Customer Reviews

At the Lighthouse

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Of all the amazing recordings Cannonball did with his many great quintets/sextets, this I feel is the best. In my opinion, the Adderley quintet records best when live, as this wonderful album proves. It all starts out with the finger-snapping groove of "Sack O' Woe", Cannonball's most famous composition. Every soloist really swings hard, and sets the tone for the rest of album. "Big 'P'", a Jimmy Heath tune written about his brother Percy, continues with the driving feel. Things then slow down a bit with the lovely jazz waltz "Blue Daniel", which shows a more sensitive side to Cannonball and the gang. Victor Feldman, the pianist on this recording, is the only new member of the quintet for this album (the rest are the same as in "Them Dirty Blues", another masterpiece") and he really shows off his compositional skills with the next two numbers, "Azule Serape" and "Exodus", two up-tempo burners. The album then comes to a swinging finish with an amazing version of "What is This Thing Called Love?" and a bonus track of Tadd Dameron's "Our Delight". If you're a fan of any of Adderley's work or just love music that really swings, you'll love this one, guaranteed.

I haven't yet heard an Adderley Brothers recording I didn't like and this one, recorded live at the legendary Southern California club The Lighthouse, is no exception. Adding to the interest here is that in addition to the usual lively playing by Cannonball, Nat, Sam Jones & Louis Hayes, it includes the fine English pianist Victor Feldman. I first heard the late Feldman on the powerful Miles Davis recording "Seven Steps To Heaven." When both the Brothers Adderley and Miles Davis ask you to play with them you must be doing something right.....and Feldman certainly was!

Cannonball's quintet was close to it's peak circa October 1960 when this live date was recorded. Brother Nat, Victor Feldman, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes and the big man himself are all in fine form here.

The track listed as "Blue Daniel" is introduced by Cannonball as "Blue Danube", written by Frank Rosolino, and it's an exquisitely beautiful jazz waltz melody, which Cannonball, Nat, and Victor all take fine solos on, then fades out to Sam's brief yet charming bass coda.

If you have "Mercy, Mercy (Live)", "Live in Chicago", and "Live in San Francisco", this is the next one to get.

I got two copies of this from Amazon and three from Barnes and Noble. All had the same problem-the last three tracks skipped like crazy. You'd hear the first few notes of track five and a second later the middle three notes of track six followed immediately by the end of track seven and that would be it. Since 5 copies of this CD were all the same and the same thing happened on two CD players and my computer, I must conclude the CD's quality is in the toilet.

Which is a shame, because the music is just terrific!

Funk, blues, soul, bebop, gospel: these ingredients stewing in the caldron of the relaxed southern California club, The Lighthouse, provided a lavish meal of jazz. The engineers then and afterwards knew what they were doing because the sound is outstanding: I am there NOW, not in 1960. A live recording is always a gamble, as there is often one opportunity to get it right. These musicians got it right. Remarkably, I can envision Cannonball Adderly smiling as he introduces the tunes. Victor Feldman's brilliant piano work captivates, and his Azule Serape has over the years warmed my ears. This quintet of major individual artists play as a unit organism. As the last track indicates, the recording is Our Delight.

Out of the first 3 quintet albums, this is probably my favorite. Them Dirty Blues was a very nice album, but Cannonball probably realized that this band was at its best and most intense on stage. That reflects itself pretty clearly in the amazing album opener, "Sack o' Woe".

As far as I know, there are only two versions of Cannonball playing this tune. It's tough to pick a favorite between the one on this record and the one that would appear six years later on Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - probably the main difference is that this one has a bringing swinging rhythm at times. But it nevertheless grooves like crazy, and easily falls into the "greatest Cannonball tracks" category. Hats off to Victor Feldman, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes, who really make this work.

The other tunes can be overshadowed by this monster, but they are very good nonetheless. Frank Rosolino's "Blue Daniel" is a nice mellow waltz. Most of the other tunes are fast, straight-ahead bebop. Those looking for a ballad will have to look at one of the later Cannonball live albums.

While in general I prefer Cannonball's music after Yusef Lateef joined the band, this is the best I've heard from the period before then. Highly recommended.

This ensemble really kick hard on this recording Sam Jones and Louis Hayes thump some of the best rhythmsection playing that exisits , with Victor Feldman so cool in comping he's almost invisible . Add to this Adderley brotherhood at its best, always super groovy , ultra hip ,smooth, but always looking for the knockout blow.
As is with many, if not most live recorings, at times balances are a bit uneven , not of any concern to regular jazz listeners, and in all the recording quality is really good.

This live album was recorded at two performances on the same day, so the solid renditions of the quintet's challenging arrangements clearly demonstrate that this was a tight ensemble that didn't need umpteen studio takes to get it right. The solo work is great all around, and the energy level stays high. Only one track of the seven, "Blue Daniel," is laid back.
One of the aspects of Cannonball's playing I've always liked is the way he used the alto's full range rather than relying too heavily on the horn's upper register for impact. His playing here displays this quality along with his characteristic rapid-fire flow of ideas.
Nat Adderley's cornet shines bright on this session. I've always felt that Nat deserved more recognition than he got. He could play circles around Miles Davis even on a bad day, and yet we tend to think of him as Cannonball's little brother rather than a great jazz artist in his own right. Listen closely to him on this album, and maybe you'll think of him a little differently from now on.

Don't miss this one. Hard Bop at it's best. Cannonball's playing is amazing as usual. Live jazz in 1960 was never better.

Anyone who gives this album less than 5 stars did not
listen very closely. This is amazing, the height of jazz.