Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley

1	Save Your Love for Me 2:38
2	Never Will I Marry 2:16
3	The Old Country 2:57
4	Happy Talk 2:21
5	The Masquerade Is Over 4:15
6	A Sleepin' Bee 2:32
7	Little Unhappy Boy 2:14
8	Teaneck 4:30
9	I Can't Get Started 4:55
10	One Man's Dream 5:09
11	Never Say Yes 3:57
12	Unit 7 6:04

Barnes & Noble

Partnerships that occur in the recording studio rarely get more propitiously productive than the meeting of vocalist Nancy Wilson and the soulful hard bop unit of saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. The hand-in-glove fit between singer and band is nowhere more in evidence than on the hit "Save Your Love for Me" -- which remains a signature song for Wilson. An intimate duet between Wilson and pianist Joe Zawinul (later a cofounder of Weather Report) on the standard "The Masquerade is Over" demonstrates Wilson's subtle artistry and authentic feel for jazz singing. Yet as commanding as her contributions are, this is truly a shared masterpiece. A number of tracks feature Adderley's whip-smart band -- with its propulsive team of bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes -- sans singer. On performances like the classic "Unit 7," this model hard bop quintet earns its exalted reputation and then some. Steve Futterman

All Music Guide

An excellent collaboration of the Nancy Wilson voice with the Cannonball Adderley alto sax from the early '60s. While this 1961 recording was the first time Wilson was with Adderley in the studio, it was not the first time they had worked together. After singing with Rusty Bryant's band, Wilson had worked with Adderley in Columbus, OH. (It was there that Adderley encouraged her to go to N.Y.C. to do some recording, eventually leading to this session.) Not entirely a vocal album, five of the 12 cuts are instrumentals. A highlight of the album is the gentle cornet playing of Nat Adderley behind Wilson, especially on "Save Your Love for Me" and on "The Old Country." Cannonball Adderley's swinging, boppish sax is heard to excellent effect throughout. Joe Zawinul's work behind Wilson on "The Masquerade Is Over" demonstrates that he is a talented, sensitive accompanist. On the instrumental side, "Teaneck" and "One Man's Dream" are especially good group blowing sessions. On the other end of the spectrum, Adderley's alto offers a lovely slow-tempo treatment of the Vernon Duke-Ira Gershwin masterpiece, "I Can't Get Started." To keep the listeners on their musical toes, the first couple of bars of "Save Your Love for Me" are quotes from "So What" from the Miles Davis Sextet seminal Kind of Blue session. Given the play list and the outstanding artists performing it, why any serious jazz collection would be without this classic album is difficult to comprehend. Dave Nathan