Performer Notes

Personnel: Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (alto saxophone); Miles Davis (trumpet); Hank Jones (piano); Sam Jones (bass); Art Blakey (drums).
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on March 9, 1958. Includes liner notes by Leonard Feather.
The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of SOMETHIN' ELSE includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal.
The track "Bangoon" is the correct title for the track "Allison's Uncle" that was originally included as a bonus on previous editions of SOMETHIN' ELSE.
Personnel: Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (alto saxophone); Miles Davis (trumpet); Hank Jones (piano); Sam Jones (bass); Art Blakey (drums).
Producer: Alfred Lion.
Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on March 9, 1958. Originally released on Blue Note (81595). Includes liner notes by Leonard Feather and Bob Blumenthal.
Digitally remastered using 24-bit technology by Rudy Van Gelder.
This is part of the Blue Note Rudy Van Gelder Editions series.
When alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, a high school band director from Florida, passed through New York with brother Nat during a school break, he found more excitement than he was counting on. After Julian offered to sit in for a late reedman, the session's leader, bassist Oscar Pettiford confronted him with the challenging changes of "I'll Remember April," at a breakneck tempo designed to humiliate the young upstart. Instead, Adderley responded with a solo that became the talk of the town; within days, his recording career had begun; and within a year he was able to give up his teaching job to front a full-time band.
Adderley gave up his own band in 1957 when he had the opportunity to become a sideman in Miles Davis' epic ensemble with John Coltrane, resulting in some of the greatest jazz recordings of all time (including MILESTONES and KIND OF BLUE). Davis returned the favor in March of 1958, appearing as a sideman on Adderley's all-star quintet date for Blue Note, and the resulting session is indeed SOMETHIN' ELSE.
Both horn players are at their peak of lyrical invention, crafting gorgeous, flowing blues lines on the title tune and "One For Daddy-O," as the Hank Jones/Sam Jones/Art Blakey rhythm team creates a taut, focused groove (pianist Hank Jones' sly, intuitive orchestrations are studies of harmonic understatement). Adderley's lush, romantic improvisation on "Dancing In The Dark" is worthy of Charlie Parker or Johnny Hodges, while the band refurbishes "Autumn Leaves" and "Love For Sale" into personal cliche-free swingers. And "Alison's Uncle" puts a boppish coda on SOMETHIN' ELSE, one of the most gloriously laid-back blowing sessions of the hard bop era.

Professional Reviews

Q (8/99, p.122) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...one of jazz's 'perfect' albums..."

Q (8/99, p.122) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...one of jazz's 'perfect' albums..."

Musician (12/92, p.99) - "...A champ quintet with proper balance of space and power. Blissful cool bop grooves....Among the candidates for `greatest Miles Davis record'....Separation and presence on this remastered disc are nothing short of extraordinary.."

Musician (12/92, p.99) - "...A champ quintet with proper balance of space and power. Blissful cool bop grooves....Among the candidates for 'greatest Miles Davis record'..."

Stereophile (2/93, p.119) - "...Universally praised since its first release in 1958....To even hint at criticism of the playing would be childish....An album I'll never tire of hearing..."

Record Collector (magazine) (p.100) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "The affable altoist and Florida-born former music teacher had cut a one-off album with Miles sitting in as a sideman in 1958 called SOMETHIN' ELSE."