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.
The Fat Man
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I weight two hundred pounds
All the girls they love me
'Cause I know my way around
I was standin', I was standin' on the corner
Of Rampart and Canal
I was watchin', watchin'
Wah wah wah, wah wah
Wah wah waah, wah wah wah
Wah wah waah, wah wah wah
Wah wah wah
Wah waah wah
Wah wah wah, wah wah wah
Wah wah wah, wah wah wah
Wah wah wah
I'm goin', I'm goin' goin' away
And I'm goin', goin' to stay
'Cause women and a bad life
They're carrying this soul away
The Fat Man by Cannonball Adderley is a song that tells a story about a man who is well known and loved by many girls in his area because of his size and his ability to charm the ladies. The man is referred to as "the fat man" because he weighs 200 pounds. The first verse of the song is dedicated to describing the man's size and how he is loved by women.
The second verse of the song talks about how the man was standing on the corner of Rampart and Canal, watching all the Creole girls go by. The verse mentions "wah wah wah" several times, which might be a reference to the sound of a trumpet that often accompanies jazz compositions. The last verse of the song talks about how the man is going away, and how women and a "bad life" are carrying his soul away.
Line by Line Meaning
They call, they call me the fat man
I have earned the nickname 'The Fat Man' by weighing two hundred pounds.
'Cause I weight two hundred pounds
I am quite heavy, my weight is two hundred pounds.
All the girls they love me
I am popular with the ladies, they all seem to love me.
'Cause I know my way around
I am experienced in the ways of love and relationships.
I was standin', I was standin' on the corner
I was standing on the street corner.
Of Rampart and Canal
The street corner where I was standing was at the intersection of Rampart and Canal.
I was watchin', watchin'
I was observing, looking carefully.
Watchin' all these creole gals
I was focused on observing all the beautiful Creole women passing by.
Wah wah wah, wah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.
Wah wah waah, wah wah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.
Wah wah waah, wah wah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.
Wah wah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.
Wah waah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.
I'm goin', I'm goin' goin' away
I am preparing to leave this place and start anew.
And I'm goin', goin' to stay
I am committed to the decision to leave and start over.
'Cause women and a bad life
A life of women and bad decisions is pulling me under.
They're carrying this soul away
My soul is being taken away by this lifestyle of women and bad decisions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO, ANTOINE 'FATS' DOMINO, DAVE BARTHOLOMEW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Najponk Jazz
This is Desert Island Record 💿 Cannonball is The Man 🎷 thanks for sharing 🎹