Cannonball Adderley
Both as the leader of his own bands as well as an alto and soprano saxophone stylist, Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley was one of the progenitors of the swinging, rhythmically robust style of music that became known as hard-bop.
Born September 15, 1928, into a musical family in Florida, Adderley was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950. He became leader of the 36th Army Dance Band, led his own band while studying music at the U.S. Naval Academy and then led an army band while stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Originally nicknamed "Cannibal" in high school for his voracious appetite, the nickname mutated into "Cannonball" and stuck.
In 1955, Adderley traveled to New York City with his younger brother and lifelong musical partner, Nat Jr. (cornet). The elder Adderley sat in on a club date with bassist Oscar Pettiford and created such a furvor that he was signed almost immediately to a recording contract and was often (if not entirely accurately) called "the new Bird."
Adderley's direct style on alto was indebted to the biting clarity of Charlie Parker, but it also significantly drew from the warm, rounded tones of Benny Carter; hard swingers such as Louis Jordan and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson were important influences as well. Adderly became a seminal influence on the hard-driving style known as hard-bop, and could swing ferociously at faster tempos, yet he was also an effective and soulful ballad stylist.
From 1956-57, Adderley led his own band featuring Nat, pianist Junior Mance and bassist Sam Jones. The group broke up when he was invited to join the Miles Davis Quintet in 1957. Davis expanded his group to a Sextet soon thereafter by hiring saxophonist John Coltrane. "I felt that Cannonball's blues-rooted alto sax up against Trane's harmonic, chordal way of playing, his more free-form approach, would create a new kind of feeling," Davis explained in his autobiography.
From 1957-59, Adderley recorded some of his best work on the landmark Davis albums Milestones and Kind of Blue within this sextet. Davis reciprocated with a guest appearance on Adderly's 1958 solo album Somethin' Else, which also included bassist Jones, pianist Hank Jones, and drummer Art Blakey.
Adderley left the Davis band to reform his quintet in 1959, this time with his brother, Sam Jones, pianist Bobby Timmons and drummer Louis Hayes. Yusef Lateef made it a sextet around 1962; pianist Joe Zawinul replaced Timmons around 1963. Other band alumni include Charles Lloyd, and pianists Barry Harris, Victor Feldman and George Duke.
Read moreTags
Jazz Art
Album Review
- The Cannonball Adderley Sextet in New York by Samuel Chell
Film Review
Reassessing
My Blue Note Obsession
Radio & Podcasts
Album Review
- Swingin' In Seattle, Live At The Penthouse 1966-1967 by Mike Jurkovic
Multiple Reviews
Interview
Radio & Podcasts
Read more articlesMarch 13, 2023
Video: Cannonball Adderley Sextet, BBC 1964
September 15, 2022
Jazz Musician of the Day: Cannonball Adderley
August 08, 2022
Something Else! Vincent Herring Septet Honors Cannonball Adderley At...
September 15, 2021
Jazz Musician of the Day: Cannonball Adderley
September 15, 2020
Jazz Musician of the Day: Cannonball Adderley
April 10, 2020
Portrait Of Cannonball Adderley: Award-Winning Saxophonist Tony Kofi...
September 15, 2019
Jazz Musician of the Day: Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
July 25, 2019
Cannonball Adderley: EmArcy #1
September 15, 2018
Jazz Musician of the Day: Julian "Cannonball" Adderley