The Cannonball Adderley Quintet ‎– Complete Recordings (2 CD)

In the sleeve note, Adderley describes his music as “a lot of funk, a lot of gospel-sounding stuff and cute things based on Bird and Dizzy, Bird and Miles, that feeling”. And that gets to the heart of the matter. The Adderley Brothers were one of the great modern jazz front lines, drenching their solos with the blues and putting their stamp on a repertoire of up-tempo standards, ballads and modernist originals.

This compilation collects the three albums Cannonball recorded with his brother for the Mercury label early in his career. All three find the siblings in top form with a classy rhythm section. Pianist Junior Mance gets to the essence of soul jazz piano, while Sam Jones and Jimmy Cobb deliver a rhythm section masterclass. The first two, Sophisticated Swing and Cannonball Adderley En Route were recorded before the alto saxophonist joined Miles Davis, the third, Cannonball’s Sharpshooters, was recorded about the same time as Miles Davis’ classic recording Milestones – Monk’s ‘Straight No Chaser’ is common to both albums. Adderley is if anything even more ebullient here than he was with the Davis band, while brother Nat’s brash and brittle cornet is the perfect foil. The compilation is completed by a three-track TV broadcast and a five-tune set from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, which, as well as being a nice bonus, confirm the Adderley Band was as tight and joyful live as it was in the studio. Recommended.

Label: Lone Hill Jazz ‎– LHJ10279

Country: Spain

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)
Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)