Only months after Charlie Parker's death in 1955 Julian Adderley made his bebop debut at the Cafe Bohemia sitting in with Oscar Pettiford. Hailed as the new Bird, Adderley was signed to EmArcy later that year and soon began to make a name for himself backing female vocalists such as Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington as well as self-led sessions with brother Nat.
A style initially characteristic of Parker's gusto on up-tempo leads, Adderley resembles one of his favorites, Benny Carter, on slower pieces [an example to be found on the solo to 'Autumn Leaves' featured below]. He would later distinguish himself still further from Parker's bop influence by developing a soulfulness touching on both old-school tenderness and the bossa nova school growing popular in the early sixties, but all the while remaining utterly "Cannonball".
Born October 15, 1928 in Tampa, Florida to a musical family (his father was a jazz cornetist as was his younger brother, Nat) Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (a name given to him by high school colleagues in respect to his voracious eating capacity--from "Cannibal") arrived relatively late to New York and completely missed the heyday of the 52nd Street jazz scene. During his Army service in 1950-52 Adderley became the leader of the 36th Army Dance Band (which included brother Nat) and led another Army band at Fort Knox until 1953. He was the band director at Killard High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (1948-56) when he made his fortuitous debut at the Bohemia.
On June 26, 1955, immediately following his debut at the Bohemia with Oscar Pettiford, Cannonball made his recording debut with Kenny Clarke on this all-star session which also includes Donald Byrd on trumpet, Jerome Richardson on tenor and flute, pianist Horace Silver, Paul Chambers on bass, and of course bop's founding drummer, Kenny Clarke, leading. The majority of the album is comprised of Adderley/Adderley compositions. Interestingly, the album also includes one track of brother Nat's recording debut a month later: "We'll Be Together Again" in the context of a quartet.
Adderley might have broken a jazz record when he recorded his debut as leader just 16 days after making his recorded debut above. Presenting Cannonball Adderley from July 14, 1955 features his ever-present brother, Nat, on cornet as well as pianist Hank Jones, Paul Chambers, and Kenny Clarke.
October 27-28, 1955--recorded Cannonball Adderley and Strings.
June 8, 1956--recorded In the Land of Hi-Fi.
In 1956 Adderley formed a quintet with his brother Nat on cornet, Junior Mance on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and drummer Louis Hayes. Between February 6-8, 1957 they recorded what would become the the albums Cannonball Enroute and Sophisticated Swing. The albums are consistently strong--the talent present is evident--but the quintet proves a commercial failure.
In late 1957 Cannonball joined the legendary Miles Davis Quintet, supplementing his classic Quintet with his swinging alto, and being featured on such classics as Milestones, the orchestrated Porgy and Bess, and the pivotal Kind of Blue. However, his own quintet is on the verge of collapse when it makes it's final album, Cannonball's Sharpshooters, recorded March 4-6, 1958. Ironically, Cannonball Adderley would lead one of jazz's most famous recording sessions just three days later.
Like his fellow Miles Davis reedman, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley would only lead one Blue Note session (March 9, 1958). And, likewise, it would prove to be his most enduring. Somethin' Else is just that and a whole lot more. 
It's gentle lyricism mixed with nearly voodoo rhythms prove what it is to be both hot and cool at once, that delicate paradox that only jazz can provide.
to hear Adderley's cool solo on 'Autumn Leaves.' (2:17; 536 KB)There has been some debate as to what extant the album really is Adderley's, some contending that it is in fact a Davis session disguised as his altoist's for contractual reasons. In any case, Adderley makes his present felt. Backed by the understated work of Hank Jones (p) and bassist Sam Jones, the lone carryover from Adderley's own quintet (no relation to Jones' Hank, Thad, and Elvin) Somethin' Else would most likely have been a strong document in Cool Jazz had it not been for the bombastic presence of Art Blakey providing more than just support. His drumwork here is a masterpiece of polyphony and voodoo rhythm.
July 28 - August 2, 1958--Adderley performed on Alabama Concerto, a nine-part four-movement suite composed by John Benson Brooks. An interesting composition mixing folk music of the last century with '50's jazz, the string ensemble is supplemented by guitarist Barry Galbraith, bassist Milt Hinton and trumpet great, Art Farmer.
With his position in the Miles Davis gaining recognition and Somethin' Else making waves, Adderley went on to record another highly recommended record, appropriately titled Things Are Getting Better. There for this October 28, 1958 session are bop founders Milt Jackson on vibes and, again, Art Blakey skillfully handling drums, along with pianist Wynton Kelly (soon to join Miles) and Percy Heath on bass. Reissued on CD by Riverside with extra alternate takes, this album is highly recommended, with such highlights as the bouncy title track and a fine version of Gillespie's "Groovin' High".
