CANNONBALL ADDERLEY

Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Fusion / Progressive Big Band / Latin Jazz / Jazz Related Soundtracks / Funk Jazz / Bossa Nova / Big Band / African Fusion • United States
Jazz music community with review and forums
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY picture
One of the great alto saxophonists, Cannonball Adderley had an exuberant and happy sound that communicated immediately to listeners. His intelligent presentation of his music (often explaining what he and his musicians were going to play) helped make him one of the most popular of all jazzmen.

Adderley already had an established career as a high school band director in Florida when, during a 1955 visit to New York, he was persuaded to sit in with Oscar Pettiford's group at the Cafe Bohemia. His playing created such a sensation that he was soon signed to Savoy and persuaded to play jazz full-time in New York. With his younger brother, cornetist Nat, Cannonball formed a quintet that struggled until its breakup in 1957. Adderley then joined Miles Davis, forming part of his super sextet with John Coltrane and participating on such classic recordings as Milestones and Kind of Blue. Adderley's second attempt
read more...
Thanks to snobb, dreadpirateroberts for the updates

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Online Videos

No CANNONBALL ADDERLEY online videos available. Search and add one now.

Buy CANNONBALL ADDERLEY music

More places to buy jazz & CANNONBALL ADDERLEY music

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Discography

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY albums / top albums

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Bohemia After Dark (with Donald Byrd / Horace Silver / Jerome Richardson / Paul Chambers / Nat Adderley / Kenny Clarke) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Bohemia After Dark (with Donald Byrd / Horace Silver / Jerome Richardson / Paul Chambers / Nat Adderley / Kenny Clarke)
Hard Bop 1955
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Presenting Cannonball Adderley (aka The Beginning aka Spontaneous Combustion aka Still Talkin’ To Ya) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Presenting Cannonball Adderley (aka The Beginning aka Spontaneous Combustion aka Still Talkin’ To Ya)
Hard Bop 1955
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Julian Cannonball Adderley album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Julian Cannonball Adderley
Hard Bop 1955
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY And Strings (aka The Lush Side Of Cannonball) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
And Strings (aka The Lush Side Of Cannonball)
Hard Bop 1955
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY In the Land of Hi-Fi (aka The Tentet of Julian Cannonball Adderley) album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
In the Land of Hi-Fi (aka The Tentet of Julian Cannonball Adderley)
Hard Bop 1956
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Sophisticated Swing album cover 3.50 | 2 ratings
Sophisticated Swing
Hard Bop 1957
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball's Sharpshooters album cover 3.75 | 2 ratings
Cannonball's Sharpshooters
Hard Bop 1958
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Somethin' Else album cover 4.33 | 20 ratings
Somethin' Else
Hard Bop 1958
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Portrait of Cannonball (aka Cannonball and Eight Giants aka Nardis) album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
Portrait of Cannonball (aka Cannonball and Eight Giants aka Nardis)
Hard Bop 1958
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Jump For Joy (aka I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Jump For Joy (aka I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good)
Hard Bop 1958
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Things Are Getting Better (with Milt Jackson) album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Things Are Getting Better (with Milt Jackson)
Hard Bop 1958
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Takes Charge album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball Takes Charge
Hard Bop 1959
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Adderley Quintet In Chicago (aka Cannonball & Coltrane aka The Dreamweavers) album cover 4.14 | 7 ratings
Cannonball Adderley Quintet In Chicago (aka Cannonball & Coltrane aka The Dreamweavers)
Hard Bop 1959
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Them Dirty Blues (aka Wham!) album cover 3.50 | 1 ratings
Them Dirty Blues (aka Wham!)
Hard Bop 1960
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY African Waltz album cover 4.00 | 2 ratings
African Waltz
Big Band 1961
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Know What I Mean? (With Bill Evans) album cover 4.00 | 5 ratings
Know What I Mean? (With Bill Evans)
Hard Bop 1961
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Enroute album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball Enroute
Hard Bop 1961
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Quintet Plus album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Quintet Plus
Hard Bop 1961
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY A Child's Introduction To Jazz album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
A Child's Introduction To Jazz
Hard Bop 1961
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball's Bossa Nova (aka Cannonball Goes Latin,aka Quiet Nights aka Viva Cannonball!) album cover 3.00 | 1 ratings
Cannonball's Bossa Nova (aka Cannonball Goes Latin,aka Quiet Nights aka Viva Cannonball!)
Bossa Nova 1962
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Fiddler on the Roof album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fiddler on the Roof
Hard Bop 1964
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Domination album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Domination
Hard Bop 1965
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Great Love Themes album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Great Love Themes
Hard Bop 1966
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Cannonball Adderley Quintet ‎: Accent On Africa album cover 4.05 | 3 ratings
The Cannonball Adderley Quintet ‎: Accent On Africa
African Fusion 1968
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free
Hard Bop 1970
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Cannonball Adderley Quintet & Orchestra album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Cannonball Adderley Quintet & Orchestra
Progressive Big Band 1970
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Groovy Samba album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Groovy Samba
Latin Jazz 1970
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Adderley and Friends album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball Adderley and Friends
Hard Bop 1971
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Adderley Presents Nat Adderley Sextet, The  Plus Rick Holmes ‎: Soul Of The Bible album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball Adderley Presents Nat Adderley Sextet, The Plus Rick Holmes ‎: Soul Of The Bible
Soul Jazz 1972
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Soul Zodiac album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Soul Zodiac
Soul Jazz 1972
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Pyramid album cover 3.50 | 1 ratings
Pyramid
Fusion 1974
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Love, Sex, and the Zodiac album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Love, Sex, and the Zodiac
Soul Jazz 1974
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Phenix album cover 3.83 | 3 ratings
Phenix
Fusion 1975
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Big Man album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Big Man
Jazz Related Soundtracks 1975
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Lovers album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Lovers
Fusion 1976
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Alto Giant album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Alto Giant
Hard Bop 1977
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Discoveries album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Discoveries
Hard Bop 1987

