Three from Cannonball Adderley (1969-71)

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY
'THE BLACK MESSIAH" (1971)

Originally posted by Bacoso at "Orgy in Rhythm", May 2006.
Re-post by permission. Text by Bacoso.

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I guess this must be the post I have had the most requests to re-up since I first posted it in May 2006. I finally got it together to rip it again this time @320 from my original vinyl.

Still immersed in the burgeoning electronic jazz-rock explosion of the times, Cannonball Adderley goes further toward a rapprochement with the rock and soul audiences than ever before on this fascinating, overlooked double album. For starters, he recorded it live at West Hollywood's Troubadour club, then known as a showcase for folk and rock acts. He also imported additional players into his quintet, expanding into exotic percussion effects with Airto Moreira (whom Miles Davis had previously featured), hard rock guitar with session man Mike Deasy, fiery tenor sax from the young Ernie Watts, and occasional seasoning from conguero Buck Clarke and clarinetist Alvin Batiste.

"Now I don't give a damn whether you can count or not, we still are the Cannonball Adderley Quintet!," quoth the leader, who is in loose, loquacious form throughout the set (the jazz world badly misses his witty verbal intros). With Joe Zawinul now flying off to Weather Report, his replacement is an even more electronically minded pianist, George Duke, who levitates into the outer limits with his Echoplex and ring modulator and proves to be a solid comper. But Zawinul is not forgotten, for the band pursues a long, probing, atmospheric excursion on his tune, "Dr. Honouris Causa". Adderley generously gives Deasy two contrasting feature numbers -- "Little Benny Hen", a raucous, amateurishly sung blues/rock piece, and "Zanek", a great countrified tune with an avant-garde freakout at the climax -- and all of the other guests save Clarke get single solo features.

Brother Nat Adderley gamely visits the outside on cornet while Cannonball doubles with increasing adventurousness on soprano and alto and bassist Walter Booker and drummer Roy McCurdy deftly handle all of the changes of style. Cannonball adeptly keeps pace with Miles Davis, his former boss - the driving "The Chocolate Nuisance" could easily be a first cousin of "Pharoah's Dance" on "Bitches Brew" - while not abandoning his funky soul-jazz base nor the special audience-friendly ambience of his concerts.

Unlike Adderley's other two-for-one-priced double albums of the '70s, this one was inexplicably sold at full price, which probably limited its sales and might partly explain why it remains surprisingly hard to find in used LP bins. Surprisingly enough this has never made a cd issue. No reissues in any format. Recorded Live at The Troubadour.

MUSICIANS

Cannonball Adderley (Alto & Soprano saxophone)
Nat Adderley (Cornet)
Roy Mac Curdy (Drums)
Walter Booker (bass)
George Duke (Piano, electric piano)
Airto Moreira (percussion)
David Axelrod (Production)

'THE CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET & ORCHESTRA' (1970)

Originally posted by Bacoso at "Orgy in Rhythm", May 2006.
Re-post by permission. Text by Bacoso and Motown67.

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No reissues - ripped from the original vinyl @320.Side 1 has the intro edited by 20 seconds due to a bad scratch, so
Reader lc has kindly upped 'Experience in E' without my edited intro - nice work chap !!!

This one's for Kristof. Motown67 on the case at Soulstrut.com :

Cannonball Adderley Quintet & Orchestra features three songs, each penned by different authors. Joe Zawinul wrote 'Experience In E', 'Tensity' is by David Axelrod and Lalo Schifrin was responsible for 'Dialogues For Jazz Quintet and Orchestra'.

'Experience In E' and 'Dialogues For Jazz Quintet' gravitate back and forth between Free Jazz and heavily orchestrated Bop. There’s a nice middle part in the former, and a short bass and drum part in the latter that could be looped. 'Tensity' is the best of the three as it has a strong backbeat to a Soul-Jazz melody. It’s been sampled several times as well.

