cannonball adderley - soul zodiac
once in a while $tateside step aside from their usual program of well thought out soul/disco/funk compilations, dust down a long forgotten full length album, give the music a quick mastering touch up, and re-release the gem for all to hear.
as soon as you see the cover, read the title, see that david axelrod produces, then you know that this 1972 release is essential.
taking the simple premise of presenting the 12 signs of the zodiac to made to measure chunks of cannonball adderley’s sax fronted jazz sextet, with time stamped dialogue by rick holmes (a very important figure in the world of jazz radio by all accounts), and letting the whole spaced out jazz-funk groove loose over the next 67 minutes.
now, as you may have realised, ireallylovemusic and jazz are not common bedfellows, but the addition of david axelrod to the equation means that the music often verges on the downright funky. and, being the old hip hop head that i am, i have recently realised that after years of listening to davids productions forming the foundation to many a head nodding sample, i now much prefer to kick back to the source material. as to be expected there are sections where the improv licks and pretentious narration (often echoed/reverbed adding a era defining psychedelic vibe to the proceedings) begin to outstay their welcome, but when the band are tight and focused as in the amazing 13 minute closer, taurus, then there is genuinely nothing else like it for sheer ass shaking dirty guitar jazz-funk brilliance.
with informative sleeve notes by dean rudland (who probably has the best job in the world given that he’s always involved with these reissues), brilliantly eccentric but often beautiful music, and yes, that cover, then this cannot fail to become one of the years most necessary reissues.
more detail : here