Adderley is remembered for his 1966 single "Mercy Mercy Mercy", a crossover hit on the pop charts, and for his work with trumpeter Miles Davis, including on the epochal album Kind of Blue (1959). He was the brother of jazz cornetist Nat Adderley, a longtime member of his band.
The name 'Canonball' is supposed to have originated from his being nicknamed 'cannibal' in his youth, on account of his prodigious eating
Early life and career
Originally from Tampa, Florida, Adderley moved to New York in the mid-1950s. His nickname derived originally from "cannibal", a title imposed on him by high school colleagues as a tribute to his voracious appetite.
His educational career was long established prior to teaching applied instrumental music classes at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cannonball moved to Tallahassee, Florida when his parents obtained teaching positions at Florida A&M University. Both Cannonball and brother Nat played with Ray Charles when Charles lived in Tallahassee during the early 1940s. Cannonball was a local legend in Florida until he moved to New York City in 1955, where he lived in Corona, Queens.
It was in New York during this time that Adderley's prolific career began. Adderley visited the Cafe Bohemia, where Oscar Pettiford's group was playing that night. Adderley had brought his saxophone into the club with him, primarily because he feared that it would be stolen, and he was asked to sit in as the saxophone player was late. That performance established his reputation.
Prior to joining Miles Davis' band, Adderley formed his own group with his brother Nat after signing onto the Savoy jazz label in 1957. He was noticed by Miles Davis, and it was because of his blues-rooted alto saxophone that Davis asked him to play with his group.
Adderley joined the Miles Davis Sextet in October 1957, three months prior to John Coltrane's return to the group. Adderley played on the seminal Davis records Milestones and Kind of Blue. This period also overlapped with pianist Bill Evans' time with the sextet, an association that led to recording Portrait of Cannonball and Know What I Mean?.
His interest as an educator carried over to his recordings. In 1961, Cannonball narrated The Child's Introduction to Jazz, released on Riverside Records.
Band leader
The Cannonball Adderley Quintet featured Cannonball on alto sax and his brother Nat Adderley on cornet. Cannonball's first quintet was not very successful; however, after leaving Davis' group, he formed another, again with his brother, which enjoyed more success.
Later life
By the end of the 1960s, Adderley's playing began to reflect the influence of the electric jazz, avant-garde, and Davis' experiments on the album Bitches Brew. On his albums from this period, such as Accent on Africa (1968) and The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free (1970), he began doubling on soprano saxophone, showing the influence of Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. In that same year, his quintet appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, and a brief scene of that performance was featured in the 1971 psychological thriller Play Misty for Me, starring Clint Eastwood. In 1975 he also appeared (in an acting role alongside Jose Feliciano and David Carradine) in the episode "Battle Hymn" in the third season of the TV series Kung Fu.
Joe Zawinul's composition "Cannon Ball" (recorded on Weather Report's album Black Market) is a tribute to his former leader. Pepper Adams and George Mraz dedicated the composition "Julian" on the 1975 Pepper Adams album (also called "Julian") days after Cannonball's death.
Songs made famous by Adderley and his bands include "This Here" (written by Bobby Timmons), "The Jive Samba", "Work Song" (written by Nat Adderley), "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (written by Joe Zawinul) and "Walk Tall" (written by Zawinul, Marrow and Rein). A cover version of Pops Staples' "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)?" also entered the charts.
Adderley was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity (Gamma Theta chapter, University of North Texas, '60, & Xi Omega chapter, Frostburg State University, '70) and Alpha Phi Alpha (Beta Nu chapter, Florida A&M University).
Adderley died of a stroke in 1975. He was buried in the Southside Cemetery, Tallahassee, Florida. Later that year he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.
Autumn Leaves
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
The opening verse of Cannonball Adderley's "Autumn Leaves" sets a melancholic and longing mood for the rest of the song. The "falling leaves" outside his window represent the passing of time and the inevitability of change. The "autumn leaves of red and gold" add a layer of beauty to the changing of the seasons, but also suggest fleetingness and fragility. This is quickly followed by the singer's reminiscing of summer kisses and holding hands with a lover who is now gone. The reference to "sun-burned hands" gives the impression that this was a summertime love, brief and passionate. The changing of the seasons is something that the singer cannot control, and neither could he prevent his lover from leaving. As he watches the autumn leaves fall and winter approach, he feels the absence of what he's lost - and it hurts the most.
The French verse in the middle of the song follows a similar theme, but it adds a bittersweet touch. The song is said to have originated from a French song called "Les Feuilles Mortes" (meaning "Dead Leaves"), which was written by Joseph Kosma and Jacques Prévert in 1945. The translated lyrics roughly mean: "It's a song that resembles us / You loved me and I loved you / We lived together, both of us / You who loved me, I who loved you / But life separates those who love each other / Gently and with no noise / And the sea erases on the sand the footsteps / Of separated lovers." This verse emphasizes that the nature of love - and life - is not always permanent. People who love each other may be together for a time, but eventually they will part ways, silently and inevitably.
Line by Line Meaning
The falling leaves drift by the window
Autumn is here; I observe the leaves falling outside the window and drifting away one by one, as if they were slowly bidding farewell to the trees before they come to rest.
The autumn leaves of red and gold
The leaves of autumn season are in full bloom, showcasing their vibrant red and gold colors before bidding their final adieu to the trees.
I see your lips, the summer kisses
I remember the moments we shared in summer; I envision the gentle touch of your lips and the warmth of your summer kisses.
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
I reminisce the feel of your sun-kissed hands in mine, the feeling of warmth and security that it brought along.
Since you went away the days grow long
Ever since you left, time seems to be slowing down and the days feel never-ending without you.
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
Winter is almost here, and I can feel its chilly breeze blowing across the fields; soon its cold presence will be felt in every corner of this land.
But I miss you most of all my darling
Despite the changing seasons, my heart longs for you the most. I miss you more with every passing day, and the memories of our moments together are inescapable.
When autumn leaves start to fall
The onset of autumn always reminds me of you; every time the leaves fall I feel overwhelmed with nostalgia and memories of you come flooding back.
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
This is a song that reflects us both, resonating with our emotions and memories.
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
You loved me, and I loved you; our love was mutual, and we cared deeply for each other.
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
We lived together, sharing our lives and experiences, and creating a world of our own.
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
You loved me, and I loved you; we shared a bond that was strong and unbreakable.
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
But life has a way of pulling people apart, even those who love each other deeply.
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
It happens slowly, without making any noise, almost imperceptible until we find ourselves miles apart.
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
And just like the waves of the sea that wash away the footprints on the sand, life too erases the memories of lovers who are no longer together.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Springstoff GmbH, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind