Record Reviews

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY ~ BURNIN` IN BORDEAUX: LIVE IN FRANCE 1969 ELEMENTAL MUSIC 5990448 (Barcode: 8435395504130) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1969 Released: 2024 This is an archival live album by American Jazz saxophonist Cannonball AdderleyFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quintet, which also includes his brother, trumpeter Nat AdderleyFind albums by this artist, Austrian pianist Joe ZawinulFind albums by this artist, bassist Victor GaskinFind albums by this artist and drummer Roy McCurdyFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album presents twelve tracks, a mixture of standards and original material, mostly composed by Zawinul. As usual with the Elemental MusicFind albums on this label releases, the album is accompanied by a booklet with interviews, photographs and essays with historical background about the music. The sound quality of the live recordings is certainly good enough to enjoy the music. The album offers a splendid occasion to hear Adderley with Zawinul, shortly before he left to found Weather ReportFind albums by this artist, after spending most of the decade in Cannonball Adderley’s and Nat Adderley’s groups, recording numerous albums with both of them and composing a huge part of their material. The quintet performs with passion and complete control of their faculties, as appropriate for such professionals. By the time this music was recorded, the material was getting somewhat out of sync with the dramatic developments on the Jazz scene, with Free Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion rapidly taking over the somewhat rusty Bebop and Hard Bop stylistics, but nevertheless the Adderley Brothers were still a force not to be taken lightly, and certainly able to provide the listeners with exciting and worthwhile musical experience. Overall, this is an exciting time capsule, presenting mainstream American Jazz at the very end of the 1960s, just before the scene would enter a succession of dramatic changes, in which only a minority of the musicians will take part willingly and enthusiastically, and the rest would try to carry on the music further on the same path.

Updated: 26/05/2025Posted: 26/05/2025

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CANNONBALL ADDERLEY ~ POPPIN` IN PARIS: LIVE AT L`OLYMPIA 1972 ELEMENTAL MUSIC 5990449 (Barcode: 8435395504147) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 Released: 2024 This is an archival live album by the great American saxophonist / composer / bandleader Cannonball AdderleyFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quintet, which also included his brother, trumpeter Nat AdderleyFind albums by this artist, keyboardist George DukeFind albums by this artist, bassist Walter BookerFind albums by this artist and drummer Roy McCurdyFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, recorded during two sets on October 25, 1972, at the legendary L`Olympia concert hall, performed as part of the Paris Jazz Festival. Most of the music was composed by Joe ZawinulFind albums by this artist, the former keyboardist of the quintet, one tune is by Duke, another one by Nat Adderley and one is a standard. The album features, as usual, an extended booklet with interviews, articles by Jazz journalists, superb historic photographs and other background information. The album presents the music Cannonball Adderley recorded with his last quintet, in the last four years of his life (1972 to 1975 - he died suddenly in August of 1975), which was documented on the albums released by the FantasyFind albums on this label label, with George Duke as the central figure of the quintet, who pushed the music into much more modern stylistic / post Bebop direction, adding elements of electric Funk and Groove. Duke was the most impressive instrumentalist in the quintet, which is plainly audible on this album as well. He gets most of the solo spots, which are all marvelous. Moving between the Adderley and Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist groups, Duke was simply one of the most vital American Jazz musicians in the 1970s. Overall, this is a wonderful addition to the Cannonball Adderley recorded legacy. For the many of his followers it is of course a must, and although it does not reveal anything previously not captured on record, it is certainly a superb piece of Jazz history.

