The Black Messiah

The Black Messiah
Live album by Cannonball Adderley
Released	1972
Recorded	1970
Genre	Jazz, jazz rock[1]
Length	87:32
Label	Capitol
Producer	David Axelrod
Cannonball Adderley chronology
The Happy People (1972)The Happy People1972 The Black Messiah (1972) Music You All (1976)Music You All1976

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

The Black Messiah is a live album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley recorded at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, California in 1970 featuring performances by Adderley's Quintet with Nat Adderley, George Duke, Walter Booker and Roy McCurdy with guest appearances by Airto Moreira, Mike Deasy, Ernie Watts, Alvin Batiste, and Buck Clarke.^[3] After many years of being out of print, The Black Messiah was reissued in 2014 by Real Gone Music; the new 2CD reissue included liner notes by music journalist/blogger Bill Kopp.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars and states: "Still immersed in the burgeoning electronic jazz-rock explosion of the times, Cannonball Adderley goes further toward a rapprochement with the rock and soul audiences than ever before on this fascinating, overlooked double album."^[4]

Track listing

All compositions by Julian "Cannonball" Adderley except as indicated

1. Introduction - 0:50
2. "Black Messiah" (George Duke) - 16:12
3. Monologue - 2:20
4. "Little Benny Hen" (Mike Deasy) - 4:15
5. "Zanek" (Deasy) - 5:07
6. "Dr. Honoris Causa" (Joe Zawinul) - 14:48
7. "The Chocolate Nuisance" (Nat Adderley, Roy McCurdy) - 8:22
8. "Untitled" (Airto Moreira) - 6:21
9. "The Steam Drill" - 8:42
10. "Eyes of the Cosmos" (Ernie Watts) - 4:51
11. "Episode from the Music Came" (Alvin Batiste) - 2:39
12. "Heritage" (Duke Ellington) - 4:43
13. "Circumference" (Duke) - 3:18
14. "Pretty Paul" - 2:48
15. "The Scene" (Nat Adderley, Zawinul) - 2:16

• Recorded at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA, in 1970

Personnel

• Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone
• Nat Adderley - cornet, vocals
• George Duke - piano
• Walter Booker - bass
• Roy McCurdy - drums
• Airto Moreira - percussion
• Mike Deasy - guitar, vocals (tracks 4, 5, 7, 10, 11 & 13-15)
• Ernie Watts - tenor saxophone (tracks 4, 5, 8, 10, 11 & 13-15)
• Alvin Batiste - clarinet (tracks 11 & 13-15)
• Buck Clarke - African percussion (tracks 7 & 13-15)

References