Album Review: Cannonball Adderley Quintet — Live in Montreal May 1975

Saxophonist and band leader Julian “Cannonball” Adderley was at the forefront of jazz musicians who believed that jazz is the people’s music. And he lived that ethos, moving seamlessly from hard bop to soul jazz to fusion during his sadly brief time in the spotlight.

Adderley passed away in August 1975, at only 46 years of age. Just over two weeks before his premature death, he was onstage at the In Concert Room in Montreal. As always with brother Nat on Cornet, here the Quintet also featured pianist Michael Wolff, bassist Walter Booker and Roy McCurdy on drums. The group turned in a set that drew from across his body of work.

Cannonball always shared the spotlight with his band mates, so it’s no surprise that this set opens with a Nat tune, “Five of a Kind.” The tune first appeared on Cannon’s 1973 LP Inside Straight. Ron Carter’s “First Trip” is up next, and it’s a showcase for some modern, Sun Ra-like fiddling with effects like a ring modulator.

It’s followed by Joe Zawinul’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” Unlike the most well-known version of that tune (on Live at the Club), here, the band takes it at a languorous pace, with an intriguing Cannon solo that was unfortunately poorly mic’d. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that the solo was played on a synthesizer, but Woolf’s understated electric piano playing makes it clear his hands were busy.

“The Scene” figured into many Adderley sets of the era; it’s a kind of intro/outro vamp piece with a solid bass line and some tasty wailing. As is typical of many Adderley live albums, it’s tantalizingly short, providing a bed for Cannon to introduce the band and announce a set break.

When the Quintet returns, a treasured occurrence takes place. As was his wont, Cannonball Adderley steps up to the mic and takes two full minutes to engage the audience, playfully introducing the upcoming tune. Rather than distracting from the music, Cannon’s raps are a treasured part of his live performances, and this is no exception. Here Adderley raps a bit about the plight of Native Americans.

The tune itself, “Waban,” is a lengthy piece in which Booker plays his upright bass with a bow. A solemn, angular and contemplative tune, it’s as lovely as it is understated, full of glistening piano lines and mournful bass. The Adderley brothers and McCurdy sit this one out, ceding the spotlight to the piano-and-bass duet.

“Country Preacher” was the title track to Adderley’s 1969 live album. Written for and dedicated to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, it’s an instrumental tribute to his Operation Breadbasket. In this reading of the tune, Cannon spends nearly six minutes setting the scene, exuding his trademark mix of humor and sincerity. The tune itself – a gospel-flavored soul jazz number – is in fact shorter than its spoken introduction, and it’s taken here in an understated fashion, only opening up toward the end.

And that description sums up Live in Montreal May 1975. First released in 1977 as Cannonball Volume One on the California-based Dobre Records, the recording has been out of print for some years. Expertly recorded, it captures a low-key set that may well be the last recorded live performance by the jazz giant. For that reason alone, it’s worth hearing and owning. But its musical virtues make it worthwhile as well; ultimately any Cannonball Adderley is good Cannonball Adderley.