CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET / WIEN 1972 (1CDR)

Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone
Nat Adderley - cornet
George Duke - keyboards
Walter Booker - bass
Roy McCurdy - drums

1. Announcements by Kurt Votava
2. The Black Messiah
3. Hummin'
4. Solitomba
5. Directions
6. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
7. The Scene

The BMM label—highly popular among fans for focusing on genres like jazz and blues, which previously lacked many collector’s items—now sees its rare titles featured in the "Necromancer" series, a collection of official, budget-friendly reissues.

This release captures a performance by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Vienna, Austria, on November 4, 1972. It stems from the *Black Messiah* era, representing an evolution from the group’s classic live album, *Mercy, Mercy, Mercy*. The lineup features Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and his brother Nat Adderley, with George Duke—who would later go on to anchor the jazz-rock sound of Frank Zappa’s band—stepping in for Joe Zawinul. As soon as Duke begins playing the electric piano, the jazz-rock influence intensifies, creating an incredibly cool, driving groove that straddles the line between jazz and rock. The setlist is impeccable, including Duke’s own "The Black Messiah," as well as "Directions" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy." With superb stereo soundboard audio quality, this is an essential, must-have item for any fan of jazz or jazz-rock.