Julian Cannonball Adderley

Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928 - August 8, 1975), originally from Tampa, Florida, was a jazz saxophonist of the small combo era of the 1950s and 1960s.

Related Topics:
September 15 - 1928 - August 8 - 1975 - Tampa, Florida - Jazz - Saxophonist - 1950s - 1960s

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Cannonball was a local legend in Florida until he moved to New York in 1955. He joined the Miles Davis sextet in 1957, around the time that Sonny Rollins left the band. He played on the seminal Davis records, Milestones and Kind of Blue.

Related Topics:
Miles Davis - Sonny Rollins - Milestones - Kind of Blue

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The Cannonball Adderley Quintet featured Cannonball on alto sax and his brother Nat Adderley on cornet. Adderley's first quintet was not very successful. However, after leaving Davis' group, he reformed another, again with his brother, which enjoyed more success. The Quintet and other combos included such noted musicians as pianists Bobby Timmons, Victor Feldman and Joe Zawinul (later of Weather Report), drummers Art Blakey and Sam Jones; and saxophonists Charles Lloyd and Yusef Lateef. The group was noteworthy for achieving crossover success with pop audiences, without making artistic concessions.

Related Topics:
Nat Adderley - Bobby Timmons - Victor Feldman - Joe Zawinul - Weather Report - Art Blakey - Sam Jones - Charles Lloyd - Yusef Lateef

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The nickname "Cannonball" was a corruption of "cannibal", a childhood nickname for the portly saxophonist. An articulate speaker with an easy manner, Cannonball educated, amused, and informed his audiences in clubs and on television about the art and moods of jazz (he was a music teacher before beginning his jazz career).

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By the 1960s, Adderley's playing began to reflect the influence of the jazz avant-garde.

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Songs made famous by Cannonball and his bands include 'This Here' (written by Bobby Timmons), 'The Jive Samba', 'Work Song' (written by Nat Adderley) and 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy' (written by Joe Zawinul).

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On his passing in 1975, Cannonball Adderley was buried in the Southside Cemetery, Tallahassee, Florida.

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Joe Zawinul's composition "Cannon Ball" (recorded on Weather Report's album Black Market) is a tribute to his former employer.

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