Track Selection: This Here (Timmons) or for reasons of soul, ”Dis Here” if you prefer
Artists
Nat Adderley (cor) Cannonball Adderley (as) Bobby Timmons (p) Sam Jones (b) Louis Hayes (d) “The Jazz Workshop”, San Francisco, CA, October 18 & 20, 1959 engineer Reice Hamel
Music
The groundbreaking album launched “soul jazz”, according to NPR, bridging “the gap between bebop and funk” Producer Orrin Keepnews described the album as “the birth of contemporary live recording”and in May 1960, Time noted that the album’s then 50,000 copies sold was “phenomenal for a jazz record”, raising the album to the bestseller charts.Music critic Scott Yanow describes the album as a “gem [...] essential for all jazz collections.”
The album was recorded at The Jazz Workshop in San Francisco before an appreciative standing room only crowd. The album broke new ground as a live recording taped in noisy club environments, creating a formula which not only the Cannonball Quintet but other jazz ensembles would follow. Producer Keepnews reflected that it “was such a phenomenal success that not only did I do a lot of such recordings afterwards, but I think that virtually all jazz producers felt that it was a good thing to do”. Also unusual for the time was Keepnews’ decision to retain Adderley’s comments to the crowd.
Canonnball’s disarming and laconic introduction remains as enjoyable as that of Pee Wee Marquette for Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers at Cafe Bohemia. Adderley’s fluent soaring alto improvisation is also a joy. Soul music indeed, take a pew and enjoy.
Vinyl: UK Riverside 12-311
A few clicks and pops suggest a second wash may be beneficial but the music stays on top. Unknown pressing plant, not any of the majors by the looks of the matrix inscription.
Faint matrix, typical of an unknown pressing plant in the period between Decca and Philips.
Collectors Corner
Source eBay Location: UK
One of two records purchased from this seller that weekend, the other slightly overshadowed it at the time – Coltrane’s Giant Steps. A previous owner noted he purchased it in 1965 in the Charing Cross Road. That would be Dobell’s Folk and Jazz no doubt. (“Every London jazz fan is born within the sound of Do-bells”). Good to revisit it, thanks to suggestion by John.
maybe it’s good to add a few words: soul jazz was a sort of tentative to reach more people with simple lines and simple beats. Jazz drummers seldom got good results in pop rhythms as well as pop drummers never succeeded in jazz ones.
I’m an amateur drummer.
Thank you!
the Genesis of Soul Jazz, 3/4 tempo with a terrible drums tempo.
a good drummer with enormous difficulties in keeping a nice beat.
want a comparison on odd tempos?
Max Roach with Sonny Rollins on Prestige.