Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (1928-75) was a high school band director in his native Florida, before moving to New York in 1955. After sitting in with Oscar Pettiford’s band at the Café Bohemia, the alto saxophonist became an instant sensation. Despite misguided promotional efforts to christen him as the new Charlie Parker, Adderly clearly had his own approach to the horn, which drew on the inspiration of Benny Carter as well as Parker. His first quintet, which featured his younger brother Nat Adderley on cornet, drew the attention of Miles Davis, who featured the alto saxophonist in the immortal Miles Davis sextet (alongside John Coltrane and either Red Garland, Bill Evans, or Wynton Kelly) for two years beginning in late 1957: In September 1959, Cannonball left Davis and reunited with Nat in a new Cannonball Adderly quintet. Recorded live one month later at San Francisco's Jazz Workshop, the band became an immediate success with their version of Bobby Timmons's sanctified waltz "This Here" and a leading practitioner of what came to be called soul jazz. Numerous other hits followed over the next 16 years as the band occasionally swelled to sextet size (with the inclusion of Yusef Lateef or Charles Lloyd) and featured such important pianist/composers as Barry Harris, Victor Feldman, Joe Zawinul, George Duke, and Hal Galpet: Sam Jones and Louis Hayes formed the original rhythm section. At the heart of the group's success throughout its existence were Cannonball's impassioned alto (and, later; soprano) saxophone and Nat's infectious compositions (including "Work Song" and 'Jive Samba').

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While a knack for interpreting funky crossover material such as Zawinul's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" won the Adderley quintet one of the jazz world's largest audiences, Cannonball's personality also played a pivotal role in sustaining the band's prominence among fans worldwide. He was the most articulate and engaging of musicians, and he invariably educated his listeners with wry commentary. He was also a voracious listener and talent scout who introduced several prominent musicians through both employing them in his ensemble. Cannonball was the one who called Wes Montgomery to the attention of Riverside Records, produced the debut recording of Chuck Mangione, and collaborated so brilliantly with a young Nancy Wilson. Adderley also served as a prominent spokesperson for jazz through extensive television work and residencies at several universities. Shortly before his death following a stroke, he had recorded his original music for "Big Man," a folk musical based upon the life of John Henry.

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