Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else - Ultradisc One-Step 2 x 180g 45rpm LPs

2023

1/4" / 15 IPS Analog Master to DSD 256 to Analog Console to Lathe

Julian Cannonball Adderley's only Blue Note album, Somethin' Else, would likely forever be famous in music lore if just for the presence of Miles Davis. The iconic composer/trumpeter steps into the role of sideman on the 1958 set, one of just a handful of times he'd make such a move after the calendar passed the mid-1950s. Yet evaluating Somethin' Else strictly on Davis' involvement misses the big picture. Plain and simple, Adderley's jubilant work remains a jazz landmark due to the chemistry of its Hall of Fame personnel, enthusiasm of its participants, and sophistication of its arrangements – not to mention the reference-grade production and inclusion of the definitive renditions of two jazz standards.

Strictly limited to 6,000 numbered copies, pressed on dead-quiet MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and sourced from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition pays tribute to the record's merit and includes the bonus track "Allison's Uncle." Offering reference-caliber sonics, it provides a clear, transparent, ultra-dynamic, and up-close view of a cornerstone effort that witnesses Adderley and Davis sharing horn duty alone for the only time in their fabled careers – an arrangement that occurred as a result of Adderley having joined Davis' sextet a year prior.

The premium packaging and beautiful presentation of the UD1S Somethin' Else pressing befit its select status. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. Aurally and visually, this UD1S is made for discerning listeners who prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in everything involved with the album.

The vibrant potency reveals itself openly on a reissue that provides full-range reproduction of an ensemble that also includes pianist Hank Jones, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. Each and every snare hit, downbeat, and cymbal splash registered by the latter take on realistic proportions, blooming and decaying as they would in front of you on a stage. Jones' foundational bass lines register with uncommon depth and palpability, the litheness of the strings and fullness of the instrument epitomizing rhythm. Stellar, too, are the surefooted 88s. Sublime in scale, tonality, and attack, with the delineation such you can practically separate the white and black keys in your mind. As for that liquid interplay between Adderley and Davis? Lifelike in timbre, naturalism, purity, and presence. This version takes you there – there being Rudy Van Gelder's legendary New Jersey studio in March 1958 to witness it all unfold, again and again.

For reasons that extend far beyond the outstanding playing and flawless repertoire, Somethin' Else is without question a record you'll always want to watch and hear come together. As veteran critic Bob Blumenthal observed writing about the album four decades after its release, "The instant rapport achieved by the quintet is thus the product of much shared and common history, though the tensile strength that they create throughout created a totally unique feeling that can be attributed to the sensitive musicianship of all concerned, including the supposedly hard bopping leader and drummer." Such emotion courses throughout every passage, and no where more obviously than on "Autumn Leaves" and "Love for Sale."

Without question, the interpretations of the Johnny Mercer and Cole Porter songs, respectively, found on Somethin' Else have long been considered part of jazz's alluring mystique. Adderley and Davis bring contrasting approaches to the table yet sound of a singular mind on "Autumn Leaves," with the latter's muted trumpet and the headliner's lush alto saxophone dovetailing into a performance that endures as a blueprint for expression, counterpoint, sophistication, fluidity, and linearity. Blues, melody, and romance pour from their horns. Their bandmates, picking up on the intimate vibe and calm mood – as well as on the spry, head-over-heels spirit of "Love for Sale" – join in on the conversation with sharp economy and float-on-air roundedness.

Not to undersell the other three numbers, all deserving five-star status. Twelve measures in length, the title track offers a slow burn in swing. Written by Adderley's brother, Nat, the 12-bar "One for Daddy-O" transmits funk flavors. The closing "Dancing in the Dark" pops with lushness and temptation, its stream of bold colors and understated textures calling for a moonlight twirl, or at least fantasies suggestive of a memorable night.

Somethin' else, indeed.

More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) technique bypasses generational losses inherent to the traditional three-step plating process by removing two steps: the production of father and mother plates, which are created to yield numerous stampers from each lacquer that is cut. For UD1S plating, stampers (also called "converts") are made directly from the lacquers. Since each lacquer yields only one stamper, multiple lacquers need to be cut. Mobile Fidelity's UD1S process produces a final LP with the lowest-possible noise floor. The removal of two steps of the plating process also reveals musical details and dynamics that would otherwise be lost due to the standard multi-step process. With UD1S, every aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the best-sounding vinyl album available today.

MoFi SuperVinyl
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analog lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.

    How clear and present is the sound on this new pressing of Cannonball Adderly's majestic 1958 album Somethin' Else? In the first few moments of opening track 'Autumn Leaves,' I could hear the rattle of Adderly's saxophone reed. That clear. That present. This is my third or fourth copy of this particular album and it is, without question, the best sounding version I've heard. Played through headphones, I felt like I was gloriously surrounded by Adderly and his band, which included Miles Davis, Art Blakey, bassist Sam Jones and pianist Hank Jones. The interplay between the two horn players is especially bright and full, particularly on those tunes where Davis ditches his mute and lets it fly. I was, through every spin of this 45 RPM pressing, at their mercy and couldn't have been happier about it.
    -Robert Ham, Paste Magazine

Mastered from the 1/4" / 15 IPS Analog Master to DSD 256 to Analog Console to Lathe by Krieg Wunderlich, Assisted by Shawn R. Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Pressed at RTI
Deluxe Slipcase
Special Foil-Stamped Jackets
Faithful-to-the-Original Graphics
Bonus Track: "Allison's Uncle"

Musicians
Miles Davis     trumpet
"Cannonball" Adderley     alto sax
Hank Jones     piano
Sam Jones     bass
Art Blakey     drums

Selections

    Autumn Leaves
    Love for Sale
    Somethin' Else
    One for Daddy-O
    Dancing in the Dark
    Allison's Uncle