The Jazz-Samba genre, very expressive in the 60's, was inauurated, in Brazil, by Meirelles and the Copa 5 group, in the famous record with Luiz Carlos Vinhas and Pedro Paulo (piano and trumpet). In United States, the genre came in 1962 with Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd with the excellent "Jazz Samba", in which some brazilian music's pearls are explored with the sophistication of the guitar-tenor saxophone combination. The Getz's soft tone sound and the Byrd's complex and melodic improvisations contributed to this. It is irrefutable that the peak of this brazilian music fashion in USA came in 1963, with "Getz/Gilberto", in which the samba's broken rithmys, that was a non-solved problem in Jazz Samba, are well managed by Milton Banana.
Following this line, "Cannonball's Bossa Nova" record brings a experienced drummer, Dom Um Romão, who also is present in the Sinatra/ Tom Jobim record. This secure rhytmic support is noticed too in the Durval Ferreira's accompaniment, simple and, so, beatiful. With Sergio Mendes, about his short solos, we have a paralell in the minimalistic improvisation of Jobim. This cool touch it's well perceived in Jobim's solos in the music "O Grande Amor" (Getz/Gilberto) and in the record "The Composer of Desafinado Plays" (1963), in which, almost always, only the right hand is used. Cannonball, a high quality saxophonist, complete the group. His perfect technique allows the full exploration of his musical ideas. His extrem softness and potent sonority (remembers Getz sometimes) and his bebop/bluesy musical speech, Charlie Parker's heritage, are perfect not to a bossa nova record, but for a jazz/bossa approach.
The entire record gets a fine taste, but "Amor em Paz (Once I Loved)", lovely Jobim's melody, shows the great artist who is Cannonball Adderley. Not in his "soul music" incursions, but in his great and pungent lyrical sense that he gives to the ballads ("Stars Fell in Alabama", in the "C.A Quintet in Chicago", 1959, is my preferred). It is almost irresistible to compare Corcovado (Quiet Nights) in this record with Getz/Gilberto record, but both are great, each one with his qualities. For the jazz lovers and for the brazilian music lovers this record is, farther indispensable, a great joy, a great example of good music, a... so, listen it!!! ASAP!!!