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.
Star Eyes
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That to me is what your eyes are,
Soft as stars in April skies are,
Tell me some day you'll fulfill
Their promise of a thrill.
Star eyes,
Flashing eyes in which my hopes rise,
Let me show you where my heart lies.
Let me prove that it adores
That loveliness of yours.
All my life I've felt
Content to stargaze at the skies.
Now I only want to to melt
The stardust in your eyes.
Star eyes,
When if ever, will my lips know
If it's me for whom those eyes glow?
Makes no diff'rence where you are,
Your eyes still hold my wishing star,
Oh, star eyes, how lovely you are.
The song Star Eyes by Cannonball Adderley is a romantic tune that describes the beauty of a woman's eyes. In the first stanza, Adderley refers to the woman's eyes as star eyes, and how they shine as bright as stars in April skies. He expresses his hopes that one day they will fulfill the promise of a thrill. In the second stanza, he describes the woman's eyes as flashing, and how they make his heart rise. Adderley expresses his admiration for her beauty and his desire to prove his adoration for her.
Throughout the song, Adderley compares the woman's eyes to the stars in the sky, which he has spent a lifetime gazing at. However, he now only wants to melt the stardust in her eyes. The chorus expresses his confusion about whether or not the woman returns his feelings, and whether or not he is the one for whom her eyes glow. No matter where she is, her eyes still hold his wishing star, and he cannot help but be drawn to her because of it.
Overall, the song is a beautiful declaration of love that focuses on the beauty of the woman's eyes. Through the use of metaphor and comparison to the stars, Adderley conveys the idea that the woman's beauty is unparalleled and that he is deeply inspired by her.
Line by Line Meaning
Star eyes,
The eyes that captivate me and resemble the stars in their beauty.
That to me is what your eyes are,
Your eyes are the stars in my life that shine bright and beautiful.
Soft as stars in April skies are,
Your eyes are gentle and tender like the stars in the April sky.
Tell me some day you'll fulfill
Promise me that one day you'll give me the thrill that your eyes hold.
Their promise of a thrill.
The promise of excitement and adventure that your eyes hold for me.
Flashing eyes in which my hopes rise,
Your vibrant, shining eyes increase my hope and desire for you.
Let me show you where my heart lies.
Let me demonstrate my love and affection for you, so you can understand what's in my heart.
Let me prove that it adores
Allow me to demonstrate how much I truly love and admire everything about you.
That loveliness of yours.
Your captivating beauty deserves my heartfelt devotion, and I can't help but adore you.
All my life I've felt
I've spent my entire life feeling content and fulfilled, simply admiring the stars in the sky.
Content to stargaze at the skies.
I've always been satisfied looking up at the stars in the heavens above.
Now I only want to to melt
But now, all I want is to experience a transformative connection with you.
The stardust in your eyes.
I want to unlock the secrets of your eyes and feel the wonder and magic they can offer me.
When if ever, will my lips know
I wonder if there will ever be a time when I can finally express my true feelings to you.
If it's me for whom those eyes glow?
I'm curious if I'm the one who has truly captured your heart and imagination.
Makes no diff'rence where you are,
No matter where you are in the world, your eyes remain the guiding force in my life.
Your eyes still hold my wishing star,
No matter what, I am still entranced by my desire and longing for that which your eyes represent.
Oh, star eyes, how lovely you are.
Above all else, there is no one as enchanting and wonderful as you, my star-eyed muse.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GENE DE PAUL, DON RAYE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind