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.
Come Sunday
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
I believe that God put sun and moon up in the sky.
I don't mind the gray skies
'cause they're just clouds passing by.
Heaven is a goodness time.
A brighter light on high.
Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
And have a brighter by and by.
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
I believe God is now, was then and always will be.
With God's blessing we can make it through eternity.
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
The lyrics of Come Sunday by Cannonball Adderley speak about the singer's faith in God and the belief that God will see his people through difficult times. The plea for God to look down and see his people through is a recurring theme throughout the song. Adderley's belief in God is expressed through the imagery of the sun and moon that were put up in the sky by God. Even the gray skies do not bother him because he knows they are just clouds that will pass by.
The singer then talks about a place called heaven where there is a brighter light on high. He emphasizes the importance of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us, hoping for a brighter future and a better life. The repetitions of the plea for God to see his people through suggest that the singer and those he sings for are going through a tough time, maybe oppression or discrimination, and they need God's protection and help.
Overall, the lyrics of Come Sunday convey the message of hope and faith in the face of adversity. The singer believes that with God's help, they can make it through eternity.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh
Exclamation of emotion and feeling
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
A plea to the powerful Creator of the universe
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
Asking God to guide, protect and favor his people.
I believe that God put sun and moon up in the sky.
Believing in and recognizing God's creative power and majesty.
I don't mind the gray skies
Accepting and remaining hopeful during tough times.
'cause they're just clouds passing by.
Acknowledging that the difficult times are only temporary and will eventually pass.
Heaven is a goodness time.
Describing the beauty and goodness of heaven.
A brighter light on high.
Referring to the spiritual beauty and perfection of heaven.
Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
Promoting the concept of treating others with kindness and respect.
And have a brighter by and by.
Encouraging the pursuit of a brighter future in the afterlife.
I believe God is now, was then and always will be.
Affirming belief in God's eternal nature and existence.
With God's blessing we can make it through eternity.
Expressing the hope and belief that God's grace will help endure through eternity.
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
A reaffirmation of the plea to God
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
A repeated request for God's protection and guidance for the people.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stephen Queen
One of the most beautiful pieces of music ever imagined!
Curt Rayvis
Just beautiful! Thank you for this one.
Facundo Torres
Beautiful ballad!
Rick Grossman
One of my favorites. Used to own the album. why isn't this available on Apple Music?
Jeff Bunn
Fantastic:)!!! Thank you!
ghairraigh
Please add Sam Jones, Bass.
Sam's feeling a bit of a chilly draft because Cannonball announced him, but you left him off the credits.