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.
Rose Room
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little room where all the roses bloom
I want to lead you into Nature's hall
Where ev'ry year the roses give a ball
They have an orchestra up in the trees
For their musicians are the birds and bees
And they will sing us a song
As we are strolling along
In sunny Roseland, where summer breezes are playing
Where the honey bees are "A-Maying"
There all the roses are swaying
Dancing while the meadow brook flows
The moon when shining is more than ever designing
For 'tis ever then I am pining
Pining to be sweetly reclining
Somewhere in Roseland
Beside a beautiful rose
The ball is over and tulips meet
Their little kisses are so short and sweet
The lilies nod to the forget-me-nots
When they're departing in their flower pots
But all the roses with their spirits high
Remain to love until they droop and die
And dear, why shouldn't it be
Just so with you and with me
In sunny Roseland, where summer breezes are playing
Where the honey bees are "A-Maying"
There all the roses are swaying
Dancing while the meadow brook flows
The moon when shining is more than ever designing
For 'tis ever then I am pining
Pining to be sweetly reclining
Somewhere in Roseland
Beside a beautiful rose
The song "Rose Room" by Cannonball Adderley is a beautifully romantic tune which speaks to the desire to escape from reality into a world of blooming roses and beautiful melodies. The singer invites a loved one to a secret place where roses bloom and where they can dance and listen to the sweet sounds of nature. The imagery of the song is one of beauty and love, with the roses symbolizing the fleeting nature of love, and the desire to hold onto it before it fades away.
The first stanza of the song paints a picture of the singer taking his loved one to a secret place, away from the chaos of the world outside. The second stanza describes this place in detail, with the focus on the roses that sway and dance in the breeze. The third and final stanza describes the end of the ball and the reminiscing of the singer, who wants to hold onto the beauty of the moment forever. The song is both playful and romantic, with its use of natural imagery and lighthearted lyrics.
Overall, the song speaks to the desire for romantic escapism, to leave the harsh reality of life behind and to find a place of peace and beauty with a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to take you to a little room
I want to take you to a secret place
A little room where all the roses bloom
A place where beautiful flowers are in abundance
I want to lead you into Nature's hall
I want to show you the beauty of nature
Where ev'ry year the roses give a ball
Where roses bloom every year and celebrate
They have an orchestra up in the trees
The birds and bees provide music in the atmosphere
For their musicians are the birds and bees
The birds and bees are natural musicians
And they will sing us a song
The birds and bees will sing for us
As we are strolling along
As we walk together
In sunny Roseland, where summer breezes are playing
A beautiful place filled with sun and wind
Where the honey bees are "A-Maying"
Where the bees are active, making honey
There all the roses are swaying
The roses are gently swaying with the wind
Dancing while the meadow brook flows
The roses are flowing with the water in the brook
The moon when shining is more than ever designing
The moon brings out the beauty of the place
For 'tis ever then I am pining
For it is then that I long for the place
Pining to be sweetly reclining
Yearning to relax and rest
Somewhere in Roseland
In that beautiful place
Beside a beautiful rose
Next to a magnificent flower
The ball is over and tulips meet
After the celebration, tulips come together
Their little kisses are so short and sweet
Their interactions are brief and enjoyable
The lilies nod to the forget-me-nots
The lilies and forget-me-nots communicate and acknowledge each other
When they're departing in their flower pots
When they are separated and put in different pots
But all the roses with their spirits high
The roses are still happy and lively
Remain to love until they droop and die
They continue to love until they wither
And dear, why shouldn't it be
And why shouldn't it be like this
Just so with you and with me
Just like how we can love each other until the end
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ART HICKMAN, HARRY WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind