Being squeezed between Miles Davis and John Coltrane in the former's sextet for close on two years (1957-59) refined Cannonball's already proven skills to that of a consummate world-class performer. When he eventually left to successfully reboot his very own Quintet he knew exactly how best to present himself to the listening public. Though a prolific recording artist, it's Cannonball's association with the New York-based Riverside label and producer Orrin Keepnews that many see as his most productive and this, his new Quintet's second album, is one of his finest representations from this period. Fired as much by soulful pianist Bobby Timmons (who shares piano duties with Barry Harris), as his own deep blues-drenched wail, this album sounds as contemporary today as when the tapes first rolled 58 years ago. Aside from ‘Easy Living’ and ‘Soon’, the remaining five tracks in this set represent the creative backbone of the group and, along with the best compositions of Horace Silver and Benny Golson, amount to the creative zenith of soul-infused hard bop during this period. The tracks in question are Nat Adderley's perennial call-andresponse ‘Work Song’, Bobby Timmons' ‘Dat Dere’ (the followup to his hit ‘This Here’), plus two much-covered tunes to savour in the guise of ‘Del Sasser’ by the quintet's bass player Sam Jones, and Duke Pearson's ‘Jeannine’. Finally, ‘Them Dirty Blues’ is Cannonball's sole contribution to what amounts to a magnificent cohesive performance by all participants. Recorded a year earlier, the bonus album Cannonball Takes Charge collects six familiar standards and Cannonball's ‘Barefoot Sunday Blues’. On four selections, the leader is accompanied by the Miles Davis rhythm section, while on the remaining titles it's the Heath Brothers – Percy and Albert – taking over the bass and drums duties. To reiterate a past observation, Cannonball Adderley represents the epitome of one of the truly joyous and life-affirming sounds in jazz.