Julian Cannonball Adderley CD

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley debuted into the jazz world with this album with help from Quincy Jones, who assembled the band, lent arrangements, and composed many of the selections. It's clear from the outset that Adderley's main influences were Benny Carter and Charlie Parker, and he was able to synthesize both icons into a sound that was seamless and tasteful. This little big band of all stars included brother Nat Adderley on cornet, and underwent slight personnel changes over three separate recording sessions in the late summer of 1955. Adderley could hardly go wrong working with heavyweights like J.J. Johnson, Cecil Payne, Jerome Richardson, Jimmy Cleveland, Paul Chambers, pianist John Williams, and either Max Roach or Kenny Clarke playing the drum kit. Of the pieces contributed by Jones, "Hurricane Connie" is the simplest but most impressive track with all five horns playing together in hard bop accord, "Fallen Feathers" reflects the Count Basie/Kansas City approach to modern jazz, while "Willow" is the lightest song in a modal calypso, showing the most arranged construct. Jones and Adderley collaborated writing "Cannonball," but it's mostly a solo for the alto saxophonist over the well-swung nonet, and "Everglade" is an effortless, glossy, ting-ting Latin chart as Adderley expresses his voice in a slightly vocal vibrato. Of the standards, there's a cover of the swing standard "Rose Room" where Adderley's alto meshes more with the other horn players, "The Song Is You" has the leader stepping forward asserting his song style voicings, and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" has a unique chamber style arrangement. Cannonball's first set the bar high for what he would produce through a long and fruitful career as a jazz master.

Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York, New York in July & August 1955. Originally released on EmArcy.

Personnel: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Jerome Richardson (tenor saxophone); Cecil Payne (baritone saxophone); Nat Adderley (trumpet); J. Alan Johnson , Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); John Williams (piano); Kenny Clarke, Max Roach (drums).

Liner Note Author: Leonard Feather.

Recording information: Capitol Studios, New York, NY (07/21/1955-08/05/1955).

Personnel: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Quincy Jones (arranger); Jerome Richardson (tenor saxophone, flute); Cecil Payne (baritone saxophone); Nat Adderley (cornet); Jimmy Cleveland, J.J. Johnson (trombone); John Williams (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Kenny Clarke, Max Roach (drums).