Nat Adderley: "Double Exposure"

I’m just now realizing that I’ve largely sidestepped my jazz fixation in this installment, until now.  While you might find the aforementioned Young-Holt Unlimited album in the jazz bins, it’s more of a soul album when considering its arrangements and vocals; this Adderley effort, while commercial in its own way, still manages to exude the sort of improvisational prowess that can only come from a veteran deeply embedded in every aspect of his craft, which Nat Adderley most certainly was.  I obtained this record while navigating the nefarious waters of ebay, not a path I’d particularly recommend, however, this was a beautiful find, and one of the most obscure titles on my Prestige want list.  The content of the album itself is wide-ranging, from funk workouts like “Quit It” and “Contant 19” to avant-rock-jazz excursions like “Traffic.”  Best of all is the searching, spiritual “Song Of The Valdez Diamond,” a classic Adderley-style fusion composition, rough corners and smooth textures floating above an exquisite melody.  “Double Exposure” is a one-of-a-kind album, the kind that reaffirms belief in the crate-digging dream.