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY EPs & splits

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Julian Cannonball Adderley Quintet / Laboratorium ‎ album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
The Julian Cannonball Adderley Quintet / Laboratorium ‎
Hard Bop 1972

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY live albums

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (aka Spontaneous Combustion) album cover 4.48 | 4 ratings
The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (aka Spontaneous Combustion)
Hard Bop 1959
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Adderley and the Poll Winners album cover 4.25 | 2 ratings
Cannonball Adderley and the Poll Winners
Hard Bop 1960
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY At the Lighthouse album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
At the Lighthouse
Hard Bop 1960
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Cannonball Adderley Sextet in New York album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
The Cannonball Adderley Sextet in New York
Hard Bop 1962
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Nippon Soul album cover 3.00 | 3 ratings
Nippon Soul
Hard Bop 1963
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball in Europe! album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball in Europe!
Hard Bop 1963
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Jazz Workshop Revisited album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Jazz Workshop Revisited
Hard Bop 1963
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Live Session! Cannonball Adderley With The New Exciting Voice Of Ernie Andrews! album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live Session! Cannonball Adderley With The New Exciting Voice Of Ernie Andrews!
Hard Bop 1964
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Live! album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live!
Hard Bop 1965
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball in Japan album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball in Japan
Hard Bop 1966
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! (aka V.I.P.-Jazz 3) album cover 4.40 | 12 ratings
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! (aka V.I.P.-Jazz 3)
Soul Jazz 1966
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Why Am I Treated So Bad! album cover 2.50 | 1 ratings
Why Am I Treated So Bad!
Hard Bop 1966
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY 74 Miles Away / Walk Tall album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
74 Miles Away / Walk Tall
Hard Bop 1967
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY In Person (feat. Nancy Wilson, Lou Rawls) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
In Person (feat. Nancy Wilson, Lou Rawls)
Soul Jazz 1969
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Country Preacher: 0.00 | 0 ratings
Country Preacher: "Live" At Operation Breadbasket
Soul Jazz 1970
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Black Messiah album cover 4.05 | 3 ratings
The Black Messiah
Soul Jazz 1971
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Happy People album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Happy People
Soul Jazz 1972
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Inside Straight album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Inside Straight
Funk Jazz 1973
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Music, You All album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Music, You All
Hard Bop 1975
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Japanese Concerts album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Japanese Concerts
Hard Bop 1975
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Sessions, Live (with Buddy Collette) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Sessions, Live (with Buddy Collette)
Hard Bop 1976
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball - Volume One album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball - Volume One
Hard Bop 1977
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Alabama / Africa album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Alabama / Africa
Hard Bop 1982
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Sextet (aka This Here) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Sextet (aka This Here)
Hard Bop 1982
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY What Is This Thing Called Soul? album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
What Is This Thing Called Soul?
Hard Bop 1984
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Live In Paris April 23rd 1966 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live In Paris April 23rd 1966
Hard Bop 1986
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Live in Bordeaux 14/3/1969 (Dizionario enciclopedico del jazz-Curcio) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live in Bordeaux 14/3/1969 (Dizionario enciclopedico del jazz-Curcio)
Hard Bop 1991
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Radio Nights album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Radio Nights
Hard Bop 1991
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY En Concert Avec Europe 1 - Salle Pleyel 27 Mars • 1969 album cover 4.50 | 1 ratings
En Concert Avec Europe 1 - Salle Pleyel 27 Mars • 1969
Hard Bop 1993
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY En Concert Avec Europe 1 (aka Live Salle Pleyel 25 Novembre 1960 + Olympia 15 Avril 1961) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
En Concert Avec Europe 1 (aka Live Salle Pleyel 25 Novembre 1960 + Olympia 15 Avril 1961)
Hard Bop 1994
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Lugano, 1963 (aka The Jazz Masters) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Lugano, 1963 (aka The Jazz Masters)
Hard Bop 1995
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Paris, 1960 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Paris, 1960
Hard Bop 1997
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Money in the Pocket album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Money in the Pocket
Hard Bop 2005
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Live In Italy 1969 (March 24, Rome) (aka Alto Giant) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live In Italy 1969 (March 24, Rome) (aka Alto Giant)
Hard Bop 2008
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Liederhalle Stuttgart March 20, 1969 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Liederhalle Stuttgart March 20, 1969
Hard Bop 2012
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Swingin' in Seattle : Live at the Penthouse 1966-1967 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Swingin' in Seattle : Live at the Penthouse 1966-1967
Hard Bop 2018
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Burnin In Bordeaux : Live In France 1969 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Burnin In Bordeaux : Live In France 1969
Hard Bop 2024
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Poppin in Paris : Live at the Olympia 1972 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Poppin in Paris : Live at the Olympia 1972
Hard Bop 2024

