Cannonball Adderley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cannonball Adderley
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Cannonball (left; holding a King Super 20 "Silversonic" alto saxophone) with brother Nat Adderley in 1966
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Julian Edwin Adderley |
| Born | September 15, 1928 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | August 8, 1975 (aged 46) Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Hard bop, soul jazz, modal jazz, jazz rock |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, saxophonist |
| Instruments | Alto saxophone, soprano saxophone |
| Years active | 1955–1975 |
| Labels | Blue Note, Fantasy, Capitol, Prestige, Riverside |
Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (born September 15, 1928 – died August 8, 1975) was an American jazz musician. He was famous for playing the alto saxophone. He was a big part of the "hard bop" style of jazz in the 1950s and 1960s.
Many people remember Cannonball for his 1966 song "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy". This popular "soul jazz" song was written by his keyboard player, Joe Zawinul. It became a huge hit on both pop and R&B music charts. Cannonball also worked with the legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. He played in Davis's band and appeared on important albums like Milestones (1958) and Kind of Blue (1959). He also made his own album called Somethin' Else in 1958. Cannonball's younger brother, Nat Adderley, was also a jazz trumpet player and played in Cannonball's band for many years.
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Early Life and Musical Start
Julian Edwin Adderley was born on September 15, 1928, in Tampa, Florida. His father, Julian Carlyle Adderley, was a school counselor and played the cornet. His mother, Jessie Johnson, was an elementary school teacher. When he was a young boy in elementary school, his classmates gave him the nickname "cannonball" because he loved to eat a lot!
Cannonball's family moved to Tallahassee when his parents got teaching jobs at Florida A&M University. Both Cannonball and his brother Nat played music with Ray Charles in the early 1940s when Ray Charles lived in Tallahassee. In 1948, after studying music at Florida A&M, Cannonball moved to Broward County, Florida. He became the band director at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale until 1950.
In 1955, Cannonball moved to New York. He planned to continue his music studies there. One night, he brought his saxophone to a club called the Café Bohemia. The band leader, Oscar Pettiford, asked Cannonball to play because his regular saxophonist was late. Cannonball's performance was amazing! Everyone in the New York jazz scene started talking about him, saying he was the next great alto saxophonist, like Charlie Parker.
Forming His Own Band
After signing with the Savoy jazz record label in 1957, Cannonball started his own music group with his brother Nat. Soon after, Miles Davis noticed Cannonball's unique bluesy alto saxophone style. Davis asked him to join his famous band. Cannonball joined the Davis band in October 1957.
Cannonball also recorded his own album, Somethin' Else, around this time. Miles Davis played trumpet on this album, along with other great musicians like Art Blakey and Hank Jones. Cannonball then played on Miles Davis's very important albums, Milestones and Kind of Blue. During this time, pianist Bill Evans also played with the band, and he later appeared on Cannonball's albums Portrait of Cannonball and Know What I Mean?.
Cannonball was also interested in teaching. In 1961, he narrated an album called The Child's Introduction to Jazz, which was released by Riverside Records. In 1962, Cannonball married actress Olga James.
Cannonball's first band with his brother Nat wasn't very successful. But after he left Miles Davis's group, he formed a new band, again with his brother. This new group, which later became the Cannonball Adderley Sextet, included many talented musicians. Some of these musicians were saxophonists Charles Lloyd and Yusef Lateef, and pianists Bobby Timmons, Joe Zawinul, and George Duke.
Later Years and Legacy
By the late 1960s, Cannonball's music started to include sounds from electric jazz. He released albums like Accent on Africa (1968) and The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free (1970) during this period.
Some of the most famous songs by Cannonball Adderley and his bands include "This Here," "The Jive Samba," "Work Song" (written by Nat Adderley), and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (written by Joe Zawinul).
Sadly, in July 1975, Cannonball Adderley had a stroke. He passed away four weeks later, on August 8, 1975, in Gary, Indiana. He was 46 years old. He was buried in the Southside Cemetery in Tallahassee.
Later in 1975, Cannonball was honored by being added to the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame. Other musicians also created songs to remember him. Joe Zawinul's song "Cannon Ball" on the Weather Report album Black Market is a tribute to Cannonball.
Images for kids
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Nat and Cannonball Adderley in Amsterdam, 1961
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Discography
See also
In Spanish: Cannonball Adderley para niños
