Label: EmArcy / Verve
Audio CD (February 6, 2001)
Jazz
Altoist Cannonball and cornetist Nat Adderley arrived in New York from Florida without fanfare in 1955, but they rapidly established their credentials, sitting in with bassist Oscar Pettiford's group at Café Bohemia. Within days they were recording as leaders for Savoy, and a few months later they were both appearing on Norman Granz's family of labels. Originally issued on Mercury's Wing subsidiary, this session from November 1955 has been one of the rarest of modern jazz recordings, never previously reissued in either LP or CD format. It's a delight, from the flag-waving "Watermelon" on, an early essay in the emerging hard-bop idiom that's rich in swing, blues inflections, and the Adderleys' gift for lyricism. Nat's style was already a distinctive mix of Gillespie and Miles Davis, while Cannonball tempered the influence of Charlie Parker with the sweeter, earlier sound of Benny Carter. They get tremendous support from an all-star rhythm section of Horace Silver, Paul Chambers, and Roy Haynes, and the compositions, co-credited to the brothers and executed with fraternal familiarity, are already distinctive, including the playful "Little Joanie Walks" and the contrapuntal "Two Brothers." "I Should Care," the only standard, is a fine feature for Nat's burnished cornet sound, while Cannonball's liquid alto stands out on "New Arrivals."
By Stuart Broomer. AMG.
**
Ironically, I found the standard I SHOULD CARE, featuring Mr Nat Adderley's cornet, the most affecting music on this disc. The other nine were originals by brothers Mr Julian and Nat Adderley.
To my ear, this was a walk through for these outstanding musicians, some of them, like Mr Haynes and Mr Silver, and Mr Chambers, among the greatest in modern jazz. But if you like the standard bebop unit of trumpet, sax and rhythm, go for it. Nifty packaging and high quality remastering.
By Ian Muldoon.
**
The debut recording session of the Adderley brothers, saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and trumpeter Nat. Given the shining star of recognition that Cannonball achieved in his short life, it's amazing that the brothers' first date would be with Nat as leader. And the band on this record is, well, stellar, even for that time in 1955: Paul Chambers on bass, Horace Silver on piano, and Roy Haynes on drums. Issued in the Desert Island Discs series by Verve, this is truly one of them. It's a hard, post-bop date that features a quintet of excellent players having a good old time in the studio. All tunes are by the Adderley brothers, who, at this time, were free to exploit their own identities (Cannonball had yet to be saddled with his "new Bird" status, since Charlie Parker had been dead less than six months). They were undiscovered and under-heard, playing only a smattering of dates in New York clubs after their exodus from Florida. Many of the tunes here, "Watermelon," "Little Joanie Walks," "Two Brothers," "Crazy Baby," and "Blues for Bohemia," would be in both men's sets for decades to come. And whether ballad or bebop, the rhythm section kept the front line in check. The exuberance is allowed by the trio of Silver, Chambers, and Haynes, rather than dictated by the Adderleys. It's gorgeous to hear all the Benny Carter in Cannonball's playing, and the Roy Eldridge in Nat's. Going track for track or looking for standouts here would be fruitless. This is a day in 1955, top to bottom, when some of the finest musicians in the world didn't know it yet. They got together for a good time and a blowing session that became a legendary moment in the history of jazz. Enough said.
By Thom Jurek, All Music Guide.
**
Nat Adderley- Trumpet
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley- Alto sax
Horace Silver- Piano
Roy Haynes- Drums
Paul Chambers- Bass
**
01. Watermelon (2:44)
02. Little Joanie Walks (4:01)
03. Two Brothers (3:29)
04. I Should Care (4:25)
05. Crazy Baby (5:59)
06. New Arrivals (6:38)
07. Sun Dance (3:48)
08. Fort Lauderdale (3:18)
09. Friday Nite (3:11)
10. Blues For Bohemia (5:21)
**
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