Them Dirty Blues
It goes without saying that Julian "Cannonball" Adderley was one of the best blues players in jazz. Just ask his ex-bossMiles Davis. This 1960 date features the musician with his brother, cornetistNat, bassist Sam Jones, drummer Louis Hayes, and eitherBobby TimmonsorBarry Harrison piano. Simply put, this is a textbook on how to swing the blues, whether on ballads such as "Easy Living" andGeorge Gershwin's "Soon," or on the dancing hard bop number, "Work Song," Timmons's gospel-tinged "Dat Dere" andDuke Pearson's melodic classic, "Jeannine." Cannonball's sax lines combine the best ofBenny CarterandCharlie Parker, contrasted by his brother's in-the-pocket cornet solos. The title track reveals the down-home roots of this Florida-born musician, who always carried the South in him.--Eugene Holley Jr.