Originally billed and released as Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago (recorded February 3, 1959), the album was subsequently reissued as Cannonball and Coltrane in reference to the fine interplay between the two hornmen present--not to mention marketing strategy as John Coltrane's career was nearly at its peak by the time of this reissue's release. As can be expected from a lineup consisting of the current Miles Davis Sextet minus the leader (also present are pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb), standards are high and well-met. Highlights are "Limehouse Blues" and Coltrane's "Grand Central". Unfortunately, the CD reissue comes a bit short at just 33 minutes, but the exceptional performance merits recommendation.
In August of 1959 Adderley left Davis to become a featured soloist with George Shearing before reforming his combo with brother Nat in October of that year. This new combo, consisting of the Adderleys, pianist Bobby Timmons (who made a sensation with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers the previous year), along with Sam Jones (b) and Louis Hayes (d) reprising their roles from the previous combo, made their recorded debut on the sensational live album, Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (recorded October 18 & 20, 1959). Reissued on CD with an eleven+ minute "celebration" of Monk's "Straight, No Chaser" not on the original release (bringing the CD to just under an hour), the album marks nothing short of a comeback with a vengeance. Other highlights include Timmons' "This Here" and a brilliant revisit of Oscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark". This album is unreservedly essential.
By late November, 1960, when Adderley's quintet toured Europe, Victor Feldman had replaced Timmons on piano. What is This Thing Called Soul? captures this lineup in live action.
Playing off a hit Adderley had with the single(!), "African Waltz", an impressive lineup is assembled for the full length "theme-album", African Waltz (recorded February 8 - May 15, 1961). Boasting arrangements by Ernie Wilkins and Bob Brookmeyer (who joins in on trombone), Adderley's Quintet, with Wynton Kelly replacing Victor Feldman on keys, is joined by such names as Melba Liston (trombone), Joe Newman, Ernie Royal and Nick Travis (t), Jerome Richardson (flute, piccolo, tenor), and the bop tuba-player, Don Butterfield. The album is surprisingly good considering the commercial intentions behind its origin--most notably the remake of "This Here". It's primary drawback is the lack of solo space afforded within the short and tight arrangements, with only the Adderleys and Kelly stretch out to any extant.
Know What I Mean?, recorded early 1961 marks one of Adderley's more intriguing collaborations. Billed as Cannonbball Adderley and Bill Evans, the two "soulmates" from the historic Kind of Blue album are joined by the Modern Jazz Quartet's Percy Heath (b) and Connie Kay (d) on a range of classics as well as originals by pianist Evans. The CD reissue includes takes of the title track as well as Gershwin's "Who Cares?".
Cannonball's quintet returns in Cannonball Adderley Quintet Plus (recorded May 11, 1961), an outting that features Wynton Kelly on five of the eight numbers (on which Feldman doubles on vibes). Moving steadily towards soul-jazz at this time, the album still maintains some bop links. The CD includes an alternate take of "Liza" as well as the track, "O.P." not available with the original release.
1962 saw the evolution of the quintet into a sextet with the addition of reedman extraordinaire, Yusef Lateef. Much of the material recorded at this time would only be released years later due in part to the sextet's habit of recording material recorded by the quintet only years before. Nevertheless, this lineup, which adds Austrian pianist, Josef Zawinul on piano, is one of Adderley's finest.
As with the previous quintet's momentous debut live from San Francisco, Adderley chose to debut his new sextet in a live recording. Recorded at the famed Village Vanguard on January 12 & 14, 1962, The Cannonball Adderley Sextet in New York catches a consistently brilliant performance by the new lineup. Lateef's composition "Planet Earth" is especially remarkable, as well as Zawinul's "Scotch and Water".
A year later the sextet followed up with another live classic, Nippon Soul recorded July 14 - 15, 1963 in Tokyo, which sees Adderley evolving further along the lines of his final soul-phase. Again, Lateef is in good form.
By 1964 Adderley had signed with Capitol Records (Riverside folded), lost Yusef Lateef, and begun the downward spiral of commercialism. The album, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, driven by Zawinul's hit single title track, is considered his swan song. Recorded in July 1966 after a succession of forgettable Capitol releases, this live performance is remarkably consistant with Nat Adderley cutting some especially fine solos.
Touring up until the end, by which time he was often playing soprano sax, Adderley suffered a stroke while on tour in India. He died days later on August 8, 1975.
