Julian Edwin “Cannonball” Adderley (September 15, 1928 – August 8, 1975) was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s.
Adderley is perhaps best remembered for the 1966 soul jazz single “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”, which was written for him by his keyboardist Joe Zawinul and became a major crossover hit on the pop charts. A cover version by the Buckinghams also reached #5 on the charts. Adderley worked with Miles Davis, first as a member of the Davis sextet, appearing on the seminal records Milestones (1958) and Kind of Blue (1959), and then on his own 1958 album Somethin’ Else. He was the elder brother of jazz trumpeter Nat Adderley, who was a longtime member of his band.
instruments played
(soprano)
alto
saxophone
Associated Acts
Nat Adderley, Miles Davis, George Duke, Yusef Lateef, Sam Jones, Joe Zawinul, Louis Hayes, Bobby Timmons, Bill Evans
Birth Name
Julian Edwin Adderley
Genres
Hard bop, soul jazz, modal jazz, jazz rock
Labels
Blue Note, Fantasy, Capitol, Prestige, Riverside
Occupations
Teacher, saxophonist
Years Active
1955 1975
Name
Cannonball Adderley
Nationality
United States of America