Artist:Cannonball Adderley
Song:Work Song
Album:The Best of Cannonball Adderley:The Capitol Years
This is another in my classic jazz series for beginners. The only requirements are a performance video and a CD appropriate for beginners. Julian "Cannonball" Adderley is one of the all time greats of the alto sax. And his trumpeter brother Nat Adderley usually was in his band. Nat could have been a big star on his own but he preferred working with his brother. Cannonball Adderley was born Sept. 15, 1928 in Tampa, FL. Nat Adderley was born Nov. 25, 1931 in Tampa. Their dad was a high school guidance counselor and amateur trumpeter. The family moved to Tallahassee when both parents were hired to teach at Florida A&M University. Dad gave his trumpet to Cannonball. When he decided to play sax, Nat picked up the trumpet. Cannonball studied at Florida A&M and was a high school band teacher. Nat was in the US Army during the Korean War. They moved to New York in 1955. They went to the Cafe Bohemia to see bassist Oscar Pettiford. When Pettiford saw they had their instruments, he asked them to sit in. That got them a record deal with Savoy. But more importantly, Miles Davis heard him and hired Cannonball when John Coltrane was away. Cannonball appeared on several Davis albums including Kind of Blue in 1959. And Davis appeared on Cannonball's 1958 album Somethin' Else, Cannonball's only album on Blue Note. After recording his 1955 debut album on Savoy, Cannonball recorded several albums for Mercury's EmArcy label. Then he signed with Riverside Records and producer Orrin Keepnews in 1958. And that's when thing really took off. Work Song is from the 1960 album Them Dirty Blues. Nat Adderley wrote Work Song and recorded it on his 1960 album Work Song featuring guitarist Wes Montgomery. Cannonball's recording features Nat on cornet, Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. In 1962, Cannonball left Riverside for Capitol and he also hired pianist Joe Zawinul as musical director. Among other things, Zawinul wrote Cannonball's biggest hit Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. This partnership was very successful until Zawinul left to form Weather Report in 1970. And that's when Cannonball left Capitol for Fantasy Records. Cannonball Adderley suffered a stroke and died on Aug. 8, 1975 at age 48. But he is still considered today as one of the all time jazz greats. This budget comp covers Cannonball's Capitol years. This recording of Work Song was recorded live in Belgium in 1962 and released by Riverside in 1964 as Cannonball in Europe!. Zawinul is on piano along with Yusuf Lateef on tenor sax. The rest of the band is the same. Lateef didn't stay very long. Here's Cannonball Adderley with Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes performing Work Song on the 1962 TV show The Jazz Scene.
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