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.
Jump For Joy
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cotton lisle is out of style
Honey child
Jump for joy
Don't you grieve, little Eve
All the hounds I do believe
Have been killed
Jump for joy
Have you seen pastures groovy?
Green pastures was just a technicolor movie
When you stomp up to heaven and you meet old Saint Pete
Tell that boy
that you just gotta wait your turn, honey
Happiness is just a thing called joe
The lyrics to Cannonball Adderley's song "Jump For Joy" are a reflection of the turbulent times of America in the 1960s when the Civil Rights Movement was on the rise. The opening lyrics "Fare thee well, land of cotton, cotton lisle is out of style, honey child, jump for joy" are a reference to the decline of the cotton industry in the South which was a significant contributor to the economy. It also references the end of the era of enslavement that was powered by the cotton industry. The phrase "Jump for joy" is the recurring line in the song that is a call to action for individuals to celebrate their newfound freedom and opportunities.
The second stanza "Don't you grieve, little Eve, all the hounds I do believe, have been killed, ain't ya thrilled? Jump for joy" continues the theme of celebrating the end of slavery and the impending freedom. Cannonball sings of the end of the era of lynching in the South where African Americans were targets of racist mobs and the judicial system. The line, "Have you seen pastures groovy, green pastures was just a Technicolor movie" is an allusion to the displacement of African Americans from rural life to urban environments. "Stomping up to heaven and you meet old Saint Pete, tell that boy that you just gotta wait your turn, honey, happiness is just a thing called Joe" is a reference to the trope of the "Great Migration" where African Americans moved northward to escape the racist laws and institutions of the South. It's also an acknowledgment that there's still much work to do in achieving equality and justice. "Happiness is just a thing called Joe" is the concluding line of the song that is a reminder to savor the moment and to cherish the good things in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Fare thee well, land of cotton
Goodbye to the traditional way of life focused on cotton production
Cotton lisle is out of style
Cotton thread is not as fashionable anymore
Honey child
Term of endearment
Jump for joy
Be happy and elated
Don't you grieve, little Eve
Don't be sad or upset, dear Eve
All the hounds I do believe
I think all the dogs have been killed
Have been killed
Have been put down or eliminated from existence
Ain't ya thrilled?
Aren't you excited and happy about this?
Have you seen pastures groovy?
Have you seen beautiful, lush fields?
Green pastures was just a technicolor movie
The idea of lush fields was just a fanciful portrayal in movies
When you stomp up to heaven and you meet old Saint Pete
When you arrive at the pearly gates and meet St. Peter
Tell that boy 'Everything is straight down here, cheat'
Tell him that everything is good and honest down here, and it wasn't necessary to live a saintly life to be happy.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, GUY WEBSTER/WEBSTER MUSIC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, SID KULLER, PAUL WEBSTER, PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind