Unit 7

by Mike Smith

Overview

Mike Smith wears his Cannonball Adderley influences proudly, and on this tribute disk the parallels are even more evident. That said, Smith, a fine, articulate player and capable leader, is just as easily recognizable as a disciple of Phil Woods or Sonny Stitt, players with a more precise, incisive approach to the alto sax compared to Adderley's earthy virtuosity. Generally, Smith and company make tidier packages of these pieces than the Adderley quintet did in the late '50s and early to mid-'60s. What the Chicago-based Smith and company dispense with in unbridled soul, they make up for with tight ensemble playing and coolly incandescent solo work. Pianist Jodie Christian is a main contributor to the clean lines that shape these performances. Trumpeter Ron Friedman, like Smith, brings his own bright, agile sound to the session. Guitarist Sid Jacobs is on hand for one track, the jazz samba "La Luz de la Luna," the only Smith original on the CD. This set usefully includes a full-length airing of Sam Jones' title track, which the Adderley quintet used in truncated form to signal breaks between sets. The inclusion of Nat Adderley's ballad "Pisces" is also valuable, since the version by Nat's group was recorded -- to its detriment -- with Age of Aquarius hipster vocals from Los Angeles DJ Rick Holmes on the 1972 LP Soul Zodiac. (Brother Nat also contributes Unit 7's liner notes.) While made with audible care and skill, this 1990 release remains content to bask in the shadows of the Adderley quintet, rather than use it as a point of departure to new musical horizons. ~ Jim Todd

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/1993
Label:	DELMARK
UPC:	0038153044428

Tracks

1. Unit 7
2. Hi-Fly
3. La Luz de la Luna
4. Work Song
5. Jeanine
6. Pisces
7. Dat Dere
8. A Little Taste

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mike Smith   Primary Artist,Sax (Alto),Sax (Alto)
Sid Jacobs   Guitar
Alejo Proveda   Percussion
Ron Friedman   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Robert Shy   Drums
Jodie Christian   Piano
John Whitfield   Bass

Technical Credits

Duke Pearson   Composer
Sam Jones   Composer
Sam Fishkin   Mixing
Robert G. Koester   Producer
Nat Adderley   Composer,Liner Notes
Michael Roberts   Photography
Randy Weston   Composer
Mike Smith   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Cannonball Adderley   Composer
Bobby Timmons   Composer
Oscar Brown, Jr.   Composer
Paul Holderbaum   Producer
Doug Scharf   Engineer
Michael J. Smith   Composer
Al Brandtner   Cover Design