Cannonball Adderley Sextet – Live in ’63
Jazz Icons Series 3
Studio: Reelin’ in the Years Productions (Distr. by Naxos)
Video: 4:3 B&W
Audio: DD mono
All regions
Extras: illustrated booklet
Length: 99 minutes
Rating: ****
(Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, alto sax; Nat Adderley, cornet; Yusef Lateef, tenor sax, flute, oboe; Joe Zawinul, piano; Sam Jones, bass; Louis Hayes, drums)
Recorded at the end of a brief one week sojourn to Europe in March, 1963, the two concerts recorded for European TV in Baden-Baden, West Germany and Lugano, Switzerland, showcase Cannonball Adderley’s front line of brother, Nat, on cornet, and the multi-faceted, Yusef Lateef, blowing with Julian’s soulfully sweet alto sax.
After taking New York City by storm in 1955, Julian and Nat returned briefly to Florida, where Cannonball was a high school band director. However, the lure of the Big Apple coupled with recording offers from Emarcy Records was too hard to resist and the brothers were back in New York shortly. They recorded several albums before Julian joined Miles Davis’ dream band with John Coltrane and Bill Evans. The epochal Kind of Blue came from this blend of superstars in 1959. Cannonball then played with the big band of Gil Evans next, but when Riverside Records beckoned, Julian left to reform his own band. It was time to leave the genre of modal jazz and return to his distinctive blend of soul jazz for which he is most remembered.
The Lugano set is the drawing card for this Jazz Icons DVD as it features a full 71-minute concert recorded for Swiss television and radio. The band cooks with some of their classic staples: Jive Samba, Work Song, and Bohemia After Dark. Lateef is featured on flute on Angel Eyes, and the frenetic Bohemia After Dark showcases a monster drum solo by Louis Hayes, while Cannonball blows rapid bop lines, as does Nat on cornet.
Lateef’s burgeoning interest in Oriental tones is found in his oboe playing on the blues- based Trouble in Mind. Work Song has always been instantly recognizable as perhaps the Adderley’s most well known composition and the Swiss audience gets a healthy dose of the brothers Adderley’s down home soul.
The German TV broadcast of two days earlier is much more abbreviated as it was recorded for a half hour viewing on Jazz – Heard and Seen. Jessica’s Day and Jive Samba are done in shorter versions that the Swiss concert. Most interesting is Brother John, Lateef’s homage to John Coltrane. Yusef’s oboe brings to mind Trane’s soprano sax magic.
The audio on Live in ’63 has survived much better than the often grainy 1960s black and white video, but for historical significance this prime period Adderley band DVD can’t be beat. An added bonus is the appearance of pre-Weather Report Joe Zawinul, in full blues mode prior to his better-known fusion period.
TrackList:
Switzerland: Jessica’s Day, Angel Eyes, Jive Samba, Bohemia After Dark, Dizzy’s Business, Trouble in Mind, Work Song, Unit 7
Germany: Jessica’s Day, Brother John, Jive Samba
-Jeff Krow