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY re-issues & compilations

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Introducing 0.00 | 0 ratings
Introducing "Cannonball" Adderly (aka Them Adderleys)
Hard Bop 1956
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Soul album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball Soul
Hard Bop 1961
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Best of Cannonball Adderley album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Best of Cannonball Adderley
Hard Bop 1968
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Adderley Sextet : Planet Earth album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
Cannonball Adderley Sextet : Planet Earth
Post Bop 1969
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Kenya Afro Cuban Jazz album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Kenya Afro Cuban Jazz
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1970
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Spontaneous Combustion album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Spontaneous Combustion
Hard Bop 1976
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Discoveries album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Discoveries
Hard Bop 1987
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Compact Jazz album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Compact Jazz
Hard Bop 1990
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Jazz Profile album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Jazz Profile
Hard Bop 1990
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Best of the Capitol Years album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Best of the Capitol Years
Hard Bop 1991
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Presenting Cannonball Vol. 2 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Presenting Cannonball Vol. 2
Hard Bop 1992
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Dizzy's Business album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Dizzy's Business
Hard Bop 1993
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Verve Jazz Masters 31 album cover 4.50 | 1 ratings
Verve Jazz Masters 31
Hard Bop 1994
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Deep Groove! The Best of Cannonball Adderley album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Deep Groove! The Best of Cannonball Adderley
Hard Bop 1995
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Sophisticated Swing: The EmArcy Small-Group Sessions album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
Sophisticated Swing: The EmArcy Small-Group Sessions
Hard Bop 1995
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Julian 0.00 | 0 ratings
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and Strings / Jump for Joy
Hard Bop 1995
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Paris, Jazz At The Philharmonic album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Paris, Jazz At The Philharmonic
Hard Bop 1997
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Adderley album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball Adderley
Hard Bop 1998
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Ultimate Cannonball Adderley album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ultimate Cannonball Adderley
Hard Bop 1999
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Adderley's Finest Hour album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cannonball Adderley's Finest Hour
Hard Bop 2001
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Timeless Cannonball Adderley album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Timeless Cannonball Adderley
Hard Bop 2002
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Definitive Cannonball Adderley album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Definitive Cannonball Adderley
Hard Bop 2002
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Ballads album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ballads
Hard Bop 2002
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY 75th Birthday Celebration album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
75th Birthday Celebration
Hard Bop 2003
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Plays Zawinul album cover 4.50 | 1 ratings
Cannonball Plays Zawinul
Hard Bop 2004
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Riverside Profiles album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Riverside Profiles
Hard Bop 2006
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Bohemia After Dark album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Bohemia After Dark
Hard Bop 2007
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Jazz Manifesto album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Jazz Manifesto
Hard Bop 2010
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Kind Of Adderley album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Kind Of Adderley
Hard Bop 2010
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Cannonball Adderley Sextet : Complete Live in Tokyo 1963 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Cannonball Adderley Sextet : Complete Live in Tokyo 1963
Hard Bop 2015
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Complete 1961-1962 Studio Recordings album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Complete 1961-1962 Studio Recordings
Hard Bop 2016

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY singles (0)

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Reviews

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Cannonball Adderley Sextet : Planet Earth

Boxset / Compilation · 1969 · Post Bop
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
js
“Planet Earth” is an excellent album, yet few seem to know it even exists. The cover says that these songs have been released before, but doing a short casual search I could only find two of the tracks on Cannonball's Sextet in New York live album. The first four tracks feature the same band and all in live settings. It certainly does not sound like a comp until you get to “Seventh Son”, which is quite different from the other tracks. Technically this is Julian’s (Cannonball) album, but it seems more like a Yusef Lateef album. Yusef wrote the four live tracks, and the music reflects his semi avant-garde post bop with some Eastern modal leanings. The songs are very forward looking and in many ways sound a lot like the jazz you hear today in the second decade of the new century. Louis Hayes’ drumming in particular reflects today’s style in that he swings, but he does not confine himself to the ride cymbal, instead he is all over the set.

The two lengthy tracks on side are both up tempo modal hard bop. Yusef goes Coltrane-beast on the first track, but then breaks out the oboe for some Eastern flavored runs on “Brother John”. Hearing his oboe may remind some of how influential Yusef was on Les McCann’s mystical, “Invitation to Openness”. The Adderly Brothers show their bop roots, but also branch out into some odd sounds and effects while Zawinul is in full bop mode as he channels Bud Powell. Over the years Joe will not play this way much again, so its interesting hear him in this style on here.

Side two opens with another energy track, but then switches gears for the more abstract and mysterious “Syn-Anthesia” which has the group working like a small orchestra. The album closes with Zawinul’s “Seventh Son”, which sounds like another one of Joe’s somewhat commercial soul jazz tracks. Julian and Yusef do not appear on this one as Nat dominates with a bright sunshine muted trumpet solo. As mentioned earlier, this album has almost disappeared from known discogs. I found it in a used record shop and I seriously doubt this will ever be re-issued.

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY African Waltz

Album · 1961 · Big Band
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
siLLy puPPy
After releasing his critically acclaimed and most popular albums of his career with such classics as “Something Else” on the Blue Note label, CANNONBALL ADDERLEY spent many years after pumping out album after album with totally new lineups with many of them including AFRICAN WALTZ ending up on the Riverside label. This album is completely different than ADDERLEY’s other albums which fall on the hard bop side of jazz. For AFRICAN WALTZ he has no less than 22 musicians on board including five trumpet players, four on trombone as well as other lesser used musical timbres such as bass trombone, tuba and of course ADDERLEY’s signature alto sax sound. This big band sound comes across as brash and bold with every track being carefully crafted for a full-on larger than life experience.

