Cannonball's "Radio Nights"

[Larry Kart]

I'm not a unequivocal Adderley fan, but this album

http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Nights-Cannonb...7570&sr=1-1

of material broadcast from the Half Note on Alan Grant's radio show in Dec. '67 and Jan. 68 is something else. Balance isn't ideal on the second group (Zawinul is too prominent, though what he plays is interesting); on the other hand, Sam Jones (in lovely, driving form) is captured with good presence throughout. Both Adderley brothers are inspired -- and, again FWIW I'm not a hardcore fan -- and these were just hot bands that fed off of the audience. I think I prefer the McCurdy rhythm section because he bashes some a la Elvin, and this is a bashing band, but there's no let-up either.

Cannonball Adderley Quintet

Nat Adderley (cor) Cannonball Adderley (as) Joe Zawinul (p) Sam Jones (b) Roy McCurdy (d)

"Half Note", NYC, December, 1967-January, 1968

Little Boy With The Sad Eyes Virgin Night VNCD 2

Midnight Mood -

Stars Fell On Alabama -

Fiddler On The Roof -

* Cannonball Adderley - Radio Nights (Virgin Night VNCD 2)

Cannonball Adderley Sextet

Nat Adderley (cor) Cannonball Adderley (as) Charles Lloyd (ts, fl) Joe Zawinul (p) Sam Jones (b) Louis Hayes (d)

"Half Note", NYC, December, 1967-January, 1968

Work Song Virgin Night VNCD 2

The Song My Lady Sings -

Unit 7 -

Oh, Babe / Country Preacher -

* Cannonball Adderley - Radio Nights (Virgin Night VNCD 2)

[JSngry]

This has long been a favorite of mine, and let me reiterate again that Cannonball's playing continued to evolve "outward" until his death, even if the settings he put it in could and did go all over the place (but oh my god, check out the best cuts from The Black Messiah and gottDAMN is that some hot shit!!!!) . There's a story there, although what it is and who it might be of interet to is in no way a fixed quantity...

And yeah, hot, bashing bands that feed off of the audience, whatever happened to those delightful life-affirming creatures? For that matter, whatever happened to those audiences? I've actually played rooms where whooping at the music is grounds for expulsion but quietly (and not so quietly) ignoring the band is actually encouraged. WTF is that all about anyway?

"Popular", "populist", even "pop", these are not intrinsically bad things, and "we" wish them away at no small risk to the musico/socio-ecosystem...

[DukeCity]

YES to Cannonball. YES to Radio Nights.

I love the spirit of Cannonball's performances. The idea that he was "presenting" the music to the crowd; inviting them into the experience with him and the band. Everytime I hear one of his spoken introductions to a tune, or the monologues from RN, I imagine how cool it would have been to be a Florida school kid in the early 1950's, and have Cannonball as my school band director!!!

[mikefok]

This is really a fantastic one and the recording quality is supreme.

[ghost of miles]

Friend of mine who's a big Cannonball fan hipped me to this record a few years back, and when I didn't get it right away, he BOUGHT IT for me. (That's what friends are for, eh?) It's indeed a smoker... one of the best musical documents I've heard of this period of Cannonball's.

[Guy Berger]

Cannonball Adderley Quintet

Nat Adderley (cor) Cannonball Adderley (as) Joe Zawinul (p) Sam Jones (b) Roy McCurdy (d)

"Half Note", NYC, December, 1967-January, 1968

Little Boy With The Sad Eyes Virgin Night VNCD 2

Midnight Mood -

Stars Fell On Alabama -

Fiddler On The Roof -

* Cannonball Adderley - Radio Nights (Virgin Night VNCD 2)

Cannonball Adderley Sextet

Nat Adderley (cor) Cannonball Adderley (as) Charles Lloyd (ts, fl) Joe Zawinul (p) Sam Jones (b) Louis Hayes (d)

"Half Note", NYC, December, 1967-January, 1968

Work Song Virgin Night VNCD 2

The Song My Lady Sings -

Unit 7 -

Oh, Babe / Country Preacher -

* Cannonball Adderley - Radio Nights (Virgin Night VNCD 2)

I don't think the date on the second recording is right, judging by the personnel.

Guy