Info: Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1928, he was a jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of jazz in the late 50's and early 60's, and would indeed become a major influence on famous jazz players such as those mentioned on the above album cover, mainly Miles Davis (who drew on Adderley's style for his 1970 album, Bitches Brew) and Art Blakey. Adderley moved from Florida to New York in the mid-50's, with his performance name, Cannonball, originating from his high-school nickname of cannibal, as a result of his ability to eat large amounts of food in one sitting, purely for spectacle. Adderley and his brother Nat, who composed many of his songs, also both worked with Ray Charles in the 1940's when he was in Tallahassee, Florida, and in 1957 he joined the Miles Davis Sextet, 3 months before John Coltrane's return, and played on arguably Davis' most famous album, Kind of Blue. My own introduction to Cannonball Adderley came from the 1966 album, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Live At The Club), however, the above album is probably his finest solo recording, rated #2 on RYM for 1958. Key tracks for me are the first track, "Autumn Leaves", probably the best on the album, but followed closely by "Dancing In The Dark" (which is not a Bruce Springsteen cover). As an absolute jazz novice, and admittedly having had very little interest in the genre up until about 5 years ago, I would place this album as my favourite jazz album, I hope you get a chance to check it out.
Track Listing:
1. Autumn Leaves
2. Love For Sale
3. Somethin' Else
4. One for Daddy-O
5. Dancing In The Dark
