Customer Reviews

Phenix

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Cannonball Adderly, without any question, could have been the funkiest sax player to ever hit the jazz world. When I picked up this 2-LP set on vinyl, I was astonished to see Cannonball Adderly take a whole new shape and form.

Unlike his previous works with Art Blakey and Miles Davis, like "Somethin Else", this album takes a more contemporary approach. Cannonball uses some synthesizer effects and electric piano sounds, making his compositions more than just straight jazz - but instead a mixture. From the opening track to the concluding song, Cannonball Adderly's ability to innovate and astound can be seen. Particularly on the 4th track, implementing all sorts of exotic hand drums and unique feels, Cannonball Adderly can be literallly seen at the top of his game. There is no doubt in my mind that Cannonball Adderly's best work was on the Fantasy label, and this is probably the quintessential album to pick up from that era of his amazing musical career.

And, as other reviewers have mentioned, Adderly's improvisation skills are top knotch. After all, he learned from the best! Having played in Miles Davis' band for a pretty decent amount of time, Cannonball Adderly is quite the professional sax player. What's unique about his playing is that he decides to lower the volume of his sax, allowing the other instruments to be heard. Unlike many other sax players, like John Coltrane, for example, Adderly used his sax just like the drummer or the bass player would use their instruments -- as a collaboration to contribute to the craft of the song. Most other sax players from this time were much more focused on than the other instruments in their bands, making for a completely different type of sound. However, this does not discount Adderly's improvisation! This is where it gets incredible. He still creates exemplementary results, even though he is at the exact same focus and volume level as the rest of the instruments. While he doesn't give a whole lot more room to the rest of the musicians, it is evident that Adderly took the opportunity in creating unique, one-of-a-time rythms in order to take the best advantage of the musicians he was working with.

This is a true jazz gem. Slightly underrated, and very, very important addition to any fan's collection.

Two months before his unfornuate death, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley was fortunate to be able to provide to his listeners a new style of playing involving long melody statements, funky rhythms and electronics. In PHENIX Cannonball revisits the past and records new versions of his earlier numbers such as MERCY,MERCY,MERCY and WORK SONG. Along with revised versions of his older songs, Cannonball can also be heard playing the soprano saxophone rather than his primary instrument, the alto saxophone.

A few months before his premature death Cannonball reworked some of his greatest collaborations with Joe Zawinul like Walk Tall, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and 74 Miles with some studio musicians and his road band. George Duke plays some funky Rhodes on half of the tracks. It was his last great outburst of pure energy. Well worth it and a rather underrated album of his.

Although this Album has the catchy styles of soul jazz, it still shows the impressive improvisational skills of not only Cannonball himself, but artists such as his brother Nat and Keyboardist George Duke. For Jazz musicians and regular Jazz listeners, this gives a whole new perspective of jazz which may appeal to some younger listeners, all while adding vital solo vocabulary to any jazz improviser. I highly reccomend this album, especially if you are a huge fan of Him.

If you are at all familiar with Cannonball's music, you will appreciate this funky compilation of jazz tunes and standards. Accompanied by top quality players, the group really connects on all tracks. My favorite is 'Hi-Fly', a samba-ish rendition with great solo work from all players. You'll like this from the first listen.

I first heard Cannonball Adderley many many years ago at high school when I traded my vinyl copy of the Grateful Dead's first album for the new double vinyl 'The Price You Gotta Pay To Be Free', one of Cannonball's many live albums. I'd never heard of him but the guy I traded with (whose name, somewhat ironically, was John McLaughlin - no relation) assured me I'd like the discs. I did and a love affair with Jazz, and Cannonball in particular, was born. I began to collect backwards from that album and over the years obtained most of the Adderley output on vinyl and then cd but somehow and mysteriously never got around to obtaining this, his last full studio album, until now. It was worth the wait. The re-settings of tunes from across his career swings and grooves like the best of his work. They're like old friends revisited and that's exactly what they are. 'Work Song' is reinvented with George Duke's work creating the freshest version since the original, bettering the many live versions (and they're good!);'Jive Samba' lives up to its name; 'Stars Fell On Alabama' swings beautifully; the delights are many. I was doubly saddened when Cannonball died - not only did we lose a jazz great (one who is often not given the full credit he should be by the way) but he was about to embark on a tour of Australia and we were sadly robbed of the chance to see him play live. If he was playing like this it would have been great.