Cannonball’s Canon
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Alto saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley (1928-1975), whose music is being celebrated this week at the Iridium, was not only a powerful instrumentalist but, like his one-time employer, Miles Davis, had an uncanny knack for surrounding himself with the most talented player-composers around. At various times these included Joe Zawinal, Victor Feldman, Bobby Timmons, Charles Lloyd, Yusef Lateef, and his own equally talented younger brother, cornetist Nat Adderley.
The Adderley brothers’ bands introduced a large number of songs that became jazz standards and as such are fertile fodder for a jazz repertory presentation. Pianist Michael Wolf, who on opening night introduced himself as the last keyboardist to work with Adderley, put the Iridium program together. Bassist Walter Booker and drummer Roy Mc-Curdy also worked in Adderley’s 1970s bands. The frontline consists of three saxophone stars: veteran James Moody on tenor and young altos Vincent Herring and James Carter. The chemistry between these three horns is fascinating.
Mr. Herring, who has been frequently called upon to play the part of the late Cannonball, most notably with Nat Adderley’s later bands and Nancy Wilson, must be accustomed to being the fastest and most technically accomplished player in any group he plays with. He had to hold his own alongside Mr. Carter, who is a showoff in the best sense of the word, a spectacular multi-instrument crowd pleaser who has a repertoire of what can only be called freak effects – ranging from 1960s free jazz squeaks to 1920s-style novelty slap tongue. Mr. Carter plays like Sonny Stitt on steroids and has a super-sized horn to match: His alto is the first I’ve seen that has a low A at the bottom (the deepest note on most saxes is B flat).
This is the only time I’ve seen James Moody (who turns 80 in a few months, if the reference books are to be believed) hired just to play the saxophone, rather than sing, rap, or launch into his always-very-funny spiels. He seemed the least involved of the three, at one point losing touch with the bassist, but he never failed to play at his customary high level. Where Mr. Carter plays, in Art Pepper’s phrase, everything that can be played, Mr. Moody is a model of clarity and simplicity. Mr. Moody cooks and simmers; Mr. Carter comes almost instantly to a boil.
The sextet began by charging into the Adderleys’ single most famous number, Nat’s “Work Song.” They played it even faster than the brothers ever did (at least on records) starting slow and ending with a series of a capella cadenzas. In Oscar Brown Jr.’s famous lyric, the song depicts convicts working on a roadside chain gang, and the thought of prisoners “breaking up big rocks” at this breakneck speed is frightening. Throughout, responsibilities were divided evenly among the three horns. The mood – and Mr. Moody – switched from fast to funky as Mr. Wolf changed to electric keyboards for “Walk Tall,” a Joe Zawinal composition that presaged his later work with Weather Report.
The opening set’s only ballad was “Lover Man,” a tune associated with Billie Holiday, but one Adderley and most modernists also learned from Charlie Parker. As with the fast tunes, Mr. Wolf led the group in an arrangement that essentially gave the three horns equal time. Mr. Herring played the first and last eight bars of the melody, then double-timed his improvisation. Mr. Carter began with a sweet tone and chromatic embellishments reminiscent of Benny Carter, but quickly flew into upper-register squawks more suited to an Albert Ayler tribute. Yet he had complete control of every nuance and wail.
This was nicely played, but in my opinion, it would have made more sense to make this a ballad medley. There are so many great love songs associated with Adderley, who was a master balladeer, that each of the five soloists could have played a chorus or two of each.
After the ballad, the sextet delved into two other styles Adderley regularly essayed, a bossa nova and a blues. Nat Adderley’s “Jive Samba” was another of the band’s jukebox hits. It boasts a memorable counter riff, which the saxophones played behind one another and behind Mr. Wolf on electric keyboard, who delivered his best solo of the evening.
Throughout, Mr. Carter was his usual daredevil self, while Mr. Herring remained more true to the sound and spirit of the Adderley Brothers. Mr. Moody, as usual, can outplay anyone without seeming like he’s trying to. The band concluded with a 12-bar bebop blues, which ended with a wild and cacophonic coda. In all, it was a worthy excursion into the Cannonball Canon.