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.
Stars Fell on Alabama
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the world a dream come true
Did it really happen, was I really there, was I really there with you?
We lived our little drama, we kissed in a field of white
And stars fell on Alabama last night
I can't forget the glamor, your eyes held a tender light
And stars fell on Alabama last night
A fairy land where no one else could enter
And in the center just you and me, dear
My heart beat like a hammer, my arms wound around you tight
And stars fell on Alabama last night
We lived our little drama, we kissed in a field of white
And stars fell on Alabama last night
I can't forget the glamor, your eyes held a tender light
And stars fell on Alabama last night
I never planned in my imagination a situation so heavenly
A fairy land where no one else could enter
And in the center just you and me, dear
My heart beat like a hammer, my arms wound around you tight
"Stars Fell on Alabama" is a jazz standard that was first recorded by jazz musician Cannonball Adderley in 1958. The song tells the story of a romantic encounter, set against the backdrop of the state of Alabama. The lyrics set a dreamlike, almost otherworldly tone, as the singer reminisces about a magical night when he and his lover kissed under the stars.
The opening stanza of the song sets the scene of a romantic dream, as the singer describes moonlight and magnolia and starlight in his lover's hair. He questions whether the magical encounter he had with his lover really happened or whether it was just a dream. The second stanza describes the romantic encounter itself, set in a field of white where stars literally fell on Alabama that night. The singer talks of his heart beating like a hammer and his arms wound around his lover tight, conveying the intensity of the moment.
The overall effect of the song is one of nostalgia and longing for a moment of perfect romantic bliss. The lyrics capture the fleeting nature of such moments, which are often impossible to recapture in real life. The song has become a romantic standard because of its dreamlike quality which makes the listener feel as though they are hearing a romantic retelling of a magical experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Moonlight and magnolia, starlight in your hair
The scene was picturesque with moonlight, magnolia, and your hair with starlight in it.
All the world a dream come true
Everything felt perfect like a dream come true.
Did it really happen, was I really there, was I really there with you?
I couldn't believe it was real, did it really happen? And was I really there with you?
We lived our little drama, we kissed in a field of white
We had a moment that was just ours, we kissed in a field of white.
And stars fell on Alabama last night
It was magical and unforgettable, as if stars fell on Alabama last night.
I can't forget the glamor, your eyes held a tender light
I'll never forget the glamour of the moment, and the tender light in your eyes.
And stars fell on Alabama last night
It was a moment where everything felt perfect, as if stars fell on Alabama last night.
I never planned in my imagination a situation so heavenly
I couldn't have even imagined how perfect the moment would be.
A fairy land where no one else could enter
It was like we were in a fantastical place where no one else could intrude.
And in the center just you and me, dear
It was just you and me in the center of the moment, nothing else mattered.
My heart beat like a hammer, my arms wound around you tight
I was overcome with emotion, my heart was hammering, and I held you tight.
And stars fell on Alabama last night
It was truly a magical moment, as if stars fell on Alabama last night.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Frank Perkins, Mitchell Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tommaso Starace Music
My all time favourite saxophonist!
His tone is so expressive, full and rich at the bottom of the register and at the top ( something not easy on alto sax!). Amazing sense of time, swing and an infinite musical box of original ideas. Long live Cannonball!!
vova47
Never tire of this record after many years of listening to it. Ballad playing at its best.
Bill Abbott
Wow! The best swing groove ever at this tempo. Simply amazing.
Revaz Tevzadze
Great piece of art. Bravo Mr Adderley!
Gerry Cappuccio
A wonderful recording !
Joe Narusiewicz
So beautiful and well recorded with great tone!
Blubba
The Bass sound is stellar
GERARD Fagan
I remember when I first listened to this recording long time ago, I was very impressed. It still sounds fresh to me and from the heart.
Bill Abbott
Re: JC we should all pay Mr. Adderley a tithe of thanks for creating a little bit of heaven on earth with his amazing talent. Amen
Tired of the Chit Show In Chicago
Agreed. "Thank you, Mr. Adderley".