Cannonball’s final Mercury label release, here with very good Hot Stamper grades on both sides of this original pressing
It’s richer and fuller than the average copy, with notably more presence, and that will be especially true when you compare it to whatever godawful Heavy Vinyl pressing may be currently available
This is true of even our lowest-priced, lowest-graded copies – they are guaranteed to sound much better than any pressing you can find on the market today, as well as any pressing you may already own
There are some bad marks (as is sometimes the nature of the beast with these early pressings) on “Stars Fell On Alabama,” but once you hear the sound of this copy, you might be inclined, as we were, to stop counting ticks and just be swept away by the music
4 1/2 stars: “Altoist Cannonball Adderley and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane really push each other on these six selections… With pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb playing up to their usual level, this gem is highly recommended.”
