Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else (1958) [MFSL 2024] [SACD / Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – UDSACD 2270]

Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (1958) [MFSL 2024]

Title: Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else (1958) [MFSL 2024]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO

Mobile Fidelity’s Numbered-Edition Hybrid SACD Presents 1958 Landmark in Definitive Sound: Includes Bonus Track, “Allison’s Uncle” Julian Cannonball Adderley’s only Blue Note album, Somethin’ Else, would likely forever be famous in music lore if just for the presence of Miles Davis. The iconic composer/trumpeter steps into the role of sideman on the 1958 set, one of just a handful of times he’d make such a move after the calendar passed the mid-1950s. Yet evaluating Somethin’ Else strictly on Davis’ involvement misses the big picture. Plain and simple, Adderley’s jubilant work remains a jazz landmark due to the chemistry of its Hall of Fame personnel, enthusiasm of its participants, and sophistication of its arrangements – not to mention the reference-grade production and inclusion of the definitive renditions of two jazz standards.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes and housed in a mini-LP-style gatefold sleeve, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition hybrid SACD pays tribute to the record’s merit and includes the bonus track “Allison’s Uncle.” This collector’s edition provides a clear, transparent, ultra-dynamic, and up-close view of a cornerstone effort that witnesses Adderley and Davis sharing horn duty alone for the only time in their fabled careers – an arrangement that occurred as a result of Adderley having joined Davis’ sextet a year prior. That vibrancy reveals itself openly on a reissue that provides full-range reproduction of an ensemble that also includes pianist Hank Jones, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. Each and every snare hit, downbeat, and cymbal splash registered by the latter take on realistic proportions, blooming and decaying as they would in front of you on a stage. Jones’ foundational bass lines register with uncommon depth and palpability, the litheness of the strings and fullness of the instrument epitomizing rhythm. Stellar, too, are the surefooted 88s. Sublime in scale, tonality, and attack, with the delineation such you can practically separate the white and black keys in your mind. As for that liquid interplay between Adderley and Davis? Lifelike in timbre, naturalism, purity, and presence. For reasons that extend far beyond the outstanding playing and flawless repertoire, Somethin’ Else is a record you’ll always want to watch and hear come together. As veteran critic Bob Blumenthal observed writing about the album four decades after its release: “The instant rapport achieved by the quintet is thus the product of much shared and common history, though the tensile strength that they create throughout created a totally unique feeling that can be attributed to the sensitive musicianship of all concerned, including the supposedly hard bopping leader and drummer.” Such emotion courses throughout every passage, and no where more obviously than on “Autumn Leaves” and “Love for Sale.” The interpretations of the Johnny Mercer and Cole Porter songs, respectively, on Somethin’ Else have long been considered part of jazz’s alluring mystique. Adderley and Davis bring contrasting approaches to the table yet sound of a singular mind on “Autumn Leaves,” with the latter’s muted trumpet and the headliner’s lush alto saxophone dovetailing into a performance that endures as a blueprint for expression, counterpoint, sophistication, fluidity, and linearity. Blues, melody, and romance pour from their horns. Their bandmates, picking up on the intimate vibe and calm mood – as well as on the spry, head-over-heels spirit of “Love for Sale” – join in on the conversation with sharp economy and float-on-air roundedness. Not to undersell the other three numbers, all deserving of five-star status. Twelve measures in length, the title track offers a slow burn in swing. Written by Adderley’s brother, Nat, the 12-bar “One for Daddy-O” transmits funk flavors. The closing “Dancing in the Dark” pops with lushness and temptation, its stream of bold colors and understated textures calling for a moonlight twirl, or at least fantasies suggestive of a memorable night. Somethin’ else, indeed. 

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4 min read

Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else (1958) [Analogue Productions 2009] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CBNJ 81595 SA]

Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (1958) [Analogue Productions 2009]

Title: Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else (1958) [Analogue Productions 2009]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

It isn’t too difficult to understand why MFSL considered this album to be a worthy candidate for an Ultradisc reissue — aside from Cannonball Adderley, you have a lineup that includes Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey. This is a group that could take on a Barry Manilow number and turn it into a jazz masterpiece. MFSL have done the purchaser a favor, too, by including an additional track that was left off the original album. This sixth track, “”Alison’s Uncle,”” closes out Somethin’ Else on a high note, changing the flow of energy in an interesting way (purists can still finish up on a quieter note, as with the original, by programming “”Dancing in the Dark”” as the final track). In many ways it’s a surprise that this track was left off originally — it’s an excellent piece, with Adderley and Davis trading licks and solos while Jones and Blakey keep pace. Blakey also takes some terrific solos. Due to the original recording (made in 1958), Davis’ trumpet sometimes seems a little shrill and metallic, but it’s not an overwhelming problem — certainly not when you consider Davis’ style. Altogether, an excellent addition to any jazz collection.

