Late in 1961, while riding a crest of soulful success, Cannonball Adderley proceeded to make a good thing even more so. First he hired an extremely funky young Austrian pianist named Josef Zawinul, and shortly thereafter he expanded his group by adding the unique multi-reed talents of Yusef Lateef. This powerful sextet- also including the original rhythm team of Sam Jones and Lou Hayes, and what brother Cannon used to introduce as "our brass section, Nat Adderley"-is heard here in a notable group of first-time releases that have survived in secret for two decades. To my ears they do not show any signs of age.
Newly-discovered performances tend to make any properly cynical jazz fan a bit suspicious. If they're so good, how come they weren't issued in the first place? In this case, the answer is easy: it's primarily because Cannonball was such a large-spirited and generous man. The band's always-substantial repertoire intermingled new material with old favorites, and even when-as in these instances -one important purpose of the gig was recording, he declined to focus only on tunes intended for the new album. The in- person customers had their rights, too.
But while the 1963 Tokyo audience loved a sextet performance of "This Here," it was only three years since the original recording of that instant soul classic had launched the band like a rocket. Similarly, Bohemia Mter Dark" was part of that same first Quintet album, "New Delhi" was on a 1961 Adderley session, and "Never Say Yes" had been recorded that same year on a Capitol LP with Nancy Wnson. None of these could even be thought of for issuance at that time.
[Only "Peter and the Goats" (which is Yusef's depiction of the night a friend got drunk and retinted a small herd with red paint) was considered and passed over 20 years ago-we had an excess of material for an album and elected to go with something else. On recent relistening, this struck me as a definite mistake in judgment and I'm pleased to be able to belatedly reverse that decision.]
Obviously, the old reasons for not issuing have lost their validity .And, most unfortunately, it's now true that only by such rediscovery of over looked performances can we ever hear fresh examples of the joyful artistry of Cannonball Adderley and of the special kind of jazz spirit that existed around him.Such things as Nat's buoyant treatment of "Never Say Yes," Yusef's unique flute lead on "New Delhi," Zawinul's super-earthy "This Here" solo-you don't hardly get to hear this kind of music these days, and that's a shame.

-Orrin Keepnews

Album produced by ORRIN KEEPNEWS (for Segway Productions).
Tape reprocessing, rerecording, remix by Danny Kopelson; mastering by George Horn, 1982
(Fantasy Studios, Berkeley).
This previously unissued material released by special arrangement with Nat Adderley and the Estate of Julian Adderley
Art direction-Phil Carroli / Cover photo-Lee Tanner