Happy Birthday, Cannonball Adderley

Alto saxophonist Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley was born on September 15, 1928 in Tampa, Florida. Adderley is best known for his 1966 single "Mercy Mercy Mercy," which was a crossover hit on the pop charts, and for his work with trumpeter Miles Davis, including the iconic 1959 album, Kind of Blue.

A good example of Adderley's hard bop style is "Autumn Leaves," from his 1958 album, Somethin' Else, which included Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Sam Jones, and Hank Jones. (Purchase the CD, Somethin' Else, at Barnes & Noble.)

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Cannonball Adderley's album Coast to Coast. Unfortunately, the album is only available in vinyl. Jim Determan, who has updated Lyons's list of albums for CD, recommends instead the following titles:

• Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (Buy at Barnes & Noble)
  
• Cannonball Adderley Sextet in New York (Buy at Barnes & Noble)
  

Robert