This reissue opens with an extrovert blowing session quite unlike the formal structures Milt Jackson usually worked in with the MJQ. The well-named Plenty, Plenty Soul is an ultra slow, down-home blues which was always one of his specialities. It allows all the heavyweight soloists to introduce themselves, with the amazing Jimmy Cleveland together with Sahib Shihab making particularly telling contributions. Art Blakey’s exemplary work here is notable for his trademark press-roles combined with subtle percussive effects adding variety and interest to the arrangement.
The leader’s song-like Heartstrings is a particularly lyrical ballad which really deserves a lyric. His chorus here flies by in a flurry of swiftly articulated arpeggios dominated by his uniquely slow vibrato.
Cannonball Adderley’s contribution to Boogity Boogity reveals just why he took the New York jazz scene by storm two years earlier when he sat in with Oscar Pettiford’s group at the Café Bohemia. With his exuberant sound and striking ideas he became one of the most original altos to emerge in the late 50s. There’s more fine Cleveland trombone here along with a typically blues-drenched contribution from Horace Silver.
The quintet titles recorded two days earlier, in which Lucky Thompson’s dark-hued tenor contrasts with Joe Newman’s sparkling trumpet, have a more intimate quality. The horns create a spiritual, goin’-to-the-meetin’ feel on Adderley’s soulful Sermonette. Jon Hendricks later added a lyric to Sermonette which he recorded with Dave Lambert and Annie Ross (Avid AMSC1320).
The date ends as it began with a slow 12-bar allowing the leader to stretch out on Quincy Jones’ Blues At Twilight. Newman (in a harmon), Thompson and Silver are equally inspired on what is an album highlight.
Discography
(1) Plenty, Plenty Soul; Boogity Boogity; Heartstrings; (2) Heartstrings; (3) Sermonette; The Spirit-Feel; Ignunt Oil; Blues At Twilight (47.05)
Jackson (vib) with: (1) Joe Newman (t); Jimmy Cleveland (tb); Cannonball Adderley (as); Frank Foster (ts); Sahib Shihab (bar); Horace Silver (p); Percy Heath (b); Art Blakey (d). New York, 7 January 1957.
(2) Oscar Peterson (p); Ray Brown (b); Ed Thigpen (d). New York, 18 September 1961.
(3) Joe Newman (t); Lucky Thompson (ts); Horace Silver (p); Oscar Pettiford (b); Connie Kay (d). New York, 5 January 1957.
20th Century Masterworks 350266LP
