Customer Reviews

Somethin Else

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There are a few reissues of this absolutely great Cannonball Adderley recording. The first five cuts on all the reissues are the same 5 cuts that make up the original vinyl LP. A few of the reissued CD's have an additional sixth cut. The sixth cut was discovered by Blue Note and initially released in Japan in 1982 and given the name "Allison's Uncle" because Nat Adderley's daughter was born on the day it was recorded. Further research revealed that the mystery tune is a Hank Jones composition that the pianist recorded as "Rangoon" with the Gigi Gryce/Donald Byrd Jazz Lab quintet for a Jubilee label in August 1957. Therefore, please be advised that "Allison's Uncle" and "Rangoon" and the same exact cut, just with a different name for the same song. I got this info from the Rudy Van Gelder Edition footnotes by Bob Blumenthal. Tidbits like this are very important to me and thought it might be valuable to others as well.

This is a lovely, accessible, balanced collection which shows off Miles and Cannonball at their peaks (1958) and is a great companion to the more widely known "Kind of Blue". The ten minutes of "Autumn Leaves" is achingly beautiful, especially via earphones, but all six selections are just fine, including the "Alison's Uncle" number left off the original vinyl release for lack of playing time. One thing to remember about buying jazz through Amazon or other on-line sources is that a one-minute "sample" of a six or ten-minute improvisation can be quite misleading. I was not impressed by the "samples" I heard from this disc, but I found a good price and went ahead and bought it anyway. The totality is so much different, and better, than the sampled portions! The two horn giants here are wonderfully supported by Hank Jones at the keyboard, Sam Jones on bass, and the great Art Blakey on the drums. This is music you'll find it quite hard to get tired of.

The first time I heard this cd, what may have struck me most was how "close" the music sounds. I listened to this cd in headphones the first time and I think the only way I could have felt closer to Cannonball, or the only way his tone could have been richer is if I had been there in the studio standing five feet away from him when this music was being recorded.

Now aside from that, the playing is wonderful. I just got this recently and it has become my favorite Cannonball album. Being the standard that it is, AUTUMN LEAVES has been played thousands of times by most every jazz musician at one time or another but the version on this cd is just so special. Even if I disliked every other track I'd still feel as if my purchase of this cd was worth it just because of the beauty of this AUTUMN LEAVES. I's been said that this is a Miles Davis album with Cannonballs name on it. I don't believe that for one minute. This is a great band but I think overall, it will be the beauty and soul in every note that Cannonball plays that will leave the biggest impression on you. No, Cannonball wasn't the most innovative and groundbreaking alto player in history but he was certainly one of the best. He played from the heart and his tone is just indescribably perfect, and it is captured in all it's glory on this cd.

"Autumn Leaves" is one of the smoothest songs ever put to acetate. It's hypnotic mellowness will capture you on the first listen and draw you in, even if you've got limited taste for the genre. I've played it at numerous occasions and always drawn curious questioning and positive feedback about how real the overall album is and how do they get that trumpet and sax to sound like that? We're seriously talking about one of the 100 greatest albums ever, period, not just jazz, but encompassing the entire music spectrum. You will not regret picking this up, do it for you, do it for the romantic possibilities this record will unfold for you, and do it because you'll never ever hear a song as smooth and as fluenty surreal as "Autumn Leaves". A geniune classic.

This CD is in no uncertain terms, perfect. From the haunting, almost imperceptible bass entrance in "Autumn Leaves," to Miles croaking, "Was that what you wanted Alfred?" at the end of Alison's Uncle - the last track; the album is a serious "press play, repeat and leave the damn thing alone" type of CD. Miles at his earliest and most fundamental with the formidable backing of the Sam Jones and Art Blakey rhythm section and the Cannonball wailing away on the Sax. A surefire seduction CD and a joy to own.

This is one of my favorite records. I especially love Miles's playing on Autumn Leaves. The way he alters the fourth phrase and plays the 13th rather than the 3rd against the minor 7th is dissonant, but still sounds amazing. I think if I had to cite the finest example of Miles's tone, that would be it. The thing I love best about this is the way Cannonball and Miles complement each other so well. Cannoball's big, fat alto tone works well with Miles's small, introverted trumpet sound. I also really like Hank Jones's nimble piano playing. If you are a fan of traditional jazz, this record is a must.

As a huge Miles Davis fan, I knew that Miles had recorded this album as a "sideman" with Cannonball Adderley. I had heard bits and pieces of this album, but had never really taken it seriously. I recently checked this out from our local library, and discovered that I had been missing an amazing album! This has much of the quality that made Kind of Blue so memorable. Miles is in great form. The sidemen include Hank Jones, Art Blakey, and Sam Jones. The tunes are memorable. The arrangements are fresh and distinctive. And Cannonball plays great as well. Truly a great recording worthy of classic status.

A friend of mine who's a jazz fanatic turned me on to this recording about twenty years ago, and it remains one of my favorite jazz albums from the late `50s. Recorded on one day in March 1958, this session brought together some of the greatest improvisers of jazz. Just a look at the names says virtually all that you need to know; Cannonball Adderley on alto sax, Miles Davis on trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. "Somethin' Else" finds all players in a relaxed mood, trading riffs on three standards, and (if you include the CD bonus track) three original numbers. The session is noteworthy not only because of the remarkable lineup, but because of the warmth that such disparate stylists were capable of generating. Their instinctive trade-offs are subtle and yet intricate, performed with a poise that that contradicts the energy permeating throughout each track. It is low-key and hot at the same time.
Adderley was in charge of this session, so the tracks here are accredited to him as bandleader, but they could just as easily have been credited to Miles. Davis plays a major role here, and in fact, he is credited with writing the title track. For all the world, "Somethin' Else" sounds like the missing link between Miles Davis' straightforward Prestige recordings and his later, ambitious material for Columbia. Any fan of quality jazz music should put this album on their short list of things to own. A Tom Ryan

Miles practically steals the show on this underrated masterpiece. Well, perhaps underrated is the wrong term--more at 'underappreciated'. This is an impeccable recording, just shy (in my humble opinion) of the lofty standard set by "Kind of Blue." As one reviewer noted, he's heard nothing but positive feedback when he's played this for the casual, unassuming listener. To sum it up in a sentence, if somebody requested me to "play some good jazz" and I didn't have "Kind of Blue" with me, I'd play this. Heck, even if I did have "Kind of Blue," it'd be a toss-up. Everybody's playing is just so assured, and the arrangements are beautiful, particularly the muted, pensive take on "Autumn Leaves." Blakey swings and shuffles like mad, Miles is at his broodingest best, Hank Jones plays like a genius, light as a feather yet majestically assured; and Cannonball is at his bluesy best. Buy this record...it's tight!

I love this CD. Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis work really well together. Cannonball really swings it on "Love for Sale" and "Autumn Leaves" while Miles gives the numbers his great "walking on eggshells" tone and his subtle improvisations are great. "Somethin' Else" is the kicker of this set. Miles and Cannonball really cooked on this one. The rythm section is also superb. Hank Jones on piano lays down the chords well and has some nice choruses. Sam Jones on bass gives the songs a nice groove. Art Blakey on drums does, as always, a supremely good job. His fills and solos aren't too bogged down and he always keeps the beat steady. I recommend this album to anyone looking for a good hours worth of jazz.