Know What I Mean?
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18 Customer Reviews Posted
- Cannonball Cools It Down
- This is, as far as I know, the final recorded meeting of Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, the warmest and the coolest of the Kind of Blue alumni. To throw another quirk into the mix, they're backed by the light and precise tandem of Percy Heath and Connie Kay, making a guest appearance away from the MJQ.
This is a nice album, but falls short of classic status in my view. For one, while some of Cannonball's quintet albums around this time period were probably a little too light on the ballads, this one goes too far the other way. The best material is the up-tempo stuff - "Waltz for Debby", "Who Cares", "Toy" - which is just fantastic, and in general none of the rest fit into my "favorite Cannonball ballad performances" list. Also, I am not crazy about the overly-restrained rhythm section - it would have been great to have Philly Joe Jones or Paul Motian in the drum seat instead.
OK, enough complaining. If you want a mellow ballad-oriented album, more restrained than what Cannonball usually recorded, this will be right up your alley. But there are better ballad-oriented albums - and better Cannonball albums - out there. - 2008-09-21, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Very nice jazz album - it swings!
- I've been listening to Jazz heavily for years now, but I just checked out "Know What I Mean?" by Cannonball recently. I don't know why I've waited so long to actually listen to this album, but it was worth the wait. The group just plays so well together and with Cannonball and Evans fresh from their working with Miles it's nice to hear how well they play together. The rest of the rhythm team - Percy Heath on bass and Connie Kay on drums - work very well together from their working with the Modern Jazz Quartet. It's just top notch jazz -- while I'd love to hear Bill Evans stretch a bit more his statements are very nice. His Village Vanguard recordings from the same year is a great example of the best jazz interplay, this group maintains a different type of interplay (not better or worse just different) with Bill (and Cannonball) responding to the rock solid rhythm. If you neglected to check this one out, like I did, now is the time to check it out!
- 2008-02-06, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Great Combo Playing Great Jazz
- This is a fascinating collaboration. The result is far more rewarding than words can convey. Adderly is playing neither at his most blazing, or his most edgy; rather, he just lays back, relaxes and has fun singing out on some fairly straight-forward, cheerful standards. He occasionally lets his "Charlie Parker" show, but his performance is mostly "engaging". It's also technically wonderful, but the joy of the performance is what holds you.
Adderly shows his typical generosity with his guest musician. Bill Evans is just a few months removed from his legendary Village Vanguard performance. He might as well be hours away - his intriguing voicings and sparse accompaniments are very identifiable. However, he is not constantly trading off licks with the bass player like he did with his regular bassist Scott LaFaro; he has more room to work when it's his turn to solo, so his playing is busier than when he plays with his LaFaro trio. Evans fans may miss LaFaro, but it is a rare treat to hear Evans do all the heavy lifting when it's his turn to solo (at least in this stage of his career).
As a Bill Evans fan, I'm already covered up in "Waltz for Debby" renditions and thought this track would be a throw-away, especially since I have not been enamored with horn parts on the song. What a surprise - this version has quickly become my favorite version of the song and is one of my favorite cuts on the CD.
As a final note, the recording is "just right" here. There is a nice sense of space on this record that puts the listener right in the middle of things. The mix allows everyone to be heard clearly and stands out precisely because it is completely transparent.
These guys can play circles around just about anyone, but because they don't let their technique overtake the music here and let the fun show through, this is a very successful recording as a result. - 2008-01-05, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- One of the finest jazz recordings I've heard
- I always hope I'll find another jazz album that might hold up to hundreds of listenings, like Kind of Blue and Oregon's Out of the Woods, and here's one for the ages.
Not incidentally, Evans and Adderley feature heavily on Miles' masterpiece, and Cannonball wisely took Evans into the studio at Bill's creative peak a year or so later.
I was in the midst of a major Evans craze last year, rejoicing in his dozens of high-quality albums, when I came across this relatively unheralded outing as a sideman, a rare event for the master of sublime voicings. Adderley knew exactly what he was doing, as Evans frames each tune so gorgeously that Cannonball's alto never soared higher or sounded better than it does here, enveloped in Evan's classical harmonies.
Every tune is a highlight; Waltz For Debby gets yet another classic take.
Where Kind of Blue is moody and weighty, Know What I Mean is relaxed and ebullient, always joyful, even during the ballads.
This would be a perfect first album to get for someone who wants to know what jazz is. It's melodic all the way, swings with that supple MJQ rhythm, and just plain makes you feel great every time it's played.
What more can one ask of music?
God bless you, Bill. You've made so many lives so much sweeter with your heavenly music. - 2007-09-14, 1 of 2 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- A Classic Combination!
- No jazz collection is complete without this remarkable album featuring two of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. If you liked "Kind of Blue" with Bill Evans and Cannonball, you will also enjoy the soaring and sensual sounds on this cd. It begins with a gorgeous piano introduction by Bill Evans on one of his best original compositions, "Waltz for Debby". "Venice" is equally memorable, and the version of "Nancy" is tinged with a bit of sadness that will leave you breathless. Connie Kay was certainly one of the most creative drummers out there during the 50s and 60s, and his performance on "Toy" is really fun to listen to. A true must-have disc!
- 2006-09-07, 1 of 2 people found this review helpful, Rated:
