Music » Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo Music

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

Root Down captures the king of the Hammond B3 organ, Jimmy Smith, playing down and dirty R&B. It isn't that Smith had forgotten that he was one of the jazz greats for this 1972 live concert, but with an LA rhythm section, there is definitely a groove here. A damn funky groove, at that. The album includes two versions (one previously unissued) of Smith's "Root Down," a song covered by the Beastie Boys in 1994. There is also a hypnotic reading of Al Green's pleading "Let's Stay Together," which yet again proves that Jimmy Smith is a man with a lot of soul. But it is when he ups the pace that the album really comes alive, such as on his "Slow Down Sagg," released here in its entirety for the first time. With Arthur Adams accompanying on fat-back guitar, its raw funk would impress James Brown. With Root Down, dancing shoes are essential. --Phil Brett

Recorded live in performance, this 1962 recording is evidence that Wes Montgomery was first and foremost a live player, able to build long, sinewy solos, giving justification to the concept of "stretching out." And the excitement only builds when tenorist Johnny Griffin jumps in. Fiery and articulate, Griffin was at the top of his game as his excellent solos on Montgomery's "Cariba" and Dizzy Gillespie's "Blue 'n' Boogie" testify. Add the Miles Davis rhythm section of Jimmy Cobb on drums, Paul Chambers on bass, and the elegant Wynton Kelly on piano, and you have some truly sparkling live jazz from the classic era. --Wally Shoup

This 22-track retrospective represents well the 20 albums Gene Harris made for Concord Records over 14 years. The barrelhouse rocking pianist was obviously getting better with age, as one of his best discs was his last, Alley Cats (1999), made shortly before his death and represented here by a cover of the Crusaders' classic "Put It Where You Want It." The track is very indicative of the rest of this two-CD set, as it was recorded live, like nearly half of this compilation. Harris played always as if each tune were as familiar as "Put It," with tantalizing arrangement and distinctive soloists (sax men Red Holloway and Ernie Watts). Other standout guests throughout this well-paced set include bassist Ray Brown, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, and saxophonist Scott Hamilton. It's up to the very big tenor sax of the late Stanley Turrentine to kick the whole thing off with the funky blues number "Uptown Sop." Harris's successful big band takes on a pair of tracks and a number of slower tunes that drip with gutsy emotion, particularly Fats Waller's "Black and Blue" and Erroll Garner's smooth "Crème de Menthe." Other finger-snapping, toe-tapping highlights include one of the most entertaining arrangements ever of the nearly century-old "Sweet Georgia Brown," and Harris's daughter Nikki's duet with organist Jack McDuff on Z.Z. Hill's blues classic "Down Home Blues." --Mark A. Ruffin

Release Date: 2002-03-05, Audio CD, Sony

Release Date: 2003-02-11, Audio CD, Savoy Jazz

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Release Date: 2000-01-11, Audio CD, Milestone

Release Date: 1991-07-01, Audio CD, Ojc