*Cannonball Adderley Corner*

[jazzbo]

I've just become a stone cold Adderley nut. All the Capitol stuff I've heard I really like. Yes, sometimes you have to sort of wait til Cannon comes in but when he does. . . BAM. . . there you are on the floor.

Cannon just was so deep into the music. . . . Like Jim says he was thoroughly rooted in the people, and he was constantly growing musically. I'm just floored by some of the solos he put down in his final years, from "Mercy Mercy Mercy" on he just put in elements that blended deceptively with the soulful swinging ones that bowl me over.

I wish that Domination, Love Themes, Africa. . .well I wish all the Capitols would be reissued individually. PLEASE! I've never heard a few like Experience in E and really want to!

Edited September 16, 2004 by jazzbo

[Shrdlu]

Sounds like I'm not alone in liking "Domination". Real nice sounds. I got it at the same time as "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs", which was also severely panned at the time (amazing, isn't it!).

I'm kinda played out on the Mercy song. The leader of a quintet that I used to play in used to call it a lot. It's a bit tedious for me.

[JSngry]

I'm kinda played out on the Mercy song. The leader of a quintet that I used to play in used to call it a lot. It's a bit tedious for me.

No doubt. I can relate.

But the REST of the album KICKS!

[sidewinder]

There's some great Cannonball on two 'Jazz 625' programs recorded for the BBC and released on video some years ago. I've got one of them. The band has the lineup with Nat, Charles Lloyd and Joe Zawinul. Recorded around 1964 - that show absolutely kicks ass !

Hope this one comes out on DVD at some time, together with the rest of the 'Jazz 625' catalogue.

[sidewinder]

Just pulled the videos off the rack, I'd totally forgotten that I had both of them.. :rsmile:

Recorded for BBC 12 May 1964. Introduced by Humphrey Lyttleton:

Cannonball, Nat, Charles LLoyd, Joe Z, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes.

Episode 1:

'Work Song'

'Song My Lady Sings'

'Poor Butterfly'

'Jive Samba'

'Unit Seven'

Episode 2:

'The Weaver'

'Bohemia After Dark'

'Come Sunday'

'Sweet Georgia Bright'

'Unit Seven'

Edited September 16, 2004 by sidewinder

[Shrdlu]

What a songlist! That must be a great show.

That "Jive Samba" is a real groove. I'm glad that the original was reissued (on "Jazz Workshop Revisited", in case you haven't seen it around).

[sidewinder]

Having stumbled across Vol 2 (which I didn't even realise I had ) I'm going to give these two a spin right now on the video player. Both Cannonball and Nat play just great on Vol 1, Lloyd is no slouch and the crack rythmn section is as tight as a duck' s (pardon my expression) rear orifice..

B-)

[Shrdlu]

Maybe, as it is Capitol/McMaster stuff, Mosaic could put out a set of what Michael considers their jazzier output. Access to these recordings would obviously not be a problem.

There was something in the notes to the 3 CD "Silent Way" set about Cannonball's group having recorded some of the lesser-known selections in that set. Live, maybe? It would be great if tapes of that could be found.

[jazzbo]

I have a nagging feeling that the Cannonball Plays Zawinul disc is meant to include the "jazzier" stuff on Capitol that is left that they plan on releasing, and plans for the rest aren't a priority. . . I HOPE I'M WRONG.

[king ubu]

Damn! I still have to get that Ray Brown and Milt Jackson cd!

Lon, I'm not yet really sure about that 2CD set - I listened through it a few times, always with quite some time having passed in between, and it hasn't really really grown to me (yet?). The big band with Cannon though, has a few very nice things, for sure. It's more the other dates I'm insecure about.

Then, let me again, this time with covers, add a big for thsi 2CD set:

This one is awesome at least! It features the first Adderley quintet, with Nat, and Junior Mance.

This very fine recent Fantasy release features the Newport '57 set by the same band, as well as Cannon & Nat sitting in on a lenghty jam tune with the Shearing group:

Then, there are the even earlier "Summer of '55" recordings, with Nat as well:

This set features the brothers on a Kenny Clarke album, on Cannon's first album, as well as Nat's first one, with Jerome Richardson on sax, and no Cannonball.

Once again Keepnews freeked this one up, and you'll also need this Savoy/Denon release, "Discoveries", in order to have it all:

The last of the very good early quintet discs:

This one has been reissued in Verve's VME series, and it's awesome! It features the brothers with Silver-Chambers-Haynes, and Haynes in particular is smoking!

ubu

[king ubu]

Before I forget: this one features some very very nice Cannonball as well, and it has a great version of "Sermonette" (without Adderley, though):

[JSngry]

I have a nagging feeling that the Cannonball Plays Zawinul disc is meant to include the "jazzier" stuff on Capitol that is left that they plan on releasing, and plans for the rest aren't a priority. . . I HOPE I'M WRONG.

