by Scott Yanow
This CD reissue brings back a near-classic by cornetist Nat Adderley. Utilizing a cornet-cello-guitar front line (with Sam Jones and Wes Montgomery) along with a top-notch rhythm section (pianist Bobby Timmons, Percy Heath, or Keter Betts on bass and drummer Louis Hayes), Adderley performs a fine early version of his greatest hit (&Work Song&) and helps introduce Cannonball Adderley's &Sack O' Woe.& Four songs use a smaller group with Timmons absent on &My Heart Stood Still& (which finds Keter Betts on cello and Jones on bass), &Mean to Me& featuring Nat backed by Montgomery, Betts, and Hayes, and two ballads (&I've Got a Crush on You& and &Violets for Your Furs&) interpreted by the Adderley-Montgomery-Jones trio. No matter the setting, Nat Adderley is heard throughout in peak form, playing quite lyrically. Highly recommended.