The album was built around the title track which was actually a surprise hit single in the UK for Johnny Dankworth. The huge big band experience was orchestrated by Ernie Wilkins, best known for his work with Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Dizzy Gillespie and the well seasoned approach to taming the large musical beast shines through as everything is perfectly executed. Trombonist Bob Brookmeyer also contributed the arrangements of two tracks. While this is a big band album through and through, this was the early 60s and there is plenty of evidence of the milestones in jazz that had recently come into play. The hard bop still finds its way into the musical compositions with several bass lines lifted right out of the 50s bop scene. The modal jazz set forth by Miles Davis shines through as well.

Since the eleven tracks on board are short with none venturing over the five minute mark, they hit hard and offer a quick and to-the-point approach that focuses most of all on the melodic development and like much in the big band world of jazz don’t rely on improvisation as much as other types of the genre. The only rip roaring solos found on this one are by ADDERLEY, his brother Nat Adderley on cornet with some lesser roles by pianist Wynton Kelly. The album has a hardcore exotica feel to it as well. It sounds like a 60s movie soundtrack of some sort and despite the title really evokes nothing AFRICAN at all in mood or musical texture.

While this album delivers some extremely strong well played pieces with a unique albeit bloated lineup, to my ears it sounds extremely powerful and confident and as far as early 60s jazz goes, quite catchy without ever entering syrupy ballad territory. It captures all the best aspects of big band jazz but offers the wild swinging tapestry of instruments so common in hard bop and more improvisational types of jazz. While AFRICAN WALTZ failed to inspire the fans at the time and has since been relegated to the bottom of the pile of ADDERLEY releases, i find this to be an exciting and exhilarating big band jazz experience with every track delivering high quality performances. Woefully underrated in most jazz circles.

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (aka Spontaneous Combustion)

Live album · 1959 · Hard Bop
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
js
:”The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco” was one of Cannonball’s first albums with his new group, coming after his successful work with Miles Davis, and features some of the best recorded solos of his career. Prior to this recording, Adderley had joined with Miles to record hallmark jazz albums such as “Kind of Blue” and “Something Else”. Needless to say, his career was on fire at this time, and his new quintet did not disappoint with his brother Nat supplying high register trumpet flights and Bobby Timmons pounding out bluesy rhythms on the piano along with Sam Jones on bass and the innovative and under-rated Louis Hayes on drums.

Side one features two lengthy blues based workouts in a hard bop style that borders on soul jazz, pretty much what you could expect from Julian at this point in his career. Side two opens in a similar fashion, but then "you Got It" veers into a slightly more experimental direction foreshadowing some of the things that would soon be coming from Miles’ new quintet, and "Bohemia After Dark" is classic high speed bop. Throughout this entire album, Cannonball’s playing is on fire and features his strong devotion to Charlie Parker, particularly on the two closing cuts. In addition to the Parker influence, Adderley also shows an interest in the new style jazz/blues soloists like Stanley Turrentine. As mentioned earlier, the rest of Julian’s band is stellar, with honorable mention going to drummer Louis Hayes and his work on “You Got It”, a track that features interesting drum breaks that foreshadow much of what Tony Williams would be doing in a few years.

The recording quality of these tracks is quite good, the only slight problem being that the piano could be a bit louder at times, but its no big deal. The CD version has some bonus tracks, but the LP version that was used to write this review has that great unfiltered analog sound. This is highly recommended for fans of the Adderley Brothers and late 50s hard bop.

