Not only historic but unequaled

Miles intentionally inserted himself into this Cannonball date to "advertise" the reason for the expansion of his most admired quintet to a sextet prior to Cannon's appearance (on Columbia albums such as "Milestones," "At Newport '58" and most importantly "Kind of Blue," with Bill Evans). But Cannonball's solo on this version of "Autumn Leaves" is one of his very best--if not "the" best-- of his entire career. The tone, the elliptical leaps, the coherence of the solo--here he fully justifies his reputation at the time as the "new Bird," much less validates Miles' good judgment in hiring him.

Maybe the best jazz album ever recorded!

This probably is the best jazz album ever. It certainly is in my opinion, and many, many others agree. This is the crest of hard-bop which was maybe the most sophisticated era in jazz. This is a perfect album to put on for a dinner party. It can be seen as very similar to the more famous "Kind of Blue" album by Miles Davis. "Bangoon" did not appear on the original album.

It isn’t too difficult to understand why MFSL considered this album to be a worthy candidate for an Ultradisc reissue — aside from Cannonball Adderley, you have a lineup that includes Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey. This is a group that could take on a Barry Manilow number and turn it into a jazz masterpiece. MFSL have done the purchaser a favor, too, by including an additional track that was left off the original album. This sixth track, “”Alison’s Uncle,”" closes out Somethin’ Else on a high note, changing the flow of energy in an interesting way (purists can still finish up on a quieter note, as with the original, by programming “”Dancing in the Dark”" as the final track). In many ways it’s a surprise that this track was left off originally — it’s an excellent piece, with Adderley and Davis trading licks and solos while Jones and Blakey keep pace. Blakey also takes some terrific solos. The remastering job is the usual superb MFSL effort, producing clear sound with almost no background noise. Due to the original recording (made in 1958), Davis’ trumpet sometimes seems a little shrill and metallic, but it’s not an overwhelming problem — certainly not when you consider Davis’ style. Altogether, an excellent addition to any jazz collection. – Steven McDonald