The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco

Background

The album was recorded at The Jazz Workshop in San Francisco before an appreciative standing room only crowd. The album broke new ground as a live recording taped in noisy club environments, creating a formula which not only the Cannonball Quintet but other jazz ensembles would follow. Producer Keepnews reflected that it "was such a phenomenal success that not only did I do a lot of such recordings afterwards, but I think that virtually all jazz producers felt that it was a good thing to do". Also unusual for the time was Keepnews' decision to retain Adderley's comments to the crowd.

Reception

Producer and jazz critic Orrin Keepnews described the album as "the birth of contemporary live recording" and in May 1960, Time noted that the album's then 50,000 copies sold was "phenomenal for a jazz record", raising the album to the bestseller charts. Music critic Scott Yanow describes the album as a "gem [...] essential for all jazz collections." The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3 stars, stating: "In San Francisco is a little overstretched, with four tracks nudging the 12-minute mark and some of the solos running out of steam too soon".

Track listing

1. "This Here" (Bobby Timmons) – 12:29
2. "Spontaneous Combustion" (Cannonball Adderley) – 11:55
3. "Hi-Fly" (Randy Weston) – 11:09
4. "You Got It!" (Cannonball Adderley) – 5:10
5. "Bohemia After Dark" (Oscar Pettiford) – 8:06
6. "Straight, No Chaser" (Thelonious Monk) – 11:43 (2000 Bonus Track; 2007 Bonus Track)
7. "This Here [Alternate Take]"– 11:40 (2007 Bonus Track)
8. "You Got It! [Alternate Take]" – 6:11 (2007 Bonus Track)

Personnel

Technical personnel