You could well be right, Lon, but let's be optimistic and hope that they released that disc as a sort of tie-in to the Zawinul bio.

[Shawn]

The record that really turned me into a Cannonball freak was this one:

Easily one of my favorite live jazz albums. Gemini is an AMAZING track.

[Peter F]

I believe Cannonball's best recordings are on Riverside. It's hard to find anything less than damn good from that period. He also has some fine things on Savoy and EmArcy.

Cannonball's Capitol period and beyond produced much less consistent music. Some of his albums on Capitol I like, but others don't compare to his Riverside material.

I do recommend the recent re-issue on Capitol of Cannonball Live with Ernie Andrews. This is the best ernie Andrews I have heard and Cannonball wails.

Peter F

[cannonball-addict]

Then, there are the even earlier "Summer of '55" recordings, with Nat as well:

This set features the brothers on a Kenny Clarke album, on Cannon's first album, as well as Nat's first one, with Jerome Richardson on sax, and no Cannonball.

[cannonball-addict]

Another great one IMHO is "In the Land of Hi-Fi"

and "Them Dirty Blues"

[Free For All]

Have we mentioned Portrait of Cannonball yet? Philly Joe, Sam Jones, Bill Evans and Blue Mitchell. Nice band!

Includes a nice version of People Will Say We're In Love. One of several good tunes to come from the show Finian's Rainbow (others: Old Devil Moon and How Are Things In Glocca Morra? )

[Shrdlu]

I believe Cannonball's best recordings are on Riverside. It's hard to find anything less than damn good from that period. He also has some fine things on Savoy and EmArcy.

Cannonball's Capitol period and beyond produced much less consistent music. Some of his albums on Capitol I like, but others don't compare to his Riverside material.

I agree about the Riversides. For all the ranting against Orrin Keepnews, that was a great label and produced many a classic album, including the best work by Monk, Cannonball and Wes Montgomery, and a lot of Bill Evans's best work, if not the best.

[Christiern]

Shrdlu:"I agree about the Riversides. For all the ranting against Orrin Keepnews, that was a great label and produced many a classic album, including the best work by Monk, Cannonball and Wes Montgomery, and a lot of Bill Evans's best work, if not the best."

• If you had been in the studio (as I was on several occasions) and seen how Orrin worked, I think you would give credit to the artists rather than the time-keeper. Also, the decision to sign many of these artists should be credited to Bill Grauer, the force behind Riverside--he does not get anything close to the credit he deserved--and I think we can largely fault Orrin for that.
  
  Calling critique of Orrin "rants" is a biased remark based on nothing more than assumption.
  
  Thou shalt not assume?
  

Edited September 17, 2004 by Christiern

[Big Al]

SOMETHIN' ELSE!!! Even if that were his ONLY masterpiece, it would still be enough to put him in that elevated pantheon of greatness!

[Shrdlu]

Shrdlu:"I agree about the Riversides. For all the ranting against Orrin Keepnews, that was a great label and produced many a classic album, including the best work by Monk, Cannonball and Wes Montgomery, and a lot of Bill Evans's best work, if not the best."

• If you had been in the studio (as I was on several occasions) and seen how Orrin worked, I think you would give credit to the artists rather than the time-keeper. Also, the decision to sign many of these artists should be credited to Bill Grauer, the force behind Riverside--he does not get anything close to the credit he deserved--and I think we can largely fault Orrin for that.
  
  Calling critique of Orrin "rants" is a biased remark based on nothing more than assumption.
  
  Thou shalt not assume?
  

I bow to your on-the-spot experience, Chris, but I think your remarks, and those of others, about Orrin and Leonard Feather have been clearly stated by now. All we have now is our personal memories of liner notes and albums, and I am quite happy with what is available to me. And, Orrin does not get to present his case, and, of course, Leonard is no longer with us.

After reading such things as Orrin's recollections about the Monk sessions, I just cannot accept that the guy was a total loser. This is not to belittle the role of Bill Grauer Jr. I am not keen on Orrin's prose style, which is a little turgid and could do with a bit of re-phrasing here and there.

I think the word "rant" was appropriate, in view of several posts by people on the old BN board about these gentlemen.

Anyway, let's move on.

Best wishes.

[Jim Alfredson]

Has there been any Cannonball box sets?