Julian "Cannonball" Adderley

[deathbecomezher]

Birth: Sep. 15, 1928Death: Aug. 8, 1975
Jazz Musician. Legendary well-known and popular American soulful jazz alto saxophonist of the 1960s who explored bebop, modal, soul-fusion styles and composer of the poupular tune "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!" He was also a composer, a high school band director, educator and older brother of cornetist Nat Adderley. "Cannonball" Adderley was one of the leading alto saxophonists of his generation after Charlie Parker who created energetic upbeat music and, as part of his performance, he even took the time to explain his composition to the crowd. A fine technician, his lines were as mobile as Parker's, though less intense: a slightly creamy tone gave his solos an air of avuncular good humour. He became a seminal influence on the hard-driving style known as hard-bop, and could swing ferouciously at faster tempos, yet he was also an effective and soulful ballad stylist. Some of his finest performances appear on Something Else Cannonball and Coltrane, Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, and the popular Adderley quintet album Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "the club" (1966). "Cannonball" Adderley suffered a stroke on stage while on tour in Gary, Ind. and died on August 8, 1975 at age 46.

[johnny]

Cannonball was the man!
I use to love it when he would intro a song. He just comes across as a good person.
His playing with Miles/Coltrane on Kind of Blue is phenominal. His tone was warm and his solos were logical/interesting. Don't overlook his brother, Nat.
He was a high school music teacher before going to New York to try his luck as a jazz musician.