cannonball in full flight. That unique alto sound is so penetrating and yet so melodic.
Jimmy Cobb’s playing will live forever because he played on ‘Kind of Blue’. He is a conventional drummer and here he provides subtlety and and assured backgrounds for the two brothers.
‘Eighteenth Century Ballroom’ is such a good demure tune that serves as a contrast when Cannonball finally vacates the tune to tear into a blistering variation. ‘Spring is Here’ brings out the ballad side of Cannonball. He always sounds tender and in its way the interpretation is moving.
One thing that jars on the albums is the triteness of some of the arrangements. In the main, they are just jumping off points for the improvisations. Nat and Cannonball always sound as they can’t wait to improvise, to be let off the leash. On this album they are off the leash frequently and to great effect, Nevertheless, as we heard on his album with Gil Evans, good arrangements can give him a stimulus to even greate music.
Glib and formulaic are some of the epithets that were aimed at Cannonball during his career. They are unfair. His sound is as unique as Hodges or Dolphy or Getz. He strives to communicate at all times, His popularity was great in the sixties because he did love to reach out and play for people.
This is a very generous compilation with both discs packed to the maximum length: a completely enjoyable couple of CDs with the two Adderley's caught at their peak.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Phoenix Records 131614
JULIAN “CANNONBALL” ADDERLEY, alto sax; NAT ADDERLEY, cornet; JUNIOR MANCE, piano; SAM JONES, bass JIMMY COBB, drums
STUDIO SESSIONS:
Disc One & Disc Two [1-6]:
Includes the complete LPs Sophisticated Swing (Mercury MG-36110)
Cannonball Enroute (Mercury MG-20616)
Cannonball’s Sharpshooters (Mercury SR-80018).
New York, February 1957 & March 1958.
LIVE SESSIONS:
Disc Two [7-14]: KNBC-TV Show “Stars of Jazz”.
Burbank, California, December 17, 1956 (tracks 7-9)
& Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island, July 5, 1957 (tracks 10-14)
The two CDs are the complete performances by the Julian “Cannonball” Adderley Quintet featuring Nat Adderley, Junior Mance, Sam Jones and Jimmy Cobb. The albums ‘Sophisticated Swing’, ‘Cannonball Enroute’ and ‘Cannonball’s Sharpshooters’ are included.. In addition, there is a 1956 TV show soundtrack plus a 1957 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival.
The first track of the first disk is ‘Spectacular’ and it is: fast, controlled with spirited solos from the two brothers Nat and Julian. Just like an Adderley concert, the music starts as it means to go on.
‘Miss Jackie’ is obviously delighted with Sam Jones. Who wouldn’t be? Jones’ walking bass at the start of the track underpins the passionate solos from Cannonball and Junior Mance. Nat Adderley is more contemplative than his brother. He makes the cornet sound like a trumpet. His solos eschew the flashy but he can carefully build solos with the right light and shade.
There are few more energising sounds in jazz than Cannonball in full flight. That unique alto sound is so penetrating and yet so melodic.
Jimmy Cobb’s playing will live forever because he played on ‘Kind of Blue’. He is a conventional drummer and here he provides subtlety and and assured backgrounds for the two brothers.
‘Eighteenth Century Ballroom’ is such a good demure tune that serves as a contrast when Cannonball finally vacates the tune to tear into a blistering variation. ‘Spring is Here’ brings out the ballad side of Cannonball. He always sounds tender and in its way the interpretation is moving.
One thing that jars on the albums is the triteness of some of the arrangements. In the main, they are just jumping off points for the improvisations. Nat and Cannonball always sound as they can’t wait to improvise, to be let off the leash. On this album they are off the leash frequently and to great effect, Nevertheless, as we heard on his album with Gil Evans, good arrangements can give him a stimulus to even greate music.
Glib and formulaic are some of the epithets that were aimed at Cannonball during his career. They are unfair. His sound is as unique as Hodges or Dolphy or Getz. He strives to communicate at all times, His popularity was great in the sixties because he did love to reach out and play for people.
This is a very generous compilation with both discs packed to the maximum length: a completely enjoyable couple of CDs with the two Adderley's caught at their peak.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
