Nat Adderley - 241 '2022

Tracks list

Tracklist:

01. Little Joanie Walks
02. Mozart-In
03. I Should Care
04. Soon
05. Blues For Bohemia
06. I've Got A Crush On You
07. Keep It Moving
08. The Fat Man
09. Work Song
10. I Married An Angel
11. Dancing In The Dark
12. Tribute To Brownie
13. Little Miss
14. Easy Living
15. You Better Go Now


• 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.

MilestonesAdderley 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 to form a quintet with his brother was much more
successful for, in 1959, with pianist Bobby Timmons, he had a hit recording of
"This Here." From then on, Cannonball always was able to work steadily with his
band.

PhenixDuring its Riverside years (1959-1963), the Adderley Quintet primarily
played soulful renditions of hard bop and Cannonball really excelled in the
straight-ahead settings. During 1962-1963, Yusef Lateef made the group a sextet
and pianist Joe Zawinul was an important new member. The collapse of Riverside
resulted in Adderley signing with Capitol and his recordings became gradually
more commercial. Charles Lloyd was in Lateef's place for a year (with less
success) and then with his departure the group went back to being a quintet.
Zawinul's 1966 composition "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" was a huge hit for the group,
Adderley started doubling on soprano, and the quintet's later recordings
emphasized long melody statements, funky rhythms, and electronics. However,
during his last year, Cannonball Adderley was revisiting the past a bit and on
Phenix he recorded new versions of many of his earlier numbers. But before he
could evolve his music any further, Cannonball Adderley died suddenly from a
stroke. ~ Scott Yanow

Related artists