Cannonball Adderley Sextet
In New York
Riverside Records

During his tragically short career, Cannonball Adderley put together a myriad of bands: for my money, this is his best group ever. Adderley had a choice discovery in Joe Zawinul, who not only brought a wider harmonic breath to the band with his piano playing, but gave an extra boost by being a superb composer, as is exemplified by his hard driving contribution on this disc ("Scotch and Water"). Putting the band over the threshold was Yusef Lateef; not only bringing a series of new songs himself, but turning the band into a full-bodied ensemble with his golden flute and adventurous and meat tenor. The fact that three of the sidemen went on to lead their own glorious bands should give some indication of the "veritas" that this band was capable of, and this night in 62 captures the band exquisitely.

This was not a band for the Kenny G fans of this world; it is for the white-knuckle roller coaster crowd. Adderley, with his air-tight rhythm section (Zawinul, Sam Jones/bass, Louis Hayes/drums) was hip and driving, fresh and accessible. On a song like "Gemini", they drive intensely, roaring like a heard of stampeding rhino's, while Nat's lyrical trumpet whirls over the flying dust. Like a runaway freight train on the back-beat driven "Lateef growls, howls and screeches as he weaves through "Planet Earth" before almost self combusting. Later on he comes across like a 40's big band swinger with his Black Angus beefy tenor on "Scotch and Water." Cannonball himself never sounded better, bright and shining throughout the disc, always astonishingly brilliant and facile, but catchy and melodic. What more could any artist aspire to? A "live" recording which was never more alive.


- George W. Harris