1. An Opening Comment By Cannonball
2. Primitivo
3. Jessica’s Day
4. Marney
5. A Few Words…
6. Unit 7
7. Another Few Words…
8. The Jive Samba
9. Lillie
10. Mellow Bruno
11. Time To Go Now…Really
12. New Delhi
13. Peter And The Goats
14. Never Say Yes
Cannonball Adderley – Alto sax
Nat Adderley – Cornet
Yusef Lateef – Tenor sax, flute, oboe
Joe Zawinul – Piano
Sam Jones – Bass
Louis Hayes – Drums
In the foreword to Cary Ginell’s biography of Cannonball Adderley entitled Walk Tall: The Music And Life of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Quincy
Jones writes: “Excellence is not an act, it’s a habit and Cannonball Adderley made a habit of excellence”. The re-issue of Cannonball Adderley Sextet Jazz Workshop Revisited Complete Edition by American Jazz Classics is a perfect reminder of the truth in
Quincy Jones’ quotation.
Recorded over September 21, 22, 23, 1962 at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco, this iteration of the sextet was undoubtedly Cannonball’s most successful
and exciting due in no small measure to the added presence of multi-reed player Yusef Lateef. He (Lateef) would remain with the band for only one
additional year after which he decided to strike out on his own. Lateef died on December 23, 2013, leaving Louis Hayes as the only surviving member of this
remarkable band.
Cannonball loved making introductions, and so the album starts with pithy comments by him on his own composition Primitivo which opens with Lateef
on bamboo flute accompanied by Sam Jones on cello, then Cannonball on alto supported by some high-register shrieks by Nat Adderley on trumpet. All the
while, Louis Hayes drums punctuate the piece with exotic rhythms. Throughout the tune there are intriguing solos from Lateef on oboe and Joe Zawinul on
piano.
Donald Byrd’s Marney has an Oliver Nelson Stolen Moments feel, again with a strong solo from Lateef on tenor this time, and Zawinul
ripping off an especially energetic solo. Unit 7 by bassist Sam Jones had been used by the band as a theme for some time and was one of the most
recognizable compositions that had been covered by many other jazz groups. Given the band’s familiarity with the tune, it swings beautifully with everyone
offering strong solos and tight ensemble work. The band had a nation-wide hit on its hands with Nat Adderley’s The Jive Samba which is neither a
samba nor a bossa nova, but a funky low-down Latin vibe. While everyone takes a solo spot, Lateef has a particularly wicked turn on flute about half way
through the reading.
The original album ended with Lateef’s Ellington-inspired Mellow Bruno but this edition has three additional tracks that were originally recorded
on September 21 but never released until now. The first is a Victor Feldman composition New Delhi which features a long flute solo from Lateef as
well as cornetist Nat Adderley using a Harmon mute to spin out his ideas. The final two tracks are Lateef’s Peter And The Goats and Nat Adderley’s Never Say Yes and it is this latter tune that is the more interesting. It starts with Nat Adderley again using a Harmon mute to state the theme,
which is then picked up by brother Cannonball on alto for an impressive turn where he never seems to run out of fresh ideas. Pianist Joe Zawinul, who
stayed with Cannonball for over nine years and wrote Mercy, Mercy Mercy during that period, takes over for a long interlude and shows why he was
such an important cog in the band.
This live session captures this particular version of the sextet at its best
and with the three added tracks makes it an indispensable part of
any Cannonball Adderley collection.
Pierre Giroux
CD Reviews
American Jazz Classics 99077
