Cannonball Adderley Quintet In Chicago (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) 180g LP

Two saxophone gods join together before creating future masterpieces on their own!

Instead of the usual trumpet of Nat Adderley in the front line on this classic 1959 album, it's the tenor saxophone of John Coltrane on the left, and Cannonball Adderley's alto sax on the right. It's a studio recording with Wynton Kelly leading the Miles Davis rhythm section. They join together seamlessly.

With Bill Evans substituting for Wynton Kelly on most tracks, these musicians would record the classic album Kind of Blue (1959), with regular employer, trumpeter Miles Davis, shortly after this session.

Seeking to offer definitive audiophile-grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets.

Altoist Cannonball Adderley and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane really push each other on these six selections... Coltrane's very serious sound is a striking contrast to the jubilant Adderley alto... With pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb playing up to their usual level, this gem is highly recommended.

The folks at Acoustic Sounds have directed their remastering energies toward one of the true masterpieces of recorded jazz history. Recorded by the members of Miles Davis' ensemble during their off hours in Chicago, and right before they were to lay down the tracks for the classic Kind of Blue, this album sounds as alive as it did nearly 70 years ago. Adderley and fellow saxophonist John Coltrane engage in a friendly competition throughout, pulling and pushing each other to play harder and dream bigger in their solos. It's electrifying to hear them pair up on the head of Coltrane's composition 'Grand Central' and then trade off spotlight turns on 'Stars Fell on Alabama.' It's just as wonderful to hear in crystalline clarity, thanks to the work of engineer Ryan Smith, just how the rhythm section reacts in turn. Pianist Wynton Kelly shines perhaps the brightest only due to his melodic attack and smooth right hand.