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2 min read

Cannonball Adderly with Bill Evans – Know What I Mean (1961) [Analogue Productions 2002] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CAPJ 9433 SA]

Cannonball Adderly with Bill Evans - Know What I Mean (1961) [Analogue Productions 2002]

Title: Cannonball Adderly with Bill Evans – Know What I Mean (1961) [Analogue Productions 2002]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

What’s better than a Bill Evans Trio album? How about a Bill Evans trio album on which the bassist is Percy Heath, the drummer is Connie Kay, and the leader is not Evans but alto sax god Cannonball Adderley, making the group actually a quartet? It’s a different sort of ensemble, to be sure, and the musical results are marvelous. Adderley’s playing on “Waltz for Debby” is both muscular and sensitive, as it is on the other Evans composition here, a modal ballad called “Know What I Mean?” Other treats include the sprightly “Toy” and two takes of the Gershwin classic “Who Cares?” The focus here is, of course, on Adderley’s excellent post-bop stylings, but it’s also interesting to hear Evans playing with a rhythm section as staid and conservative as Kay and Heath (both charter members of the Modern Jazz Quartet). It’s hard to imagine any fan of mainstream jazz not finding much to love on this very fine recording.

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1 min read

Candido & Graciela – Inolvidable (2004) [Reissue 2005] [SACD / Chesky Records – SACD297]

Candido & Graciela - Inolvidable (2004) [Reissue 2005]

Title: Candido & Graciela – Inolvidable (2004) [Reissue 2005]
Genre: Latin
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

In Spanish, the word “inolvidable” means “unforgettable.” A title as lofty as Inolvidable would, in many cases, be an example of excessive hype, but when the artists in question are percussionist Candido Camero and singer Graciela Perez, the word “unforgettable” is definitely appropriate — their contributions to Afro-Cuban jazz music are exactly that. Camero and Perez go back a long way; they first met in the ’40s, when Perez was a featured vocalist for Machito’s band (a gig that lasted into the ’70s). Perez retired from performing in 1993, but Camero managed to lure her back into the studio for this 2004 release. Both of them were octogenarians when Inolvidable came out; Camero was 82, while Perez was 88. Produced by Nelson Gonzalez and David Chesky (with Charles Carlini serving as associate producer), Inolvidable finds Camero and Perez turning their attention to classic Latin gems like “Cesar Portillo de la Luz,” “Tu Mi Delirio” and Rafael Hernandez’ “Desvelo” — and the octogenarians happily recreate the spirit of jazz-influenced Afro-Cuban dance music as it sounded in the ’40s and ’50s (but with the digital technology of the 21st century). Despite Perez’ physical limitations — she has been plagued by debilitating arthritis — the veteran singer brings a great deal of enthusiasm to this project. And for 88, Perez still sounds surprisingly good; she doesn’t have the vocal stamina of her youth, but she gets her points across nonetheless — and being reunited with Camero seems to really inspire her on the album’s up-tempo selections as well as romantic boleros such as Hernandez’ “Amor Ciego,” and Arsenio Rodriguez’ “La Vida Es Un Sueño.” For Afro-Cuban enthusiasts, a Camero/Perez reunion is truly an historic event — one that yields consistently enjoyable results on Inolvidable.

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2 min read

Caroline Henderson – Don’t Explain (2003) [SACD Reissue 2004] [SACD / Stunt Records – STSACD 03175]

Caroline Henderson - Don't Explain (2003) [SACD Reissue 2004]

Title: Caroline Henderson – Don’t Explain (2003) [SACD Reissue 2004]
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Caroline Henderson is a Danish–Swedish pop and jazz singer. She moved to Copenhagen from Sweden in 1983 and become one of Denmark’s top talents. A surprising album, exploratory jazz on a true surround recording (vocals from 1 channel only, usually female in the center, sometimes female on the left and male on the right, and instruments left and right, hall echo from the surrounds). More alive than other popular female jazz artists on a piano, this album brings some freshness into this area. Recommended.

