Natural Soul by Nat Adderley Milestone (MSP 9009) Publication date 1968

 SIDE 1

1. FOO FOO (4:12) #

2. LITTLE BIG HORN (5:19) #

3. ROSES FOR YOUR PILLOW (5:08)

4. HALF-TIME (4:47)

SIDE 2

1. EL CHICO (6:41)

2. BROADWAY LADY (4:17)

3. LONELINESS (4:15) #

4. HUSTLE WITH RUSSELL (4:19) #

All selections composed by NAI ADDERLEY (except

Half-Time, by Julian and Nat Adderley); Dillard Music

(BMI)

For quite some time now, sou/ has been one of the

most frequently manufactured products of the record

business. Sometimes it is properly made to order; but

too often it seems just a bit mass-produced. It comes

in all shapes and sizes — from girl singers who deliver

the righteous gospel sound (only the words have been

changed, to something a little more earthy), on through

down-home wailing background violinists (probably

picking up some small change on a day off from the

Philharmonic), down to funky instrumental groups (some

combinations — like organ and tenor — are auto-

matically certified as soulful; others may have to work

real hard at it). Any kind of song can be put into the

soul bag, but it is generally looked on as wasteful not

to include in every instrumental-soul program a couple

of recent vocal hits... .

All things considered, it's not really surprising that

so much of the stuff sounds as if it came out of the same

meat-grinder. If there were any justice in the world,

we would all be equipped with an internal alarm system

that would set off buzzers, or light up a ‘Tilt’ sign,

whenever an example of the machine-made pseudo-

soul product came into earshot. Lacking such a device,

all one can do is to pay close attention in an effort to

separate the false (which is usually very professional-

sounding and often quite deceptive) from the true.

Obviously enough, one purpose of the preceding

comment on what’s wrong is to emphasize the rightness

of the recording at hand. This album has been given

the title ‘Natural Soul’’ — presumably the intention is

to underline the difference between what is going on

here and anything artificial, forced and un-natural. The

point is very well taken. Nat Adderley is one of those

people who don’t have to make any deliberate effort

to become soulful; he just naturally is, and that’s the

way he plays. What he does on this LP is in itself a

fine living definition of what musical “‘soul” is all about,

thereby saving us the trouble of trying to spell it out

in words.

Nat ic a member of a most musical family. and a

long-time colleague of his older brother Julian — more

commonly known as Cannonball Adderley. (It has been

noted that there is something very soulful about two

brothers, in or out of music, getting on as well and

working together as closely as they do!) Nat spends

the greater part of his professional energies within the

framework of Cannonball’s highly successful band; but

when he can be persuaded to step out and record on

his own, the result is usually very pleasurably unique,

with its own distinctive flavor. Among other things, Nat

is a notable composer: his credits include such full-

fledged hits as Sermonette, Jive Samba and Work Song.

Thus he enjoys the challenge and opportunity of putting

together an entire program of his own material, as he

has done here. No need to copy someone else's hit-

type tune: Foo Foo can stand on its own quite nicely,

thank you; and E/ Chico has its own approach to the

funky-Latin bag. There are even two examples of that

rarest kind of jazz original: Loneliness and Roses for

Your Pillow are both warm and touching ballads. (Ac-

tually, not all the numbers are strictly Nat’s; Half-Time,

with a football reference in its title that becomes clear

once you listen, was co-authored by Cannonball.)

Calling Nat a ‘natural soul” is certainly not to call

him a country boy. The man, like his music, is usually

very direct and unpretentious, but sometimes quite

sophisticated and often deeply tinged with wry humor.

Above all, he is an unfailingly intelligent and interesting

performer; and the same can be said for his associates

here. Junior Mance, who played with Nat in the very

first Cannonball Adderley Quintet, is as fine a blues

pianist as you could hope to find. The special sound

here, of course, is the cornet-and-guitar combination,

and it is equally special whether the guitarist is Kenny

Burrell or Jim Hall. Rather than get into any analysis

of either of these major figures, let's just note that

Kenny (who is the more bluesy) at times plays prettier

than you might expect, while Jim (with the softer touch)

at times becomes very mean indeed.

When you notice the recording dates, you'll find that

this is not a brand-new album (something | very much

doubt you could learn from the very up-to-date music

itself). Actually, these sides have had a sort of under-

ground fame; originally, very few copies were pressed

by a label that almost immediately went out of business.

So this really represents the first normal chance for

listeners to latch on to this program by the soulful

younger Adderley. And I’m sure there will be general

agreement that it’s much better late than never!

— LEVY MARTIN

Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios (New York City) on Sept. 23 (#)

and Oct. 4, 1963. Recording Engineer: RAY FOWLER. Re-mastered,

Feb. 1968, by RAY HAGGERTY (Madison Sound Studios). Cover

photograph by CHARLES STEWART. Back-liner photographs by

ED MICHEL. Album design by STUDIO GRAFICA LTD.

This material previously had brief and limited distribution in 1964

on another label under the album title “Little Big Horn.” It is the

property of Junat Productions, and is released at this time by spe-

cial arrangement with them.