The Black Messiah


The Black Messiah is a live album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley recorded at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, California in 1971 featuring performances by Adderley's Quintet with Nat Adderley, George Duke, Walter Booker and Roy McCurdy with guest appearances by Airto Moreira, Mike Deasy, Ernie Watts, Alvin Batiste, and Buck Clarke. After many years of being out of print, The Black Messiah was reissued in 2014 by Real Gone Music; the new 2CD reissue included liner notes by music journalist/blogger Bill Kopp.

Chart performance

The album was one of his last charting ones, it peaked at No. 167 on the Billboard Top LPs in early 1972, during a three-week stay on the chart.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars and states: "Still immersed in the burgeoning electronic jazz-rock explosion of the times, Cannonball Adderley goes further toward a rapprochement with the rock and soul audiences than ever before on this fascinating, overlooked double album."

Track listing

All compositions by Julian "Cannonball" Adderley except as indicated
  1. Introduction – 0:50
  2. "Black Messiah" – 16:12
  3. Monologue – 2:20
  4. "Little Benny Hen" – 4:15
  5. "Zanek" – 5:07
  6. "Dr. Honoris Causa" – 14:48
  7. "The Chocolate Nuisance" – 8:22
  8. "Untitled" – 6:21
  9. "The Steam Drill" – 8:42
  10. "Eyes of the Cosmos" – 4:51
  11. "Episode from the Music Came" – 2:39
  12. "Heritage" – 4:43
  13. "Circumference" – 3:18
  14. "Pretty Paul" – 2:48
  15. "The Scene" – 2:16

Personnel