Cannonball Adderley - Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley (Music CD)

Adderley's abilities as a talent scout have long been overlooked. He helped discover Nancy Wilson early in her career, and by 1961, she was already on her way to becoming a popular middle-of-the-road singer. Instead of alternating instrumental performances by his quintet with Wilson's vocals, as on the LP, this CD (which adds a previously unissued "Little Unhappy Boy" to the original LP) sounds like two separate sets, due to the placement of the seven vocals at the beginning of the program. Never really a jazz singer, Nancy Wilson sounds more influenced by jazz on these numbers (particularly on "Never Will I Marry," "The Masquerade Is Over," and "A Sleepin' Bee") than she would later on. The instrumentals include fine versions of "I Can't Get Started" and "Unit 7." ~ Scott Yanow