Up to and including the album cover which hearkens back to the classic 1959 Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco, alto saxist Jim Snidero and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt deliver a heartfelt musical tribute to the soulful quintet that mixed bop and gospel.
Not imitating the Adderley brothers, but honoring the style and feel, Pelt and Snidero team up with David Hazeltine/p, Nat Reeves/b and Billy Drummond/dr to get into some deep soul grooves, as on the Sunday feeling rivulet of “Sack O’Woe” and the upbeat bopper “Del Sasser.” Snidero’s alto is bel canto swooning as he milks every note on the soft ballad with Hazeltine on “Stars Fell on Alabama” whle Pelt sears on his boogalooing “Party Time” and mutes like a hep cat on a bluesy “Wabash.” Drummond digs deep throughout the session, delivering a snappy intro before the horns crackle at the gates on “Work Song” and is light and delectable for the oozing harmonics of Snidero’s minor mooded “Ball’s 90th.” A must have for hard bop fans with soul.
Savant Records