Cannonball Adderley live kicks us off, Concha Buika boosts us into the stratasphere, and 12 versions of "You Are Too Beautiful" gently brings us back to earth featuring Thelonious Monk, Joe Williams, Chico Freeman, Ernie Andrews, Red Garland, Sarah Vaughan, Oliver Jones, McCoy Tyner with Jose James, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Kurt Elling, Harold Mabern, and of course John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman.
Cannonball Adderley was not only a popular jazz musician, he was also a populist in that he spoke to and about the working people of the black community. He was eloquent, often witty and able to engender a feeling of unity among his audiences. Although he was definitely a “race man” in that he championed the causes and culture of black people, he was not a racial essentialist, hence some of Cannonball’s most popular and most enduring soul selections (for example “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Country Preacher”) were written by and featured on piano the Viennese wonder, brother Joe Zawinul from Austria. Cannonball had perfected the seemingly contradictory practice of advocating black is beautiful with a racially integrated band.
But then, the paradoxical ability to hold together seemingly antagonistic impulses was an essential characteristic of Cannonball Adderley. His always charming and charismatic personality was balanced by a gracious penchant for promoting younger or emerging artists. Cannonball was responsible for introducing Wes Montgomery to Riverside records, Cannon promoted the young Nancy Wilson, re-introduced and shared a recording with veteran vocalist Ernie Andrews. The list goes on, but the point is brother Adderley never failed to reach out to help others.
—kalamu ya salaam