"IN PERSON"

ELOQUENT is the Word for Julian Adderley, and it may be applied With equal accuracy to two areas of his public personality. Eloquent, according to Webster, mean "'expressing oneself with moving force and fluency" or "vividly or movingly expressive or revealing." There may well be a relationship between Cannon's verbal eloquence and the fluency with which he expresses himself through the saxophone. In any event, both sides of him are characteristically in evidence here.

As has become customary in the group, a broad spectrum is covered, from the roots-conscious simplicity of Nat Adderley's "Sweet Emma" to the oblique abstractions of Joe Zawinul's "Rumpelstiltskin."

The latter offers a characteristic example of the combo in its modal, modern bag, building and sustaining a mood in a long and continuously vital interpretation. Not the least of its virtues is the superbly spirited undercurrent supplied by Roy Mc Curdy's drums. Cannonball's ebullient alto solo evolves into a series of explorations with the varitone octave divider. Nat Adderley takes over next. After examining the normal capabilities of the cornet he moves down into the strange lower register variations that provided one of the more remarkable features in the title performance in their last "live" album, "74 Miles Away" (Capitol ST-2822). Zawinul jumps in and out of a whole market-basket-full of bags. Starting out with sturdy bass support from Vic Gaskin, he proceeds to an unaccompanied passage that moves unpredictably from pure classicism to avant garde freedom. By the time the ensemble takes over around the ten minute mark, the rollercoaster excitement of this stupendous series of solos makes one regret the arrival of the closing theme.

The next two tracks are remarkable for their genuine spontaneity. Neither Lou Rawls nor Nancy Wilson had been set to take part in the session. When Lou called producer Dave Axelrod and proudly announced the birth of a daughter, Axelrod asked him to drop over to the session to celebrate. When he arrived, word of his presence soon spread through the audience and, naturally, there were calls for his participation. Cannon brought him into the proceedings with the comment: "I wonder if we can do some blues with Lou?" "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water," originally recorded by Rawls on his date with Les McCann (Capitol ST-1714) has a loose and happy feeling, exhibiting him in a groove that can never go wrong - the traditional 12-bar blues form.

Similarly Nancy Wilson, spotted in the crowd, was added to the proceedings on the spur of the moment. This was a nostalgic reunion, for it was Cannon who discovered Nancy in 1959. "Save Your Love For Me," the old Buddy Johnson tune, was the first track on an album they had recorded jointly (Capitol ST-1657) seven years ago.

The side concludes with the band's familiar theme, "The Scene," with Julian thanking the audience and Nat leading the band out.

"Somewhere," the poignant Leonard Bernstein ballad, has long been heard as a representation of Julian's melodic side. There are touches of Benny Carter in his sound when he plays at this tempo and in this mood.

"The Scavenger" ("Written during the garbage strike," Cannon explains) features Julian's soprano saxophone. He was a late arrival in the ranks of those who would rather switch than fight against the upward trend in saxophone sounds, but once he made the jump, it was accomplished with an assurance and musicianship typical of him.

As anyone will guess who has visited the French Quarter in New Orleans, "Sweet Emma" is a tribute to Emma Barrett, the veteran pianist whose history goes back to the Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra, and who has remained active with the revivalist bands. The old-timey changes and the charmingly simple style of the solos by Nat and Joe indicate that they are not too completely caught up in today's happenings to be unaware of what goes on in Preservation Hall.

This side concludes with a relaxed and soulful performance of "Zorba"' (Life Is), a song from the Broadway Musical "Zorba," with the leader again featured on soprano.

In the notes for the "74 Miles Away" album I commented that the session was a sort of family reunion, since Nat's and Joe's wives and parents were present. In another sense, the present album is a family gathering too; an exercise in mutual friendship, love and musical empathy between the leader, the sidemen and his guest stars. As the results testify, they too turn out to constitute a happy family.

LEONARD FEATHER