Pepper Adams - Julian (1975)

Recorded five days before Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's death, the title cut of this album was retitled and dedicated to the late altoist. The powerful baritonist Pepper Adams is well showcased with a quartet comprised of pianist Walter Norris, bassist George Mraz and drummer Makaya Ntshoko on three of his originals, one by Norris and two ("Three And One" and "'Tis") by Thad Jones. Adams is in typically excellent form, playing intense solos that push but stay within the boundaries of hard bop. AMG

01 - Jirge
02 - Julian
03 - Spacemaker
04 - Ad Astra
05 - Three and One
06 - Tis
07 - Time on My Hand
08 - Lady Luck

Pepper Adams (bs) Walter Norris (p) George Mraz (b) Makaya Ntshoko (d)
Live at The Domicile, Munich, Germany. August 13, 1975

Recorded on the German Enja label and unavailable for some time, this is a from a limited edition Japanese CD.

Walter Norris and Geoge Mraz - Hues Of Blues 1995

A conversation renewed two decades later with all those subsequent experiences and insights stirred into the mix. There was so much great stuff coming out on Concord in the 80's and 90's that it is not surprising this one was kind of lost in the shuffle. The recording and mastering are fabulous and the music is outstanding....just lovely stuff!

Walter Norris - Drifting [flac]

I am a big fan of the 'conversational' aspect of Jazz; that point where the interaction of the players is clearly more than just a formula or a chart or (the worst) a prearranged simulatiuon. It is a level of the art most frequently exhibited in duo and trio settings where there is plenty of room for all. I think, perhaps, that we might do a whole little recurring segment for a bit on the art of duo, I'm leading off with this one and we will see how the guys respond (I haven't discussed it with anyone, just occured to me now). I've got other things in the cue right now, but this strikes me as a theme that we could visit regularly.

I have loved this album from the very first day I heard it some 30+ years ago. Beautiful and sensative playing from both pianist Walter Norris and bassist George Mraz are an unwavering constant throughout the set and the recording quality is exceptional....two thumbs and two big toes up!

I've seen at least 3 different covers for the album, this is the one that I first heard...over time 2 extra tracks have surfaced and those are included here as are the other covers.