Updated: 09/01/2025Posted: 09/01/2025

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JOHN KLEMMER ~ FINESSE / MAGNIFICENT MADNESS WOUNDED BIRD 0197 (Barcode: 664140019720) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1980 - 1983 Released: 2005 Brilliant American saxophonist John KlemmerFind albums by this artist is one of the most versatile and talented Jazz players in the last few decades. His initial influence was the saxophone legacy of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and to this date he is one of the best post-Coltrane players around, but his career found him playing in many different settings ranging from Free-Jazz to Smooth-Jazz. However, regardless of the musical environment, Klemmer´s saxophone playing is always beyond reproach and his improvisational skills are breathtaking, as is his amazing tone on tenor saxophone and the echoplex electric saxophone, which he introduced into Jazz. He is also a brilliant composer and his lyrical melodies are among the finest out there. "FinesseFind albums with this title" was Klemmer´s 4th and last album for the ElektraFind albums on this label label and it comprises of his original compositions, played by a wonderful quintet with keyboardist Russell FerranteFind albums by this artist, bassist Bob MagnussonFind albums by this artist, drummer Roy McCurdyFind albums by this artist and percussionist Steve FormanFind albums by this artist. "Magnificent MadnessFind albums with this title" was his 1st album on Elektra and includes covers as well as his original compositions. Although on the lighter side of Jazz, these two albums include quite amazing musicianship and Klemmer´s saxophone sound can melt ice any time. Recommended to listeners, who enjoy good melodic Jazz, which does not compromise the music quality and does not cross over to elevator music.

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JOE ZAWINUL ~ THE RISE & FALL OF THE THIRD STREAM / MONEY IN THE POCKET RHINO 71675 (Barcode: 081227167523) ~ AUSTRIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 - 1967 Released: 1994 Joe ZawinulFind albums by this artist arrived in the US in 1958, after being one of the first European musicians to win a scholarship to Berklee, but he left the school almost immediately and became active on the US jazz scene as pianist, arranger and composer. He played with Maynard FergusonFind albums by this artist, Slide HamptonFind albums by this artist and Dinah WashingtonFind albums by this artist before landing on the piano chair with Cannonball AdderleyFind albums by this artist’s quintet, where he stayed for 9 years (1961-1969). Towards the end of his Adderley days Zawinul played for almost 2 years (1969-1970) with Miles DavisFind albums by this artist, participating in the seminal recordings Miles made at that period. In 1970 Zawinul formed the legendary Weather ReportFind albums by this artist, which would revolutionize the jazz and fusion genres and continue (in a slightly different direction) the pioneering breakthroughs made by Davis. Over the years Zawinul recorded only three albums as a leader (on AtlanticFind albums on this label and VortexFind albums on this label), two of which are included here (The eponymous album from 1969 was really the starting point for Weather Report). Money In The PocketFind albums with this title, recorded in 1965, finds him in a setting similar to his Adderley’s quintet gig both musically and personally. He uses the quintet’s bass player (Sam JonesFind albums by this artist) and drummer (Louis HayesFind albums by this artist) and adds three excellent horn players: Blue MitchellFind albums by this artist (trumpet), Joe HendersonFind albums by this artist (tenor sax) and Pepper AdamsFind albums by this artist (baritone sax). The sextet plays a great set of bebop material, including mostly original material by Zawinul, Jones and Henderson and two standards. Zawinul’s elegant and soulful piano playing sets a firm basis for the music’s graceful flow. The Rise & Fall Of The Third StreamFind albums with this title, recorded in 1967, is a completely different album and a most ambitious and pioneering jazz venture for the time. It involves a meeting between the American jazz tradition and the European classical tradition, but as the title suggests it was meant to be a new kind of synthesis to the one attempted earlier in the US by Gunther SchullerFind albums by this artist and named “The Third Stream”, which seemed to be forced and artificial rather than natural. A meeting between Zawinul and American classical composer William FisherFind albums by this artist led to the two of them working together in an attempt to create a natural synthesis of the two musical worlds. The project involved a jazz ensemble and a string quartet, playing music composed and arranged by Fisher. The jazz ensemble includes Zawinul on acoustic and electric piano, Jimmy OwensFind albums by this artist on trumpet, Richard DavisFind albums by this artist on bass, Roy McCurdyFind albums by this artist and Freddie WaitsFind albums by this artist on drums, Warren SmithFind albums by this artist on percussion and Fisher on tenor sax. The result is a stunning piece of music, a completely new and previously attempted kind of musical vista. In retrospect one can of course hear the seeds of what Zawinul will be doing just a couple of years later with Davis and then Weather Report. Although sadly overlooked and rarely mentioned, this is a seminal album in every respect and surely ahead of its time in every respect. For the intelligent jazz lover, interested in the forces that forged the jazz revolution of the late 1960s this is an absolute must!

Updated: 09/01/2025Posted:

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