Dwain

• A classic collaboration between a fairly new to the scene but soon to become legendary singer in Nancy Wilson and a veteran saxophonist in the community in Cannonball Adderly. This album truly does have a bit of everything with the mix of vocal tunes as well as instrumental ones.

• At first, I was uncertain how I felt about the mixing of the vocal and instrumental tunes. After a comprehensive listen I have grown to love the mix of tunes on the album. Ballads from Cannonball and Nancy which are each top notch. Nancy steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park in a very big way on this one. Her control is absolutely incredible at all times from her pitch to her vowel placement to her use of vibrato and phrasing. She establishes herself as a jazz singing powerhouse.

• The piano does get drowned out in the mix at times especially during solos as well as Nat on trumpet which is a bit inexplicable and could stem from issues in recording technology and the struggles of recording live piano and muted trumpet but still leaves me scratching my head.

• This is a classic jazz album that is well revered throughout history and has stood the test of time for a reason. Definitely not one you want to miss!

Overall score: 9.1/10

Max

• This a unique recording, bringing together the minds and talents of Cannonball Adderley and Nancy Wilson. Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, and Sam Jones have a number of nice moments throughout the album as well. The flexibility, style, dynamic ability, and overall musicality of Nancy Wilson is well-expressed and her exquisite ballad singing is well-displayed. Also, the album nicely ties-in the compositional talents of Nat and the rhythm section players. Cannonball is on-point through the whole recording, and both Brothers Adderley compliment Nancy Wilson fantastically. All three are working together to accomplish the making of a record that features each of their strengths, and succeeds in showcasing Nancy’s abilities and musicianship. I enjoy the inclusion of purely instrumental tracks, as well as a vocal track that does not include horns. Such instrumentation and arranging displays musical maturity at its finest. There are a few interesting moments, such as unnecessary or unmoving introductions, and a predictable treatment from some of the arranging that occurs behind the vocal on a couple of tunes. Overall, this is a great album and must be included in any jazz collection in order for it to be deemed

Overall score: 9.0/10