The Cannonball Adderley Quintet - Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!: Live at "The Club"

"Live at 'The Club'" boasts the cover of this 1966 album. Of course, this turned out to be a lie, as did the entirety of the original liner notes. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy was not recorded at that Chicago venue, but instead at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. (The ruse was a favor to the club owner.) The hollering audience was comprised of invited guests and stimulated by free booze. Still, their enthusiasm is definitely well warranted, as alto man Cannonball Adderley and his band offer a riveting blend of postbop calisthenics and soul-jazz grooves. Joe Zawinul's famous title track, with its hypnotic, gospel-drenched funkiness, was a crossover top 10 pop hit, as well as an astonishing exercise in restraint for Zawinul, who somehow resists the urge to dig in on his electric piano, instead opting for a deep, mellow mood. The rest of the album cooks, with Cannonball, brother Nat on cornet, and Zawinul supplying the heat. -- Marc Greilsamer