This unusual and richly inventive album should do much to
emphasize the important fact that NAT ADDERLEY is swiftly and
steadily rising towards a position in the very front ranks of
today's jazz artists.
This rise can largely be credited to such basic
factors as a sharp and continuing maturing of Nat's talents, to
an ever-increasing fulfillment of the young star's vast promise,
and to a heightened awareness by the jazz public of just how much
Nat has to offer. The younger Adderley brother's playing contains
a most uncommon degree of wit, warmth, imagination and power; and
he has also a thorough command of his instrument-which, by
choice, has always been the slightly sharper- pitched cornet
rather than the trumpet - over an awesomely wide range.
It is worth noting in particular that Nat's
stature grew with startling speed during the year preceding the
recording of this album. For this was the first year (starting in
the Fall of 1959) of the new and phenomenally successful
Cannonball Adderly Quintet, in which Nat is featured alongside
his brother; thus it was a year in which, night after night, Nat
was able to play the kind of music he most enjoys and in the best
of company. In other words, a happy year for Nat : and his work
(on this album and elsewhere) strikingly demonstrates the
excellent results of that happiness.
There is, however, more to Nat Adderley than
just what he can do with his horn - although that would surely be
more than enough to satisfy most men. Two other vital elements
are in evidence here, and both help greatly in making this
particular recording one to be unusually proud of:
One is his remarkable musical inventiveness and
what must be called 'creative curiosity'. The leaders on most of
today's record dates (and yesterday's and tomorrow 5 dates, too,
for that matter) tend either to stick to a routine formula or to
reach out for gimmicks that all too often are 'different' merely
for the sake of being different. You can't criticize this too
harshly: it is not at all easy to come up with legitimately
different musical ideas. But Nat Adderley appears to have a
decided gift for self-justifying departures from the routine. His
1959 "Much Brass" album featured a cornet-trombone-tuba
front line; the "Work -Song" LP, recorded early in '60,
made striking use of guitar (Wes Montgomery) and cello (Sam
Jones) in combination with Nat's horn. Now he has turned into
reality another of his off-trail ideas- using the big, full sound
of a group of saxophones, blended with his cornet in the
ensembles and - establishing a reed-choir background for the
brass solos. Talented arrangers - for the most part tenorman
Jimmy Heath, one of the most exciting new writers to arrive on
the scene in a long time - have carried out Nat's ideas in
brilliant and unique fashion.
The second vital element referred to above is
best indicated by the personnel listing for this album. It is one
thing to have intriguing ideas; it is something else to succeed
in having them performed with proper skill and enthusiasm. And
this has more than a little to do with who the man with
the ideas is. Nat Adderley, to put it plainly, is respected and
enjoyed as a musician, and is admired and loved as a human being,
by some of the finest players around. This can be a very
concretely helpful state of affairs. For his hand-picked crew of
associates here is not only a formidable array of jazz names-; it
is also a roster to whom this was not just another job. The album
was important to Nat; Nat is important to them; therefore all
concerned gave their very considerable best.
The rhythm section flows and drives flawlessly
and unflaggingly, with the tight-knit Wynton Kelly-Sam
Jones-Jimmy Cobb team augmented by Jim Hall on the first date and
Les Spann on the second. The remarkable group of saxes is led by
Cannonball (who by mutual consent functions primarily in the key
role of section- leader on his brother's album, soloing only on You
Leave Me Breathless) and anchored by the rich baritone sax of
Tate Houston. All three distinctive tenor stars who form the core
of the sax section also get individual opportunities to speak out
(although the main solo spot light is of course on Nat, who makes
the most of it) - For purposes of identification, the solo
sequences run like this - On The Old Country (Nat's tune,
based on an Israeli folk melody) Yusef Lateef - who plays flute
lead in the ensembles - takes the tenor solo, followed by Nat and
Wynton. On Jimmy Heath's Chordnation, there's a guitar
solo by Jim Hall; then, after Nat and Wyntony blow, the tenor
solo is by Charlie Rouse. Folks Who Live on the Hill is
divided between Yusef's flute and Nat.Tadd features Nat,
Heath, and a Les Spann guitar solo.
The solo space on Breathless is turned over to the
Adderleys. On the Joe Bailey original ballad, Night Alter
Night, it's Nat plus Lateef's remarkable oboe sound. E.S.P.
(for Extra-Sensory Perception, of course) has choruses by
Kelly, Nat and Rouse. Finally, That's Right! provides
stretching room for the reeds: blues choruses by Nat (with the
saxes building up a storm behind him) frame solos by
Rouse, Heath, Lateef, and then Houston.
Produced and notes written by ORRIN
KEEPNEWS.
Cover designed by KEN DEARDOFF. Back-liner
photo by LAW RENCE N. SHUSTAL Recording engiueer: RAY FOWLER.
Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios. Mastered by
JACK MAT THEWS (Components Corp.) on a HYDROFEED ® lathe.
The present recording is also available
in Stereophonic Form on RLP 9330
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