Billboard : 12/03/1955
Score of 76

Some of the freshest, most imaginative jazz sounds around have been etched into this fine LP package. Kenny Clarke lives up to the billing of a classy drummer who understands that high decibel quotients do not necessarily make great drumming. His group includes Horace Silver, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jerome Richardson, tenor and flute; Julian Adderley, alto; Nat Adderley, cornet, and Donald Byrd, trumpet, all of whom show a polished knowledge of their own idiom. Collectors should take note of this disk.

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Down Beat : 10/05/1955
Nat Hentoff : 4 stars

Kenny‘s personnel includes pianist Horace Silver, tenor-flutist Jerome Richardson, bassist Paul Chambers, altoist Julian (Cannonball) Adderley, cornetist Nat Adderley, and trumpeter Donald Byrd. One number, Together Again, Hank Jones is in on piano. This LP introduces the work of three young musicians who clearly have much to contribute to jazz. Julian Adderley, already quite widely publicized, came from Florida in mid-June to impress a number of New York musicians at Café Bohemia, get on this session, and then win himself an exclusive contract on EmArcy. He’s back home now fulfilling a teaching contract, and will probably hit the road with his own band in six months to a year. His brother, Nat, was with Lionel Hampton during the latter’s last European tour. And Byrd is another of the recent valuable emigrants from Detroit. Clarke is to be congratulated for giving these newcomers such ample space on this date.

The blowing throughout is strongly emotional, unpretentious, and always swinging. Cannonball asserts he was quite nervous on this, his first record date, but he comes through as a powerful Bird-touched voice but is no copier. The man is himself and I expect further records will indicate a growing figure of importance. His brother is also a wailer. Byrd, too, indicates considerable ability as well as potential. Richardson is competent on tenor, better on flute; Chambers is a find; Horace puts down some movingly earthy piano, and Klook is always in control. The beguiling opening original is by Oscar Pettiford and is dedicated to Café Bohemia, the comfortable modern jazz caravansary in Greenwich Village. The other originals are by the Brothers Adderley. Here Me Talkin’ to Ya, therefore, is not the same tune recorded by Louis Armstrong in the ’20s. Very good recorded sound.

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Liner Notes by Ozzie Cadena

When a man is greatly talented it usually shows in everything he does, and in the case of a jazz musician, consistency of freshness, taste and originality are a prime factor. This is not necessarily the requisite of today’s jazz musicians but it does help us to judge which of our jazz musicians have “great” talents. I realize that every term which is used to describe the talents of our favorite jazz musicians has been overused, for example “Great” has been used to describe every jazzman in the world and I feel that I’d better try to differentiate my meaning of the world “great” to that of others. The “Great” I mean is the one used to describe the talents of our outstanding jazz musicians like Charlie Christian, Lester Young, Bunny Berigan, Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro and in this case, Kenny Clarke.

Kenny Clarke is today the only living legend that still lives up to his past fame. In fact, I feel that he surpasses all of his earlier accomplishments. Let us first realize that it was he who made the change from the old to the new style in drumming. It was he that introduced the accents on snare and bass drum that can be heard as you listen to almost any drummer today, and although there are many drummers that use the accents ill-advisedly, there are also quite a few that use them with taste and with a feel for the compositions and solos to which they are applied. Another achievement of Kenny’s is the toning down of the sock cymbal and the bass drum. The sock cymbal has always been heavily used to emphasize the second and fourth beats of a bar, and although Kenny still uses the sock in this way, it does not interfere with the continuity of the swing because of a very well-controlled left foot, which allows him to play the quietest sock cymbal in jazz today, and I think his reason for this is that he feels that every beat is equally important and he gives them all equal emphasis. Of course, this is not always so but if he does make a change in dynamics, he usually makes the change on his hi-hat cymbal. Another great asset of Kenny’s is to play with different feel and expression according to whoever he’s working with. His is not a certain pattern or style but his is the ability to swing constantly because of his unequalled anticipation of the beat. Listen closely to Kenny Clarke (turn your Hi-Fi set up to full treble). His taste compares favorably to the first Spring day after a cold dark winter…

More proof of Kenny’s talents is his ability to recognize someone else’s talent. While he was working at the Café Bohemia, which is located in The Village on 15 Barrow St. which is off Seventh Ave., and down the street from Café Society, Kenny had the opportunity to hear two brothers of tremendous talent. The first (he’s the oldest) plays Alto and his name is Julian Adderley, nicknamed “Cannon ball” and he is the finest Alto Saxophonist to come along in many years. His brother, Nat Adderley, plays Cornet and to me he is the most exciting jazz soloist on the scene today.

Both “Cannon Ball” and Nat were born in Tampa, Florida and began their early education in Tallahassee. They both attended Florida A&M at which time they majored in music. “Cannon Ball” began his career on Trumpet in 1941 but switch to Alto two years later and Nat picked up Trumpet also in 1945 and he made the change to Cornet in 1951. The reason for this is that he feels he has more facility on this horn. Their talents were aptly described by Oscar Pettiford one evening while he was introducing one of their compositions. He said, “The next tune is an original by Julian and Nat Adderley; two brothers from Florida who have brought some of that fine “Down Home” soul to New York, Hear Me Talkin’ To Ya Ba-by…” “Cannon Ball” taught music in the public school system in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and also wrote for TV shows while in the Army 1950-1953 and both he and Nat attended the Naval School while in service. Nat was in from 1951-1953 and he also made the last European tour with Lionel Hampton.

Also heard herein are two of Detroit’s finest talents – Donald Byrd – trumpet and Paul Chambers – Bass. Horace Silver is on Piano for all the sides except one, We’ll Be Together Again which features the Harp-like Piano playing of Hank Jones,Hank Jones]. Jerome Richardson is on tenor on Chasm and he blows Flute on Late Entry.

The swing, excitement and informality that we’ve tried to impart on this record is but a small portion of that which can be heard nightly at the Café Bohemia, and after hearing this you are sure to make this room one of your favorites for Jazz in New York.