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET AND ORCHESTRA:

Nat Adderley - cornet
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley - alto sax
Joe Zawinul - electric piano
Walter Booker - bass
Roy McCurdy - drums
Orchestra arranged & conducted by Bill Fischer: 
Trumpet - Freddie Hill, Paul Hubinon
Trombone - Dick Leith, Dick Hyde
French Horn - David Duke, Art Maebe
Saxaphones - Gene Cipriano, Jackie Kelso
Flute, clarinet, piccolo - Bill Green
Flute, piccolo - Jim Horn
Oboe - Ernie Watts, Jerry Kasper
Bassoon - Don Christlieb
Arco Bass - Ray Brown
Mallets - Gary Coleman
Percussion - John Arnold
Violins - James Getzoff, Bill Hymanson, Ralph Schaefer, Bill Henderson, Assa Drori, Stanley Plummer, Gerald Vinci, Henry Roth, Israel Baker, Marvin Limonick, Paul Shure, Lou Raderman.
Violas - Joe Reilich, Milton Thomas, Allan Harshman, Myron Sandler, Sam Boghossian, Gary Nuttycombe
Cellos - Edgar Lustgarden, Raphael Kramer, Armand Kaproff, Jeffrey Solow
Bass - Morty Corb, Bob West, Al McKibbon, Max Bennett

Session #18574 - Capitol Tower - LA, May 20, 1970
74567 'Experience in E' Cap.ST-484
74568: no information (poss. not used).

Nat Adderley (c) , Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (as), Joe Zawinul (p), Walter Booker (b), Roy McCurdy (dm) with Orchestra arr. & cond. by Bill Fischer (similar to previous session).
Arr. by Lalo Schifrin-1.
Session #18575 - Capitol Tower - LA, May 21, 1970

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET
'COUNTRY PREACHER" (1969)

Originally posted by Bacoso at "Orgy in Rhythm", December 2006. Re-post by permission. Text by Bacoso.

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David Axelrod at the controls again- although he does not get credited on the cover he shared the production duties on this with the Adderley brothers. This one's for Kristof.

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's 1969 album COUNTRY PREACHER is not only one of his best works but one of the pinnacles of the entire soul-jazz movement. Though Yusef Lateef, Herbie Mann, Jimmy Smith, and others made outstanding records in this under-appreciated sub-genre, COUNTRY PREACHER is the album that delivers all of the strengths of soul jazz with few of its weaknesses.

A stellar combo, featuring Adderley's cornetist brother Nat, standout electric pianist Joe Zawinul, and the killer rhythm section of bassist Walter Booker and drummer Roy McCurdy, gives Adderley's alto and, unusually for him, soprano sax just the sort of groove-oriented, percussive setting his hard-edged and intense sound needs. The gospel-based titled track is wonderful, but "Afro-Spanish Omelette", a medley of Caribbean-style workouts, is one of the highlights of Adderley's entire career.

TRACKLIST

01. Walk Tall (Queen Esther Marrow/Jim Rein/Joe Zawinul) 5:12
02. Country Preacher (Joe Zawinul) 4:28
03. Hummin' (Nat Adderley) 6:35
04. Oh Babe (Nat Adderley/Julian Adderley) 4:50
05. Afro-Spanish Omlet (Nat Adderley/W. Booker/Joe Zawinul/Julian Adderley) 15:40
06. The Scene (Joe Zawinul/Nat Adderley) 2:03

MUSICIANS

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley - saxaphones
Nat Adderley - cornet
Joe Zawinul - electric piano
Walter Booker - bass
Roy McCurdy - drums

more 70s albums from CANNONBALL ADDERLEY in the blogosphere :

"the price you got to pay to be free"(1970) at Ile Oxumare
"the happy people" (1972) at Ile Oxumare
(GREAT tracks on "Happy people" featuring Airto and Flora Purim)
"Soul Zodiac" (1972) thanks Gildas

"Live at Jazz Jamboree (Poland)" (1972) at Pan Mietek

"Love, Sex and the Zodiac" (1974) at My Jazz World
"Big Man" (1975) at Axography
"Phenix" (1975) - at Oufar Khan
"Music, You all" (1976) at My Jazz World
"Soul of the Bible" (1976) at My Jazz World
"Lovers" (1976) at My Jazz World

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