It would have been hard for
Cannonball Adderley to follow up the stunning
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! with anything quite as strong or inspired. This set follows the exact same M.O. Producer
David Axelrod invited a group of friends into the Capitol studios, supplied them with free booze, warmed them up, and brought out the band (the same lineup: bassist
Victor Gaskin, drummer
Ron McCurdy, pianist
Joe Zawinul, cornetist
Nat Adderley, and
Cannonball on alto) to tear into a group of covers and originals. The better moments here include the Latin-tinged "I'm on My Way" (written by
Nat and featuring a beautifully lyrical solo by him) and a cool little read of the
Pops Staples tune the album is titled for (featuring a killer little Rhodes piano part by
Zawinul with a mournful dual head by
Cannonball and
Nat). The other hard groover is
Nat's "The Other Side," which takes the outside track in
Cannonball's solo.
Zawinul's tunes are starkly more original in contrast -- particularly "One for Newk" -- but sound less inspired somehow. The album doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, but it is a burner and
Adderley fans are likely to want to own it. ~ Thom Jurek