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! (aka V.I.P.-Jazz 3)

Live album · 1966 · Soul Jazz
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
js
In the mid-60s, right before the whole electric jazz rock fad broke, there was an energetic style of hard bop that was picking up a pronounced driving back beat from the world of RnB and rock. Eddie Harris, Les McCann, Gene Harris and the Adderly brothers were all masters of this proto jazz-rock style that mixed the groovy swing of jazz with the driving aggression of the new rock sound. Acoustic instruments were still the norm at this time, meaning that the more earthy elements in the music were not buried under rock star volume. Cannonball Adderly’s “Mercy Mercy Mercy” is a fine lively live set in this tradition and if you enjoy Eddie Harris classics like “Freedom Jazz Dance” and “Cold Duck Time”, you’ll find a lot to like here.

I wouldn’t say that the two Adderly brothers are underrated, they have received a lot of accolades over the years, but maybe they need more recognition, I rarely hear a bum song, much less a bum album from either of these two. Every song on here is great, but the band really hits their stride on “Sticks”, a high octane “rocker” that features blistering solos from both Cannonball on alto sax and Nat on the cornet. The relaxed version of their big hit, pianist Joe Zawinul’s “Mercy Mercy Mercy”, sounds almost obligatory, but the rest of the album burns with fresh and inspired energy.

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY The Black Messiah

Live album · 1971 · Soul Jazz
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
js
Recorded in 1972, before more busy and frilly styles of fusion kicked in, “Black Messiah” is in the more rootsy early style of fusion similar to “Bitches Brew”. Like other jazz musicians in the late 60s and early 70s, Cannonball and his crew on here mix hard bop, that verges on free jazz, with modern rock and a touch of psychedelia to create what was becoming known as fusion. This is early fusion where the emphasis is still on the jazz, the rock backbeat is implied, not bludgeoning you on top of the head. Freedom is the key word here, these jams sprawl out in a relaxed fashion and allow plenty of room for exploratory solos and breakdown sections where soloists can workout with the percussion players. Especially nice are solo sections where the musicians can create their own environment; George Duke uses a ring modulator and echoplex to create Stockhausen inspired icy electronic soundscapes and later Airto uses his voice and percussion to take us back to music in its earliest forms.

All of the soloists on here are great, but its possible that George Duke steals the show as he so often did in the early 70s as a sideman. Using his Fender Rhodes and a couple of effects, Duke’s solos on here build to intense torrents of electronic sound and dissonant jagged scales. Nat Turner uses his flugelhorn to channel the “angry” horn sound of Miles and Freddie Hubbard that was popular at the time, but as has been pointed out by other critics, usually easygoing Nat’s anger may not be entirely convincing. It might would have been interesting if Nat had topped this fusion with his more typical high flight bop style. All the same, if you enjoyed Miles’ blasting conversations with Chick Corea’s harsh distorted electric piano on the Live at Fillmore sessions, Duke and Nat’s interactions on here will definitely give you a sense of déjà vu. If there is one flaw on here, it’s the two tracks that feature rock guitarist Mike Deasy. More than likely the couple of mundane blues-rock numbers that were tacked on to the set were supposed to appeal to the trendy California rock crowd that usually hung out at The Troubador.

Once again, if you enjoy that early freedom-loving style of fusion similar to Les McCann’s “Invitation to Openess”, the first Weather Report album, Tony Williams’ first Lifetime or Miles’ early 70s work, you will probably enjoy these wide open hippy-jazz excursions.

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Movies Reviews

No CANNONBALL ADDERLEY movie reviews posted yet.

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Shouts

Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Luminescence Post Bop
TOMMY SMITH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Pulsar Avant-Garde Jazz
WILLIAM PARKER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 2 Avant-Garde Jazz
ARTHUR BLYTHE
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Attic & Eve Risser : La Grande Crue Avant-Garde Jazz
THE ATTIC (RODRIGO AMADO / GONÇALO ALMEIDA / ONNO GOVAERT)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Quartet Music Vol. II : Kardamon Fall Avant-Garde Jazz
MICHAËL ATTIAS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

La Dame à la licorne (Live à La Gare)
RAPHAËL IMBERT
js· 7 days ago
Evening Stroll Through Nyhavn (Live)
ALVIN QUEEN
snobb· 10 days ago
Distractions 4
THE RH FACTOR
js· 10 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us