Track Listing

1. Waltz for Debby - Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Bill Evans
2. Goodbye - Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Bill Evans
3. Who Cares? [Take 5] - Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Bill Evans
4. Who Cares? [Take 4][*] - Cannonball Adderley
5. Venice - Cannonball Adderley
6. Toy - Cannonball Adderley
7. Elsa - Cannonball Adderley
8. Nancy (With the Laughing Face) - Cannonball Adderley
9. Know What I Mean? [Re-Take 7] - Cannonball Adderley
10. Know What I Mean? [Take 12][*] - Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Bill Evans

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13579 in Music
• Brand: Evans
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Original recording reissued
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

Album Details
Heritage of Jazz Series. Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase Digitally Remastered featuring New Artwork. Limited to 3000 Copies.

Amazon.com
Alto saxist Cannonball Adderly and pianist Bill Evans, bandmates on Miles Davis's epochal Kind of Blue, were band leaders by the time they teamed up in 1961 for this moody, yet lyrical, date. Though remastered with state-of-the-art digital technology, Riverside has kept the original artwork and liner notes, maintaining the flavor of this classic jazz LP. Adderly's robust, bluesy tone and buoyant phrasing make for an interesting contrast to Evans's rainy-day introspection. Coupled with the light touch of drummer Connie Kay and the gentle probing of bassist Percy Heath, the music projects a sophisticated and relaxed mood. On the sensitive ballads, such as "Goodbye" and "Elsa," Adderly reveals his after-hours side, reveling in the fullness of his rich sound. --Wally Shoup

Customer Reviews

Colossal Collaboration.
Despite being overshadowed by the musical reputation of John Coltrane, Cannonball never needs apologies or justification, and this is a superb example of his playing. On this recording, Adderly's lyrical sound and masterful technique are at their best. His music is lightly lyrical and it swings hard, but it always seems to have (dare I say it?) joy at its base. This fine jazz album was created by two musicians who participated with Coltrane in the sessions for Miles Davis' famous "Kind of Blue" album. Cannonball Adderly is the alto saxophone player on that album and Bill Evans is the pianist. Reunited here, it's obvious that they respect and enjoy one another's music, and the album--recorded over a three month period in 1961--reflects their mutual comfort. The songs include Evans' "Waltz for Debbie," now a 3/4 time jazz standard, and the title track "Know What I Mean?" Evans is joined by half of the Modern Jazz Quartet--Percy Heath on bass and the always-appropriate Connie Kay on drums to complete the rhythm trio. They provide solid support for Cannonball throughout the album. As I noted, Cannonball is ebullient throughout, and Evans' superb solos and his prescient interplay with Adderly make this album a must have jazz recording.

The leisurely solos on Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye" and Earl Zindars' "Elsa" and Silver's "Nancy" exemplify Evans and Adderly at their best as balladeers. Adderly's treatment of Gershwin's "Who Cares?" is infectiously bright, lightly lyrical, and Kay and Heath forcefully drive the rhythm. Evans' solos on the two takes typify his harmonic inventiveness, no small matter in any musical universe. The quartet's rendition of John Lewis' "Venice" from the MJQ's "No Sun in Venice" features Heath's stately bass with simple, unassuming statements by Adderly and Evans. Clifford Jordan's "Toy" is a rollicking tune that showcases Cannonball's improvisional virtuosity--long fluid lines, effortless runs to crisp twists and turns. Evans proves once again that he can cook. The two takes of "Know What I Mean?" are further explorations in Bill Evans' modal harmonic world with some truly inventive rhythmic variations courtesy of Mr. Kay. Must hear music.

This record should be up there on the all time great lists
This collaboration between two highly intelligent and creative musicians should be in every jazz CD collection, and should be ranked up there with the 'Ah Ums' and 'Blue Trains'. Evans and Adderley clearly loved each other's playing and it shows in every note. I wish they had recorded more together. Both were at the peak of their powers in 1961 and recent graduates of the great Miles Davis Sextet of 1958-9 which some reckon the best jazz combo ever. I never get bored of this record. Evans is often accused of lacking a hard swing and even of not playing jazz at all. This record is the most eloquent counter to that argument there could be - Evans swings every bit as hard as the swinging and funky Adderley, playing great jazz before fashion and the desire to make a buck pushed the great altoist off in a different direction. BUY IT TODAY!!

No way this project could fail...
It's 1961, and for recording sessions in January, February and March producer Orrin Keepnews has snagged Cannonball, one of the five best saxophone players of the era; Bill Evans, one of the five best pianists, and the team of Connie Kay and Percy Heath, fully half of one of the five best jazz ensembles, the Modern Jazz Quartet. So the bass and drums are in superior hands, and the lead instruments are in superstar hands. A decision is made to create a record for the Riverside label, at the time a decent-size player in the jazz business along with Prestige and Blue Note and Verve and the majors. Further decisions are to record two Bill Evans compositions, a tune by the Gershwins, one by John Lewis, pianist/leader of the MJQ, one by jazzman Clifford Jordan, and one by Gordon Jenkins, one of the most popular orchestra leaders for recordings in that time frame. The parties agreed that the project would be mostly mellow, but with a swinging foundation. The whole recipe worked perfectly, and now, 40 years later, we have this current release with two bonus tracks, alternate takes of two of the eight original selections. They turn out to be almost as good as the ones first chosen for the vinyl LP. From the first notes by Evans of his own tune "Waltz for Debbie" to the closing notes on the alternate take of "Know What I Mean?" this disc is a delight. If you like Adderley or Evans at all, grab this document attesting to how beautifully they worked together once. This one is somewhat hard to find, but worth the searching. Beautiful music that will never go out of style and is far more than background sound deserves to be in your home. You don't have to be a jazz fan to like it. Somehow this project has drawn less attention from critics and fans than it deserves. I love it.