Best of Cannonball Adderley: The Capitol Years

Read About This Recording

Cannonball Adderley was one of the finest alto-saxophonists in jazz history, and one of the most beloved of all jazz musicians. He and his brother cornetist Nat Adderley had originally planned to spend their careers as schoolteachers in Florida but then fate intervened. In the summer of 1955, the Adderley Brothers were spending their summer vacation in New York City when they were urged to sit in with bassist Oscar Pettiford's group at the Cafe Bohemia. Their playing was at such an exciting level that it caused a minor sensation in the jazz world. Soon they were fulltime musicians in NYC, recording bebop-oriented records and co-leading a band.

Fame would not happen overnight. Because most jazz listeners had never heard of Cannonball Adderley, the band struggled for a couple years and was unable to build a large enough audience to survive. In 1957 Cannonball joined the Miles Davis Sextet (where he participated with Davis and John Coltrane in recording Kind Of Blue) while Nat played with trombonist J.J. Johnson and Woody Herman. In the fall of 1959 the brothers reunited to form the new Cannonball Adderley Quintet, and this time they caught on big. With Bobby Timmons contributing soulful piano and a hit song in This Here, the group had its own fresh personality. And Cannonball's very articulate talks to the audience along with his original yet accessible alto playing made the band into a very popular attraction. Even in the late 1960s, when jazz was at a commercial low (due to being overshadowed by rock), the Cannonball Adderley Quintet retained and even built on its popularity, adding funk and rock elements to its music.

The Best of Cannonball Adderley has some of the highpoints of the altoist's career during 1962-69. There are live versions of Nat's Work Song and The Jive Samba with Yusef Lateef's flute and tenor making the group a sextet. Fiddler On The Roof is given a swinging treatment and Joe Zawinul's Mercy, Mercy, Mercy is heard in its original version. In addition, a later version of the quintet is featured on four numbers including the lengthy 74 Miles Away and Country Preacher.

No jazz collection is complete without a strong sampling of the music of Cannonball Adderley. This CD is a perfect place to start!

-Scott Yanow

Contents

Work Song; The Jive Samba; Fiddler on the Roof; Mercy, Mercy, Mercy; Why Am I Treated So Bad?; Walk Tall; 74 Miles Away; Country Preacher.

Cannonball Adderley, Alto Sax; Nat Adderley, Cornet; Yusef Lateef, Charles Lloyd, Tenor Saxes; Joe Zawinul, Piano; Sam Jones, Victor Gaskin, Walter Booker, Bass; Louis Hayes, Roy McCurdy, Drums.