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1 min read

Captain Beefheart – Ice Cream For Crow (1982) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015] [SACD / Virgin – UIGY-9691]

Captain Beefheart - Ice Cream For Crow (1982) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]

Title: Captain Beefheart – Ice Cream For Crow (1982) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

With yet one final Magic Band lineup in place, featuring Richard Snyder on bass and Cliff Martinez on drums alongside returning vets Jeff Moris Tepper and Gary Lucas, Beefheart put the final touch on his recording career to date with Ice Cream for Crow. It’s a last entertaining blast of wigginess from one of the few truly independent artists in late 20th century pop music, with humor, skill, and style all still intact (as even the song titles like “Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian” and “Cardboard Cutout Sundown” show). With the Magic Band turning out more choppy rhythms, unexpected guitar lines, and outré arrangements, Captain Beefheart lets everything run wild as always, with successful results. Sometimes he sounds less like the blues shouter of lore and more of a spoken word artist with an attitude, thus the stuttering flow of “The Host the Ghost the Most Holy.” “Hey Garland, I Dig Your Tweed Coat” is even more entertainingly outrageous, Beefheart’s addictive if near impenetrable ramble about tobacco juice and straw hats and more backed by an insanely great arrangement. Magic Band members each get chances to shine one way or another – “Evening Bell” in particular demonstrates why Lucas went on to later solo renown, a complex, suddenly shifting solo instrumental that sits somewhere between background music and head-scratching “how did he do that?” intrigue.

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2 min read

Captain Beefheart – Doc At The Radar Station (1980) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015] [SACD / Virgin – UIGY-9690]

Captain Beefheart - Doc At The Radar Station (1980) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]

Title: Captain Beefheart – Doc At The Radar Station (1980) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Generally acclaimed as the strongest album of his comeback, and by some as his best since Trout Mask Replica, Doc at the Radar Station had a tough, lean sound owing partly to the virtuosic new version of the Magic Band (featuring future Pixies sideman Eric Drew Feldman, New York downtown-scene guitarist Gary Lucas, and a returning John “Drumbo” French, among others) and partly to the clear, stripped-down production, which augmented the Captain’s basic dual-guitar interplay and jumpy rhythms with extra percussion instruments and touches of Shiny Beast’s synths and trombones. Many of the songs on Doc either reworked or fully developed unused material composed around the time of the creatively fertile Trout Mask sessions, which adds to the spirited performances. Even if the Captain’s voice isn’t quite what it once was, Doc at the Radar Station is an excellent, focused consolidation of Beefheart’s past and then-present.

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1 min read

Carole King – The Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 (1996) [MFSL 2011] [SACD / Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – UDSACD 2067]

Carole King - The Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 (1996) [MFSL 2011]

Title: Carole King – The Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 (1996) [MFSL 2011]
Genre: Pop
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Archive live album from the songstress, an unmissable Tapestry-era performance recorded live at Carnagie Hall. With her album Tapestry on it’s way to selling millions upon millions of copies, Carole sounds relaxed, joyful and in total control of her audience. During this set, King performs 17 of her most well-known songs including, “I Feel The Earth Move”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, “It’s Too Late” and “You’ve Got A Friend” (performed with James Taylor, who joins her for her encore). Anyone who took the gray-striped kitty on the cover of Tapestry as a totem, from your hip junior-high English teacher to Ben Folds, will recognize the import of Carnegie Hall, recorded the week “It’s Too Late” went to No. 1. Mostly solo at the piano, King brought home 10 of that already emblematic album’s tunes with a smattering of other numbers. Some of the latter are more callow than absolutely necessary, with “Carry Your Load” way too bouncy and “Snow Queen” too glib. But when she digs out “No Easy Way Down” (immortalized by Dusty Springfield on Dusty in Memphis) and “A Natural Woman,” it’s a little bit of heaven, even when her voice starts cracking. Actually, her nervousness is charming, though some of her between-song wisecracks fail to wow the very partisan crowd, much less the CD listener a quarter-century later. Guess that’s only natural for someone just coming into her own in public after a decade or so behind the curtain, and no one seems to mind much anyway. As the history books tell us, this was a pretty polite rock moment; to further prove it, James Taylor shows up for the encores. Though Tapestry remains the essential item, this one gets by on the grace of King’s heart.
Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 is 17-song set recorded just as Tapestry was topping the charts and making Carole King a superstar. Featuring most of Tapestry and a few songs from Writer and Music this is, in a sense, Carole King unplugged (although that terminology was not yet in use). King performs the first half-dozen songs alone at the piano; bassist Charles Larkey, guitarist Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, and a string quartet back her (in varying combinations) throughout the rest of the program. Tapestry wasn’t exactly a high-wattage affair to begin with, so these rearrangements aren’t radical, but they’re different enough from the studio versions to merit attention by serious King fans. James Taylor, then at the peak of his own popularity, joins King on vocals for a medley of some of her old Brill Building hits, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”/”Some Kind of Wonderful”/”Up on the Roof”.

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3 min read